...Aphrodite is the well known goddess of love, beauty and procreation. She is identified with the planet Venus (Greek Goddess Aphrodite). In the picture above, she is shown with her son, Eros; like in most of his artwork, he is in the sky holding his bow and arrow. There are numerous myths telling of her proclaiming love and beauty. Aphrodite is not only the most powerful above both mortals and immortals, but she also represents the love between the two. According to Homer's Iliad, Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus, god of the sky and Olympian of all the gods. Her mother, Dione, was known as the mother of the Roman goddess of love (By Dione He [Zeus] Had Aphrodite). However, in Myths Encyclopedia, it is said that Aphrodite was, “Born from the foam of the sea”. This myth is believed by many, because her name, Aphrodite or Aphros, is the Greek word which means foam. As oddly as it seems, legends say that Titan Cronus castrated Uranus, his father, throwing his genitals into...
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...extent to which Roman ideas about their gods and the foundation of their city were influenced by Greek mythology. Ancient Rome is filled with history of great wars and heroes, the mighty and the fallen. They were renowned conquers becoming one of the largest empires of their time. The romans were skilled finding their strengths in the engineering industry as well as the law. Although this ancient civilisation existed millenniums ago, they still effect the times of today. A prime example of this is the language, English. Romans spoke Latin and as they conquered and settled through Europe, “Latin fused with the native languages,” creating the romance languages of today; “Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese… and Catalan.” The vocabulary of English has also largely derived from the Latin language. Although the current times of today have been influenced by the times of the ancients, the Romans however were influenced to an extent by the ancient Greek’s civilisation. By the 2nd century BC, Rome had a very evident impact from the culture of the Greeks. Greeks had begun to settle on the south then later migrating further north of Italy’s peninsula, and occupying the city of Sicily. There is neither exact date nor event that stipulates the cross of two nations however events such as the Macedonian and Carthage wars of Roman conquest would have aided in the direct contact to Greek colonization. The influence of Greece can be seen throughout every aspect of a Romans day-to-day...
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...The word myth is used popularly a lot when describing urban legends, urban myths, urban folk tales or current legends. Myth, from the Greek word mythos, originally meant word, news, message, event, or history. Myths present a cosmology, a picture of how the world and life in it began, how things in the world are related, what they mean, and the role of the gods. A myth uses its own time—mythic time—distinct from historical time, even though it influences historical time. A myth is a story made up from some real life events and from some imaginations of small town folk, story tellers. Myths I believe from different cultures all around the world address such similar or universal themes is because, all cultures ask and want to know answers to the same questions. Where did the human race come from? What is the meaning of life? It does not matter what part of the world you come from, every human being on earth would love to know the answer to these questions. Over time we as human beings have learned how to answer these questions for ourselves through myths and religion. Myths threw religion has answered those questions also given us something to believe in. The relationship between belief, knowledge, mythology and religion to me are they are created by man. Human beings feel they have more of a purpose in life and need something or someone to believe in, this is where myths such as Greek gods come in to play. I believe most myths could easily be explained by natural occurrences...
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...Greek Mythology Intro Greek mythology is the myths and legends the ancient Greeks centered their lives around. The ancient Greeks used these myths to explain the events and components of the world around them. Their religion included gods and heroes, creation stories, and the origins of their civilizations and rituals. It is topic that had been studied and examined in great depth for thousands of years. This fascinating religion's messages and influences are reflected in today’s modern society, and many similarities can be found between Greek mythology and modern religions, such as Christianity. The twelve Olympian Gods and their Myths To begin with, many of the beliefs that the Ancient Greeks believed in were based on the Olympians. The Olympians were a group of twelve gods who ruled after they overthrew the Titans. All of the Olympians are related in some way and they were named after their dwelling, Mount Olympus. The three major gods are Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Their father, Kronos, was the leader of the Titans, he was cruel and was so determined not to lose his throne that he ate his children alive. But one child, Zeus was spared because his mother, Rhea, fed Krono’s a rock disguised as a baby instead of Zeus himself. Zeus defeated his father by chopping him up into little pieces and scattering his remains across the world. Then Zeus released all of Krono’s children that his father had eaten. These gods were Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and...
