Ancient Mythology East and West Lecture Outline Introduction to Myth I Myth a myth s and mythology mythology the study of myths 2 mythology a culture s myths as a whole b myth as untrue story NOT in this course c myths are true II Definition of myth a provisional definition A myth is a story about gods b fuller definition A myth is a traditional story that usually involves gods or other powerful supernatural beings c traditional story handed down from one generation to the next often orally III Types of traditional story a myth 1 gods 2 remote past 1 heroes 2 recent past b legend c folktale 1 lesser supernatural figures witches giants or ordinary people 2 no set time Once upon a time IV Approaches to myth a 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 V Gods Heroes Tricksters a gods goddesses powerful important supernatural beings b heroes figures in whom the gods take a special interest c tricksters amoral shape shifting deceivers instigators sometimes culture heroes help people build their cultures VI Versions of myths a original version of a myth b different tellers different versions of a myth c literary versions of a myth VII Types of Myths that we will study Literary works often consist of a combination of different types of myth including but not limited to the nine types below a creation myth how the universe gods humans earth sky etc came into being b succession myth how one god succeeds to the kingship of gods usually by deposing c combat myth how a god often the storm god or a hero battles defeats a monstrous other god s enemy d divine council myth how two or more gods meet to discuss the fate of one or more humans i e whether the gods will help or harm that human e apocalyptic myth how gods level destruction on humans because one or more humans have offended the gods f flood myth how one god angry at humans sends a flood to destroy all life on earth g heroic quest myth how a hero makes a journey to gain experiences and achieve fame especially through battle returns to earth alive h katabasis myth how a hero makes a descent a katabasis to the underworld and i trickster myth how tricksters transform either themselves or the world around them often through trickery VIII Important Concepts a polytheism belief in many poly gods the belief in and worship of many gods b anthropomorphism conception of gods in shape morph of human beings anthropo gods act like and look like humans c 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 culture 1 Sumerian Inanna Akkadian Ishtar 2 Greek Zeus Roman Jupiter e spheres of influence areas with which gods are associated have power 1 Ishtar goddess of sexual desire war morning evening star Venus 2 Zeus god of rain lightning kingship hospitality f primordial waters 1 waters that exist at beginning of or even before creation 2 in many creation myths 3 usually precedes sea and other bodies of water g aetiology 1 explanation things 2 many myths are aetiological 3 explain aspects of world society 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 XI C a cf abbreviation for Latin confer b confer means compare 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 properly part of ANE
View Full Document
Unlocking...