...Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures Jessica Farrah Hum/105 Janurary-18-2016 Paul Nersesian Mythology. When you think of what that means to you it may be mainstream as in Hercules, Troy, and many other movies and stories that have been inspired by the gods and religion. Yet there is a much deeper story behind what we know. Tracing back for centuries in forms of different religions and countries upon their own belief. In this paper I will discuss the Greek Theogoina and the Sumarian creation myth of Ulligara and Zalgarra. In Greece, circa 700 BC, Hesiod lived and wrote a poem called the Theogonia, which means “the birth of the gods.” Today, we call it the Theogony, and it is more spiritual than Greek and Latin poetry about myths that followed the Theogony. Hesiod is closer to a time when there was less distinction between the world of myth and that of daily life. (63. Leonard, McClure) The Earth, in the Theogony, is represented by Gaia. The Sky is represented by Ouranos. Tartarus is an early stage in the development of the Underworld. Chaos, or a “yawning void” came into being, and then Gaia, also known as the mother of the Earth in some cultures, followed by Tartaros and Eros. Chaos, Gaia, Ouranos, and Tartaros are the creators of all things in the Theogony. Things kind of generated spontaneously and eventually Gaia and Ouranos, who are also considered brother and sister, produced twelve Titans; six male and six female. They also gave life to the Cyclopes...
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...Creation Myths Kimberly L. Moore HUM/105 World Mythology Diana Bernstein February 1, 2016 Creation Myths * I have chosen the “Greek Creation Myth,” and the “Mayan Creation Myth.” * In the “Mayan Creation Myth,” the heavens and the earth are both represented. The elements of earth are: day, moon and stars, mountains and hills, streams and rivers, animals, and human beings. The heavens are represented by Veracocha’s retreat to Lake Titcaca, from which he emerges in the beginning of the myth. It also describes a sea world as the god and his companions retreat to the coast of the sea, in the end of the myth, never to be seen again (Rosenberg p. 599) In the “Greek Creation myth,” earth, the sky world, and underworld are all represented. The earth is made from the earth Goddess, Gaia. The sky, and its starry mantle are Uranus, Gaia’s husband. The underworld is a place that contains the deepest, darkest depths of the earth, but also the “Blessed Isles,” a beautiful place where the heroes go when they die (University of Phoenix, 2015). * The creator in the Mayan creation myth is Lord Con Ticci Viracocha, “prince of the heavens and the earth” (Rosenburg p.599). Viracocha created the heavens and the earth first. Then, he created the animals and a race of “gigantic human beings” (Rosenburg p.571). He was displeased with the behaviors of the animals and humans, turned them into stone, and flooded the earth killing all of its inhabitants. He began again by creating day...
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...Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures University of Phoenix Cosmic Creation Myths across Cultures Nor is this world populated by gentleman the original of belongings possible created by God. He completed a number of worlds earlier than ours, but he cracked them all, because he was contented with not iota until he formed our world. Greek Myths The term creation myth can be perplexing because the word doesn't enchantment out what is fashioned. Creation myth refers to whichever the formation of the cosmos or the formation of mankind and theology. In Greek legends, the conception of the planet begins with the formation of the different teachings of Gods. In this case, Gods refers to the character that tricks the Earth until the genuine Gods, the Olympians approach. Hesiod's theology is single of the paramount preamble we have on the establishment of the human kind. According to Hesiod, three main rudiments obtain part in the commencement of formation, Chaos, Gaia, and Eros. It is supposed that Chaos provide origin to Erebos and Night at the same time as Ouranos and Okeanos pounce from Gaia. Each youngster had a precise function, and Ouranos's responsibility was to look after Gaia. Later the two became a pair and were the earliest Gods to imperative the earth. They had 12 offspring who were acknowledged as the Titans. Three others known as the Cyclopes, and the three hundred handed Giants. The germ of Ouranos, which fell...
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...When it comes to modern day adaptations of old time folk tales and myths the classical antiquity is a very popular theme in modern day culture and has been integrated into so many different aspects of society now a days, especially the media. Things like advertisements, comic books, video games, movies and TV shows all pull ideas from the classical antiquity period for their entertainment. An example of a modern adaptation of Greek mythology can be seen in the television series “Charmed” where three sister witches battle the different forces of evil on a day to day basis while still trying to preserve their normal lives. This show draws on lots of different mythical ideas such as fairies, leohrocausns, ogres and nymphs. This show is a great...
