Lecture Outline: Introduction to Myth I. Mytha) myths and mythology- Interchangeable - Mythology = The study of myths or o Can mean all of the myths in a cultureb) myth as “untrue” story = NOT in this course- “Myth” implies that it is untruec) myths are true- In this class myths are true because the original tellers of them believe them to be trueII. Definition of mytha) provisional definition: “A myth is a story about gods.”- Okay definition – it is a story with a beginning, middle, and endb) fuller definition: “A myth is a traditional story that usually involves gods or other powerful supernatural beings.”- Added – “or other powerful supernatural beings” – not necessarily have to be gods- Added – “traditional” – handed down by generationsc) traditional story = handed down from one generation to the next (often orally)III. Types of traditional storya) Myth 1. gods2. remote pastb) Legend1. heroes2. recent pastc) Folktale 1. lesser supernatural figures (witches, giants) or ordinary people2. no set time (“Once upon a time . . .”)IV. Versions of mythsa) “original” version of a myth- Can never get back to the original version of a myth. It is lost in time. We only have the version that is handed down through generations. b) different tellers = different versions of a myth- Every time someone tells a myth, it changesc) literary versions of a myth- Fossilized in text- Most myths we will look at are literary versions- What is the author trying to do with that myth? Why do they put it in their work?V. Approaches to mytha) modern theoretical approaches: “Why do people create/think in terms of myths?”b) our approach: “Why does a specific culture (or literary author) tell a particular myth?”VI. Gods, Heroes, Trickstersa) gods/goddesses = powerful, important supernatural beings- Somehow powerful and important to the running of the universe- In control of concepts like love and weatherb) heroes = figures in whom the gods take a special interest- It is the special interest that the gods take in the hero that makes them a hero- For example, the gods help the heroes battle through quests- Can be negative attention, for example, Heracles c) tricksters = amoral, shape-shifting deceivers; instigators; (sometimes) culture heroes- Amoral – Do not operate by the same moral code as people- Neither good nor bad, they do what they do- We cannot understand what they do- Culture Hero – Figure that helps human beings create their civilizations, for example, Prometheus VII. Important Conceptsa) polytheism = “belief in many (poly-) gods (the-)”- The belief and worship of many godsb) anthropomorphism = conception of gods “in shape (morph-) of human beings (anthropo-)”- Conceiving of gods in the shape of human beings- Thinking that gods look AND act like human beings- They have human emotionsc) binaturalism = conception of gods with “two natures”1. binatural = physical space + god (e.g., Sky, Earth, Sea)2. binatural = abstract concept + god (e.g., Love, Victory, Envy)3. binatural = thing + god (e.g., Vedic gods Agni [= fire] and Soma [= sacred drink])d) syncretism = adaptation of one culture’s mythic beliefs by another culture1. Sumerian Inanna = Akkadian Ishtar- Inanna =Sumerian god of love and sex- Akkadians adopted all the beliefs about Inanna and believed they were about Ishtar because she was their god of love and sex2. Greek Zeus = Roman Jupiter- Same idea as abovee) spheres of influence = areas with which gods are associated/have power1. Ishtar = goddess of sexual desire, war, morning/evening star (Venus)2) Zeus = god of rain, lightning, kingship, hospitality f) primordial waters1. waters that exist at beginning of or even before creation2. in many creation myths3. usually precedes sea (and other bodies of water)VIII. Three main rubrics for this coursea) creation myths = stories that tell how universe (gods, humans, earth, sky, etc.) came into beingb) hero myths = stories about heroes’ adventures c) myths of the afterlife = stories about what happens to gods/humans after death IX. Dating system for course a) BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) b) instead of, BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini)X. Cf.a) cf. = abbreviation for Latin conferb) = “compare”XI. C. a) c. = “around/about”b) c. 1000 BCE (= “around 1000 BCE”)XII. Ancient Near East (= ANE)* a) Mesopotamia (= modern day Iraq and Syria) b) Canaan (= modern day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel) c) Israel d) Anatolia/Asia Minor (= modern day Turkey) e) Egypt*Note that ancient Greece is NOT part of
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