Stories From the Beginning of Time Myths 1

Myth: A Definition An ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, and heroes It explains the view of a group of people The word mythology is Greek in origin (etymology) Mythos= story Logo= speech or argument 2

Atlas What are Myths? Myths- Stories that use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot easily be expressed in realistic terms They are, at heart, religious stories They deal with and explore the relationship between human beings and the unknown/spiritual world They were once believed to be true

Purposes of Myths… Scientific: explanations of things in nature Literary: entertainment; good storytelling Religious: give meaning to things in life; explain the role of the gods in everyday life

Why do we Study Myths? Pandora’s Box Prometheus They depict and reveal behavior problems common to all human beings Remind us that human nature is the same across time and culture Reveal that many social, ethical, and religious attitudes continue through time They reflect the attitudes, priorities, and values of the cultures that produced them Prometheus

Cultures that Have Myths The Fates Cultures that Have Myths Every culture has its own mythology Universal symbols and themes appear in different cultures’ myths Greek, Roman, Native American, Celtic, South American, African, and Norse mythology are examples of myths from different cultures 6

Characteristics of Myths Contain heroes and heroines Supernatural elements Told orally (spoken) Gods and goddesses Explains a natural phenomenon 7

The Reason for Myths To help explain the unexplainable To explain natural phenomenon To tell about their heroes To explain human nature To teach morals and values 8

Greek and Roman Mythology The mythology from the Greek and Roman cultures is often called “Classical Mythology.” 9