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...word myth used popularly? For example, what does the statement, “It’s a myth” mean? In contrast, how is the word myth used in the academic context? After considering the definition in your textbooks and course materials, write a definition in your own words. Myth is story or a legend to explain past times in a cultures history. When others tell a myth they are telling a false sense of truth to the type of story, which may have happen with some unexplained events to help teach a moral or lesson. However academically myth is used to address what is real or a false sense of truth in the context of the myth itself. A definition of the word myth does vary from person to person; a myth in this narrator’s sense is a story that cannot be proven to be true or false. For instance some Greeks had sighting of the Greek Gods themselves but cannot be denied or proven because there is no hard evidence. Myths leave the human mind open to explore different possibilities, because nothing is impossible in this world. There are however myths that are created to help children understand changes as Santa Clause or the tooth fairy, these myths were created to give children hope. Why do myths from different cultures around the world address such similar or universal themes? Think about how myths explain the unknown and the tribulations of mankind. As in every culture there are similarities, similar beliefs, foods, clothes and legends. All the different cultures may have similar myths to provide...
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...the word “myth” is generally used to describe urban legends. Urban legends are false stories, told as if they were true, and passed on to others. Myth, in this context, is defined as stories that undergo a series of events sharing characteristics of legends and folktales. These stories, present themselves in our everyday lives through fictional characters, such as Tooth Fairy or Cupid. In an academic setting, the word “myth” is used to describe ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions such as creation (Leonard & McClure, p. 1, 2004). The word mythology is derived from both Greek words mythos and logos. The academic study of mythology could be described as the logical thinking used to produce mythical thinking; hence mythos forms the structure in which logos is employed. I would describe myths as an unexplainable or unknown actual event created by individuals to make sense of the unknown. Creation is a perfect example of this. Cultures around the world have different Myths. They all share the basic human desire to understand life and its meaning. Claude Lévi-Strauss expresses similar sentiments about myth’s functions when he postulates that myths serve to mediate conflicting or dualistic elements of society and life and conflicting nature of human beings are same around the world. (Leonard & McClure, p. 18, 2004). Creation is one of the most popular myths. Most cultures have a creation myth. The cultures...
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...The batman legend Aspects of mythology in batman legend: example of the dark knight trilogy There are a lot of differences and similarities between the heroes and gods of the Greek and romans myths and traditions compared to the superheroes and legends of the comic’s books and Hollywood movies. Scholars often conduct researches to define and analyze pieces of art to check its methodological features in terms of form and content. In this humble research we will try to shed the light on the aspects of mythology in batman as a superhero and a legend taking the dark knight trilogy as an example to examine how mythology is represented in this masterpiece by the brilliant director Christopher Nolan. The dark knight trilogy consists of 3 movies: batman begins (2005), the dark knight (2008) and the dark knight rises (2012). The three of them was directed by the filmmaker Christopher Nolan and were inspired from the batman character created by Bob Kane. ``Batman Begins`` movie was basically about the origin of the batman legend as a force of good in Gotham city. In the light of his parents tragic robbery murder (Bruce Wayne) took a journey around the globe looking for meaningful values and tools to fight injustice and criminals. He was taken in by a strange instructor called Ducard and taught him how to become a ninja in what is named the League of Shadows after that he came back to Gotham and uncover his masked crusader (Batman) in order to start fighting gangsters to end their...
