1. Stories From the Beginning of Time
Myths
Stories From the Beginning of Time

2. What is a myth?
An ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, and heroes.
It explains the view of a group of people

3. Which cultures 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

4. What are some characteristics of myths?
Contain heroes and heroines
Supernatural elements
Gods and goddesses
Explains a natural phenomenon
Told orally (spoken)

5. Why did ancient people tell myths?
To help explain the unexplainable
To explain natural phenomenon
To tell about their heroes
To explain human nature
To teach morals and values

6. Why do we still study mythology?
To learn about ancient cultures
As inspiration for the arts
To teach values and morals
For entertainment

7. What Myths Can You Think Of?

8. The Stone and the Banana: An Indonesian Myth
Thus, the natives of Poso, a district of Central Celebes, say that the Creator, who lived in it, used to let down his gifts to men at the end of a rope.

9. One day he thus lowered a stone; but our first father and mother would have none of it and they called out to their Maker, “What have we to do with this stone? Give us something else.”

10. The Creator complied and hauled away at the rope; the stone mounted up and up until it vanished from sight. Presently the rope was seen coming down from heaven again, and this time there was a banana at the end of it instead of a stone.

11. Our first parents ran at the banana and took it
Our first parents ran at the banana and took it. Then there came a voice from heaven saying: “Because ye have chosen the banana, your life shall be like its life. When the banana-tree has offspring, the parent stem dies; so shall ye die and your children shall step into your place.”

12. “Had ye chosen the stone, your life would have been like the life of the stone, changeless and immortal.”
      

13. The man and his wife mourned over their fatal choice, but it was too late; that is how through the eating of a banana, death came into the world.   
“Death Agony” Edvard Munch

14. What characteristics of myth did you notice from this story?
What phenomenon was the story explaining?
What supernatural elements were present?
What can you tell about the Indonesian culture based on this myth?

15. The word mythology is Greek in origin (etymology)
Muthos= story
Logo= speech or argument

16. Greek and Roman Mythology is often called “Classical Mythology”

17. Gods and Goddesses in Classical Mythology
Roman Area of Power
Jupiter King of the gods; the sky
Apollo The sun; music
Pluto King of the underworld
Neptune Ruler of the seas
Juno Wife of Zeus; marriage
Minerva Wisdom
Ceres Agriculture; earth
Proserpine Goddess of the underworld; Demeter’s daughter
Greek
Zeus
Apollo
Hades
Poseidon
Hera
Athena
Demeter
Persephone

18. Creatures in Classical Mythology
Centaur
Medusa
Pegasus
Nymph
Sphinx