Oral Tradition collection of stories shared within a culture Epic Poem / Saga usually a central story of oral tradition may be very complex.

Introduction to Mythology

Oral Tradition

collection of stories shared within a culture Epic Poem / Saga

usually a central story of oral tradition may be very complex very changeable

Religion beliefs and customs shared within a culture

Terms to Know

folklore

legend

fable

fairy-tale

myth

Stories, stories....

told, not written

focus: common people

may contain magic, supernatural

explain some element of shared

culture

Folklore

told, not written

focus: possibly a real person/event

usually don’t contain magic,

supernatural

“folklore in historical moments”

“tall-tales” are a version of these

Legend

short story with magical elements

talking / anthropomorphic animals

tells a MORAL tale or shows a

MORAL lesson

Fable

not many in Greek / Roman

typically N. European

often contain witches, elves, dwarves,

goblins, mythical beasts

some versions Christianized

longer than fables, but similar

fantastical compared to legends, but similar

Fairy-Tale

legend like story dealing with gods,

heroes, ancient ancestors

explain a natural, cultural,

psychological phenomenon

often deal with origins of something

Myth

where do we get these

stories? ancient texts

Homer Hesiod Apollodorus Ovid Virgil

are all these writers (and dozens more) consistent?

can anything be learned through archaeology??

Sources...

origins of universe Theogony : birth of the gods creation of the earth, animals, humans

Age of the Gods “settling down” of the universe Olympians defeat the Titans

Age of Gods / Mortals gods and men mix quite a bit birth of a lot of demigods

Age of Heroes fewer god interactions

Greek Myth: Characteristics

Part II

Birth of the Universe

In the beginning, there was Chaos.....

Gaia/Ge (Earth) Earth then divides herself

Ouranos – Heaven Mountains Sea (produces many monsters)

Tartaros (Darkness) Eros (Desire)

Theogony

From Ouranos and Earth (Gaia) comes:

the 12 Titans

Hekatoncheires (who have 100 hands)

Cyclopes (who are friendly engineers)

One of the Titans (Cronos), tired of Father Ouranos’ rule....um....

castrates him

Theogony

Making monsters

mixing of all those early elements creates ‘unnatural’ creatures

Crazy broods of monsters from the sea making enemies for Zeus

Many ‘female’ monsters Typhaon/Typhoeus will return as the

final opponent of Zeus youngest “son” of Gaia

But the Titans are NOT monsters

Phorcys (son of the

Sea and Gaia)

and god of disasters at sea

Medusa(daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, killed by Perseus)

Hydra (killed by Herakles and Iolaus, offspring of Typhaon and

Echidna))

Chimaera (defeated by Bellerophon, offspring of Typhaon and Echidna)

Kerberos (overcome by Herakles, offspring of Typhaon and Echidna)

Sphinx (riddle solved by Oedipus)

Vase painting of Zeus and Typhaon

Birth of Zeus

Kronos (head Titan, who had overthrown his father Ouranos) hears a prophesy that he will be overthrown by his son

So he eats his kids Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter

But he is tricked by Rhea, his wife-sister

"Cronus Devouring

His Children"

by Francisco de Goya

(1746-1828)

what is this story?

“Cronus devours his children,”

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640)

sparagmos

Attic Red-

Figure Vase

depiction of

Rhea’s trick, ca

475 - 425 BC

Relief of Rhea’s trick

Omphalos stone from Delphi (Roman Copy)

the stone Kronos swallowed?

Zeus, King of the Gods

Zeus: King of the Gods

SKY GOD!!!!! Indo-European parallels (sky/day)

Dyaus Pitar (ancient Hindu god) Iuppiter (Dyeus-pater) Tyr (Tiw) Mesopotamian storm-god

Birth and accession to power Raised in Crete, had to hid from Daddy Cronos

Zeus, Authority, Justice

“King of Gods and Men” Gives kings the right to rule Concerned with justice, order, law

An ancient song about Zeus:“Yours is the rulership of Heaven

You oversee the deeds of menVillainous and lawful; you care about

The outrage and right-doing of beasts”

Some epithets NB: Greek deities may have multiple epithets

location attribute province

‘versions’ of the gods may be worshipped only in very specific places, or in specific contexts, or invoked for special reasons syncretism

Zeus Olympios Zeus as he rules over the gods (on Mt. Olympos)

Zeus Xenios Zeus as he watches out for travelers, hospitality, and the

rules of xenia Zeus Polieos, Zeus Boulios

Zeus as he watches over the workings of city Zeus Horkios

Zeus as he protects oaths and punishes oath breakers Zeus Dikaios

Zeus as he governs Justice Zeus Kataibates

Zeus’ lightning bolts Zeus Gamelios

Zeus as protector of marriage

Iconography primary symbols

eagle thunderbolt scepter/staff throne oak

almost always bearded he is the father god after all

Zeus with thunderbolt and eagle

Zeus with thunderbolt,

staff

Zeus enthroned

(staff, eagle, thunderbolt,

throne)

Zeus and Hera enthroned

Statue of Zeus[?]

(thunderbolt lost)