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...or Perseus? Zeus is the most powerful deity, god in ancient Greece. Zeus's role was that he was the god of social order, and law. They say Greek mythology Perseus is the son of Zeus. Perseus was a demigod and Zeus was a deity god. Perseus was the heroic slayer of the Gorgon Medusa, the mythical creature who turns people into stone. The mother of Perseus was Danae the daughter of King Acrisius of Argos. Zeus was also known as the king of the gods, protector of justice and social order. Although, Zeus and Perseus are outstanding, brave, and strong heroes in Greek mythology, to human Perseus showed more heroic deeds than Zeus. First, how is Zeus and Perseus lives differ from each other. Zeus was the most powerful god in Greek mythology, he was a deity god. Perseus was known as the slayer of Medusa and he was a demigod. Zeus was the supreme ruler, he was “The Lord of the Sky” (Hamilton 24). An oracle predicted that Danae the mother of Perseus would bear a child who would one day kill his grandfather who is the most powerful god Zeus. Zeus's most powerful skill is to the bolts out of lighting. He could also have the authority to take control over the weather causing huge storms and rain to the human world. That’s how Zeus and Perseus lives differ. (Zeus. Myths and...
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...important to not take the Gods involvement away from the nature of love ( a dominant theme of the book) The religious themes of the novel are already apparent in the title, without even opening the pages a reader with a knowledge of greek lore and myth will already relate the name Daphnis to its greek meaning of ‘Laurus nobilis’ or ‘Bay Laurel’ which stood as a significant symbol to Apollo, Daphnis himself in greek myth was citied to be the child of Hermes and a Nymph who struggled to contain himself and subsequently lost his eyesight at the wrath of a infatuated nymph. The similarities between the Mythological Daphnis and Longus’ Daphnis would suggest that Longus intended to relate his character to the legend. However in the novel Daphnis barely portrays any of the divine features which the legend holds, the word ‘par excellence’ is used in relation to the Legend, the word meaning ‘Better than all others of the same kind’ and it does not relate to Longus’ Daphnis . Furthermore the name Daphnis was a commonly used name in Greek literature especially in pastoral poetry which is hardly surprising seeing as the Legend is supposedly the inventor of the genre, Therefore it is not appropriate to say the character is solely based off the legend but the similarities they share help create a divine link between the two and the novel itself. The Story of Daphnis and Chloe is predominately a story of love and romance, it is essentially the theme of the entire plot. Whilst Love...
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...• How is the word myth used popularly? For example, what does the statement, “It’s a myth” mean? In contrast, how is the word myth used in the academic context? After considering the definition in your textbooks and course materials, write a definition in your own words. According to Harper (2010), "a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature. " Dictionary.com defines myth as a traditional or legendary story. The word myth is used to address what is real and what is not real in academic context. For example; some traditional and legendary stories are Santa Claus, St. Nick, the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy. These stories became a part of many people everyday lives. The myths of these stories were told to young children to get them to understand rather than give them the full truth in details. A myth is a fairytale that is told to children to create a dramatic and more exciting effect. • Why do myths from different cultures around the world address such similar or universal themes? Think about how myths explain the unknown and the tribulations of mankind. Myths from around the world or universe are similar in many ways but according to the different cultures, the individual can have different beliefs. The way myths are presented in movies...
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...legend between truth and fiction A legend is a traditional tale popularly regarded as true but containing a mixture of fact and fiction. A legend is tale, usually told regionally and based in part in fact, usually to strengthen ones belief in his or her country or sitting lord. An example would be the Arthurian legends or the Iliad. Legends are sometimes distinguished from myths in that they concern human beings rather than gods, and sometimes in that they have some sort of historical basis whereas myths do not; but these distinctions are difficult to maintain consistently Legend vs Myth: Myths are generally referred to as traditional stories occuring in a timeless past. They may involve supernatural elements and are beyond the frontiers of logic. Myths may also give a religious explanation. Myths have their chronology of events and cannot be related to present timelines. They may also be imaginary things. Legends, however, are stories about real people who are famous for doing something brave or extraordinary. Legends may be told upon topics of historical importance. It is not an explanation of something nor a symbolic narrative, they're based on an event. Examples of myths and legends It is a Greek myth that Prometheus stole fire from Zeus, the chief god, and gave it to humans so that they could keep themselves warm. To punish him, Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock where his liver was eaten by an eagle every day but grew again every night. There is nothing to prove...