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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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...known in Greek language as cosmogony, the diverse myth of creation varies drastically among many areas of the earth and during numerous periods throughout history (Leonard & McClure, 2004). The telling of such myths and stories gives insight to the culture and behavior of many societies. This information becomes religion for some and yet a way to pass down the history, heritage, and tradition of a civilization to another. The most common way to dissect and question a myth uses tools that would identify the nature of the story and outline the origin. The many distinct views in use to theorize and question mythoi are commonly the social, the psychological, the literary, the structural, and the political form of the myth. The areas in which to question commonly reference back to a toolkit that when brought into use in examination of a myth, the analysis is simple and questions cover many concerns. The debate of whether a myth is a story of imagination or holds any fact depends on if it comes from “a tale told by idiots,” or rather “sages, religious fundamentalists and agnostic theologians, idealists and cynics, racists and fascists,” or “philosophers and scholars” (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 5). Choosing to use social, psychological, and structural for the theoretical methods of inspection to breakdown and question the narrations of various myths of creation will show the function in their respective societies and cultures. The social aspect questions how the myth affects...
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...He is portrayed as an extremely belligerent god and as someone who can “pick a fight in an empty room” (Meet the Greek Gods). Annabeth describes Ares as someoen who is lacking brains when she says that “Ares has strength. That’s all he has” (The Lightning Thief 229). Ares lack of intelligence is also visible in his inability to formulate his own plans, such as when Percy discovers that the reason for Ares’ plot against him was due to an idea planted in his head by Kronos, the king of the Titans (The Lightning Thief 323-324). He is also described by Percy as a bully and a coward (The Lightning Thief 243-326). Ares is someone who is extremely vengeful; after he was wounded by Percy once in battle, he made Percy his enemy and cursed him in battle (The Lightning Thief 331). He is also very prideful, refusing to admit that he did not develop his own plan and had to be forced to write a thank you note to Poseidon for his help (The Lightning Thief 323; The Last Olympian...
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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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...and Goddesses HUM/105 June 15, 2011 Comparing Gods and Goddesses Myths are narrative stories that describe the creation of the world and how the first humans came into existence. According to Leonard and McClure (2004), human societies began as goddess-oriented and matrifocal (women-centered). Human societies evolved from primitive beginnings to a superior culture system of patriarchy (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 104). Although myths may differ from culture to culture, common elements and roles exist in each myth. In today’s society, myths and legends are fantasy-filled tales from ancient societies long gone. Therefore, Team A will describe the elements and functions of goddess myths, and compare two myths of the female divine from different cultures. Second, the team will describe the elements and functions of god myths, and compare two myths of the male divine from different cultures. Last, the team will summarize the elements and functions shared by both divines. According to the euhemerist Gimbutus, goddesses have three basic roles life, death, and regeneration (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 114). The goddesses of life are Mother Earth, nature, sea, and universe. These goddesses are nurturers and overseers of security and contentment, prosperity and growth, and creativity and artistry. The mother earth goddesses are creators of earth and universe, such as Gaia of the ancient Greeks, and Tellus of the Romans. These two Earth goddesses gave birth to the sky,...
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...What is a Myth? Before defining the term "mythology" one needs to define the meaning of the word "myth". The word itself comes from the Greek "mythos" which originally meant "speech" or "discourse" but which later came to mean "fable" or "legend". So the word "myth" is defined as a story of forgotten or vague origin, basically religious or supernatural in nature, which seeks to explain or rationalize one or more aspects of the world or a society. Furthermore, all myths are, at some stage, actually believed to be true by the peoples of the societies that used or originated the myth. The definition is thus clearly distinguished from the use of the word myth in everyday speech which basically refers to any unreal or imaginary story. A myth is also distinctly different from an allegory or parable which is a story deliberately made up to illustrate some moral point but which has never been assumed to be true by anyone. Some myths describe some actual historical event, but have been embellished and refashioned by various story tellers over time so that it is impossible to tell what really happened. In this last aspect myths have a legendary and historical nature. Definitions of Mythology The word mythology has two related meanings. Firstly it refers to a collection of myths that together form a mythological system. Thus one can speak of "Egyptian Mythology", "Indian Mythology", "Maori Mythology" or "Greek Mythology". In this sense one is describing a system of myths which were...
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...Special episodeOn April 5, 2007, Fuji Television aired a three hour special of the series set five years after Aya's death and focuses on Haruto Asō, who has now become a doctor at the same hospital Aya was treated in and Ako Ikeuchi, Aya's younger sister who is a nurse in training. Haruto is caring for a 14-year-old female patient, Mizuki, who was bullied in school because of her disease, the same one that Aya had. Because of the bullying at school, Mizuki-chan decides not to receive therapy of any sort that would make her better, because she has lost her will to live. Haruto remembers how Aya fought her illness and lived her life with her disease; therefore, he offers support to his patient. Aya reappears in the episode using a number of flashbacks from the series and in new scenes.[1] [edit]Main cast Erika Sawajiri - Aya Ikeuchi Ryō Nishikido - Haruto Asō (Aya's later love interest) [edit]Other cast Naohito Fujiki - Hiroshi Mizuno (Doctor) Hiroko Yakushimaru - Ikeuchi Shioka Takanori Jinnai - Ikeuchi Mizuo Riko Narumi - Ikeuchi Ako Yuma Sanada - Ikeuchi Hiroki Ai Miyoshi - Ikeuchi Rika Saori Koide - Mari Sugiura (One of Aya's best friends) Kenichi Matsuyama - Yuji Kawamoto (Aya's first love interest) Yuya Endo - Takeda Makoto (Yuji's friend in the Basketball club) Kana Matsumoto - Saki Matsumura Momosuke Mizutani - Kohei Onda Ryo Hashidume - Keita Nakahara Hiroshi Katsuno - Yoshifumi Asō (Haruto's father) Asae Onishi (大西麻恵...
