* A myth is a traditional story of anonymous origin. They often began as part of an oral tradition, passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth. * Many myths are about the creation of earth and humanity; others are about love, adventure, trickery, or revenge. * In many myths, human action is controlled or guided by gods and other supernatural beings.

* A character, an image, a pattern of events, or an idea that is common to human experience. * In its purest form, archetypes occur in oral tradition. In literature, they are found in a variety of texts from different cultures and time periods. * Derived from the Greek word meaning “the original example” * The wise fool, the loyal servant, the evil villain, the trickster, and the damsel in distress are all character archetypes.

* An epic is a long narrative poem written in a dignified style about a serious subject. An epic celebrates the adventures and achievements of one or more heroic figures. Epic plots typically involve distant journeys, supernatural events, and life-and-death struggles between good and evil. * Characteristics of most epics: * Written in the style of a long poem * Language is formal, lofty * Mood is serious * Protagonist undergoes many adventures * Gods and monsters intervene in action * Figurative language used throughout * Poet uses extended similes, called epic similes

* Begins with an invocation, a request/prayer to a muse to provide the poet with divine inspiration. * The muses are the nine goddesses who preside over the arts and sciences and inspire those who show talent in these areas. * The narrator begins telling the tale in the middle of the action (also known as in medias res) * The narrative includes speeches by main characters—gods, heroes, and antagonists—which reveal their personalities

* Myths and epics give us an insight into human nature. * Most epics and myths explore a range of human emotions, including anger, love, jealousy, rage, and vengeance. * Epics and myths are timeless because they have the characteristics of a good story. They are imaginative, interesting, inspiring, and completely authentic.

* The central character in an epic. Traditionally a male character of high social status, he is driven by his desire to save his country or its people during a time of crisis. * An epic hero typically embodies the values of his people and possesses unusual strength, courage, and cunning. * THE TRIPLE THREAT: STRONG MIND, STRONG BODY, STRONG HEART * His qualities and deeds are meant to earn the admiration of the audience. * He embarks on a journey over the expanse of continents or even the entire universe. * Along the way, natural and supernatural beings test the hero’s bravery, wits, and battle skills.

* The traditional epic hero is strong, courageous, noble, and confident with a thirst for glory. * Most are known for their intelligence, quick thinking, and tremendous self- confidence. * Too much pride, though, is very, very bad thing. It is called hubris, a type of tragic flaw, and can cause serious trouble for the hero. * Most are articulate speakers and can win over an audience with ease.

* The gods in Homer’s epics control all things. They often serve as alter egos to the hero— meaning they are a reflection of his best and worst traits/qualities. * Athena (helps Odysseus, wise & crafty) and Poseidon (hinders Odysseus, quick to anger & prideful) serve as alter egos for Odysseus in this epic. * Rhapsodies are a class of wandering bards or minstrels; "singers of tales" that were historians, mythmakers, and entertainers. Homer was a rhapsody around 700 B.C.)

* Epics were told orally, which means the rhapsodies had to memorized huge chunks of the tales that they told their audiences. * Composing poetry in front of an audience without hesitation or drawing a blank may sound like an impossible task, but Homer used a steady rhythm in his word choice that simplified the job. He had certain words or phrases that fit rhythmically in a line, and he would use them again and again. When describing people and things, he often used verbal “formulas.” These repeated descriptive phrases are called epithets. For example, he repeatedly refers to the goddess Athena as “gray- eyed Athene,” and mentions “Dawn’s fingertips of rose” at the start of each day in the plot. He also recycled longer passages of description. * Think of it like the chorus of a song. Basically, if you think you’ve read a line before, you probably have.

* Homer is one of the great mysteries of literature. His (her) poems are among the most famous in the world, but it is unlikely that he (she) ever wrote a word. His (her) name is as well-known as Shakespeare, but no one has found any convincing evidence to indicate who he (she) was or when and where he (she) lived. Legend has it that Homer was a blind man who lived on the rocky island of Chios. He (she) composed his (her) works orally and recited or sang them aloud. Like most people in his (her) day, Homer could probably neither read nor write. Idealized portrayal of Homer dating to the Hellenistic period

* Homer has two of the earliest surviving epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. * Most experts believe these were composed sometime before the year 700 B.C. and written down long after Homer’s death. * The Iliad tells the tale of the Trojan War from the Greek (Achaean) perspective * The Odyssey tells the story of Greek (Achaean) hero Odysseus’ long journey home after the war.

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns … driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove— the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod blotted out the day of their return. Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will—sing for our time too. By now, all the survivors, all who avoided headlong death were safe at home, escaped the wars and waves. But one man alone … his heart set on his wife and his return—Calypso, the bewitching nymph, the lustrous goddess, held him back, deep in her arching caverns, craving him for a husband. But then, when the wheeling seasons brought the year around, that year spun out by the gods when he should reach his home, Ithaca—though not even there would he be free of trials, even among his loved ones—then every god took pity, all except Poseidon. He raged on, seething against the great Odysseus till he reached his native land.