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...In section 3, Nietzsche uses the ancient legend of King Midas and Silenus to highlight a certain aspect of Hellenic culture. Specifically, the origin of the Olympian gods. He introduces the myth as a way of dealing with someone who questions the morality of the Olympian beings, as it is easy to observe that these creatures did not practice asceticism, nor were good and evil important to them. How could people look to this kind of existence and perceive it as ideal? Nietzsche would instruct the inquisitor of this sort of question to turn their head to the “popular Greek wisdom” of Silenus, found in the myth. The legend recounts King Midas searching for and capturing Silenus, a wise companion of Dionysus, with the hopes of finding “the best and most excellent thing for human beings.” Silenus, according to Nietzsche, begins his response by making a fair point, calling humanity ephemeral, and brushing humans off as “children of chance and tribulation.” He then tells the king that the best thing...
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...contiuouse poem ranging in time from the beginning of the universe to Ovids own lifetime. (p.3 Ovid). Since The first known English translation by William Caxton in it has been translated many times each version to suit the English speaking Audience of that day. I will be using the David Raeburn’s 2004 translation published by Penguin Classics. Ovid was writing for an audience of his time he continued with the ancient literary technique of retelling a familiar myths, the age he lived in was reflected in the content and style of his writing ‘ Ovid designed his poem to be delivered aloud in acceptable lenghts (p.xxxvii ovid) entertaining in a serial form (ovid (xxxviii) originally written in datylic hexameter. The ‘Dactylic hexameter rhythms signal that a poem is being recited’ ((skidmore.edu) By using this technique Ovid is suggesting his work should be compared to Homer’s Iliad the oldest surviving Greek poem and according to Herodotus the poet together with Hesoid who ‘described the gods for the Greeks and gave them all their titles, offices and powers.( Herodotus p33 visual sources.)...
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...homes and communal buildings during the rein of the Greek/Roman Empire. Nonetheless, mosaics are not just aesthetic works of fine art but merely are an indispensable memoir of substantial myths, stories, and legends of the past, whether it may be depicting a heroic scene of one of the greatest battles of time to a royal celebration of some sort. The intricate details and time put into creating such a piece of work reveal so much about the Greek/Roman culture. They revere and honour all the hardship they went through and then develop these fascinating life changing events into works of art, which, we now read about in books or view in museums. One specific work of art, which, portrays so much is The Abduction of Europa mosaic, now placed in the National Museum of Beirut. Nevertheless, most Greek/Roman mosaics were used and created to strengthen and support the Greek/Roman social structure and their societal reputation in the empire. They were not only created for societal purposes, but also to keep consequential evocations alive throughout history. The mosaics of the Greek/Roman culture have been said to be influenced vastly from Hellenistic art - some of the most common subject matters artists liked to capture and portray were scenes of the sea and Greek myths, such as Gods and Goddesses and the encounters they endured. This explains clearly, the mosaic we encountered in the National Museum of Beirut. It is about the Greek myth of the God Zeus transforming himself into a Bull,...
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...Foundations of Mythology Oatis Henry HUM 105 April 9, 2015 DR. Sigrid Koepke-Fruend Popularly the word “myth is used to describe urban legends or stories that are not true but told by someone to as if they were true. Academically, the word myth is used to describe ancient narratives that tries to answer human questions such as how the world was created or how the human race what created. The word mythology comes from Greek words such as mythos and logos. Mythology can be described as logical thinking. I would describe myths as an unexplainable or unknown actual event created by individuals to make sense of the unknown such as creation of the universe. Cultures around the world have different myths that all share the basic human desire to understand life and its meaning. Creation is one of the most popular myths that these cultures share. The cultures utilize their surroundings and cultural backgrounds to help the citizens understand the unknown since we all have different backgrounds, it makes sense the stories would differ however, the premise of the story will remain the same. The most unusual creation myth I have come across is the Chinese legend of Pan Gu, Nü Wa and the cosmic egg. While the story is odd for me, it has the overall same purpose as the "big bang theory" or "God created the world in seven days" theory. They all share the same desire to explain the unexplainable. Belief, religion, knowledge, and mythology differ however, they have overlapping characteristics...
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