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...Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book I Kings, Empires, Bigotries and Victories Introduction There are two parts in this essay: the former part Kings and Empires compares the beginning of the universe with the formation of empires and looks at the several transformations of the world as the manifestations of the great power of the ruler; whilst the latter part Bigotries and Victories takes reference from the the quote “History is written by the victors” and the bias narrations in some stories to bring out the darker attributes of the worldly reality and its celebrated protagonists. Kings and Empires It is said that an unknown god commanded the jumbled elements in the universe to fall into order. Then, he assigned characteristics to these elements; fire is the lightest while water is the heaviest. To this mighty god, the world without boundaries was chaotic and restless. By being powerful enough to command and order these rudiments, he laid out systems and set up the foundations of the universe itself. His values became ‘the order’ and his words became ‘the law’. The creator and Jupiter are thus similar, as both at one time, ruled the cosmos and wielded this great power of the king. However, they should not be confused as the gravity of influence new rulers can bring to the world could have been another analogy that Ovid may have wanted to make through his retelling of the banishment of Saturn, Jupiter’s father. Throughout the text, the kingship of the universe has changed...
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...World Mythology LIT 229 Dennis Flanders Professor Lee When we think of competition the first thought that comes to mind ids sports. Competition is relevant in many things. Spirts is not the only thing. Competition is engrained in our DNA from the day we are born and we all have a different competitive spirit within. Competition has no racial or gender bias. Competition within has bene around for ages. Competition has shaped many cultures and is an important social building block. Competition is defined as “a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage.” There is no real historical background on competition as it is ingrained within our DNA the day we are born. We are taught at a young age to win, not lose. This is echoed within every culture and seems to be a main similarity within all cultures. Learning the word competition and how to “win” a young age is not always a good thing. Teaching children that winning is the only way is not as helpful to their future as parents may be lead to believe. Competition is prevalent in many situations from test taking to elections. A debatable quote that one may hear is “If you aren’t first, you are last.” Obviously, this isn’t the most accurate picture we should be painting about competition and teaching children but it is what it is and is throughout all cultures. One glaring similarity in regards to competition throughout several cultures is that parents want their children to succeed at any cost and to be the best at everything...
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...The importance of culture – myths, symbols, arts, science, history. The real question is whether the culture can influence the way we think and experience the world. Clearly we have to realize that the culture is something that lies within us, around us, and is an integral part of our being. It defines the way we treat others and ourselves. Culture forms an important element of social life of a man. It gives the individuals or groups the feelings of unity with the group. What exactly is culture, anyway? Term "culture" is based on a term used by the Ancient Roman orator Cicero in his Tusculanae Disputationes, where he included a cultivation of the soul or “cultura animi” using an agricultural metaphor for the development of a philosophical soul, understood theologically as the highest possible ideal for human development. In Latin “culture” is “cultus agri”, which is crop land, in other words, a subjugation of nature by a man. The meaning of this phrase developed gradually, from its simplicity to a more complex form. It includes everything that has been ever made by a particular group of people, independently of a material world (architecture, clothes) but also a spiritual one. Just a single person simply cannot create culture, so we can talk about the beginnings of culture from the moment when our ancestors started to form groups. Originally culture was passed on as thoughts and ideas, but then with invention of symbolism also art and science. It is permanent but also constantly...
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...empire was able to manage well enough from the 160s until 235, when the decline became precipitous, and brought with it radical economic, cultural and religious changes. This chapter, therefore, will look at the empire in its relatively golden period, from the first century until the death of Alexander Severus, the last of the Severi, in 235. The classes This was a stratified, hierarchical society in all ways. In civic status the top of the pyramid was the emperor, followed by Roman provincial governors, senators and other officials, then by the local gentry, and next by the rank and file of Roman citizens. Of all the free men in the empire, only about a third ranked as Roman citizens. Right behind the Romans were the Hellenes (in the Greek-speaking eastern provinces the Hellenes were enrolled as such in the municipal census), then came Judaeans, and finally the other barbarians. So in Alexandria an “Egyptian” had fewer privileges than Judaeans and Hellenes, and far fewer than Romans. This hierarchy was illustrated, as we have seen in Chapter Five, by the difficulties Pliny encountered in promoting his Egyptian physician to the “Roman” rank.1 A significant change in the hierarchies occurred in 212, when the emperor Caracalla conferred Roman citizenship on all free men in the...
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