FSU CLT 3378 - Ancient Mythologies, East v. West Course Notes

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Ancient Mythologies East v West Course Notes What is Myth A combination of mythos and logos Mythos anything delivered by word of mouth speech a take story narrative Logos a word language talk a narrative Takes the reader on a journey These stories are sacred they have been passed down from ancient civilizations over Provisional definition myths are stories about gods many generations usually by oral tradition Explanatory function o Religion tradition heroes etc Myths Define Culture Both Ancient and Modern Ex Indiana Jones Lord of the Rings Appealing Nature of Myths Why are myths appealing to us today o Connect us to ancient cultures in a recognizable way Adam and Eve take the forbidden fruit by Titian o Provide entertainment value Deeper Purpose Ancient myths can be associated with the religion lessons and or values that were considered important by ancient cultures Connotation today myths are false o Ex Sun travels around the earth myth i e false However the myths that we will read in this class are considered true in the sense that the original cultures considered them to be true Myths as Science Inherent science in myths may be incorrect o But science is not intrinsic to the deeper points made about human beings and their role in the world o Ex Apollo in his sun chariot What is Myth Revisited Myth Best Definition supernatural beings a traditional story that usually involves gods or other o Traditional Story a story handed down over generations usually orally Types of traditional stories Myths Legends Folktales What distinguishes myths from legends and folktales Myths vs Legends vs Folktales Myths o Have gods or exceptional human beings o Happen in the remote past o Original creator and origin cannot be identified o Time is vague o Have religious scientific or moral significance Legends Folktales o Heroes o More recent past than myth o Contain lesser supernatural figures witches giants or ordinary people o No set time Once upon a time Approaches to Studying Myth Modern theoretical approaches o Scientists ancient perspectives of the workings of the universe o Historians motivations and mindset of ancient peoples Our course o Similar to the historical perspective o Why does a specific culture or literary author tell a particular myth Mythological Characters Gods Goddesses powerful important supernatural beings that ancient cultures experienced to be more powerful than themselves have a bearing on their lives and helped to explain the order or function of the universe deceivers instigators sometimes are cultural heroes figures in whom we take special positive or negative interest amoral neither good nor bad have own inscrutable reasons shape shifters Heroes Tricksters Important Mythological Concepts Polytheism belief in many gods o Poly many theism god Anthropomorphism humans have emotions varies by god Bi naturalism conception of gods with two natures o Physical space and a god Sky Earth o Abstract concept and a god Love Victory conception of gods in the form of human beings look and act like o Tangible thing and a god fire one culture adopts the mythic beliefs of another culture we see this with Syncretism Greece and Rome Spheres of Influence area in which gods are associated have power o Don t always make sense o Sometimes overlap o Ishtar sexual desire war morning evening star similar to Venus o Zeus rain lightning kingships hospitality Course Rubrics themes Throughout each ancient culture we will focus upon myths that address the following o Creation Destruction myths that focus upon the origins and annihilation of the universe gods humans earth etc o Heroes and Heroines myths that address how heroes and heroines overcome o Afterlife Underworld myths that entail what happens to both gods and humans adversity after death o Mother Goddess myths that focus upon a nurturing or not divine female creator Some Necessary Content Course title is a bit vague What exactly will we be studying throughout the course Some concepts to think about as we begin this course o Ancient Mythology vs Classical Mythology o Mythology as differentiated from legend and folklore o Boundary between Ancient Western and Eastern Culture o Relevance of Ancient Mythology to contemporary society Interpreting Ancient Dates Since we are dealing with myths from ancient civilizations dating them becomes much more relative BCE Before Common Era and CE Common Era o Rather than BC Before Christ and AD CF abbreviation from Latin word meaning compare History and Present Looking back from now can t avoid looking back at history It must always be rewritten Self Discovery Ancient World e g city names US Senate modern European languages that contain Latin roots etc our modern world is influenced both positively and negatively by the both human and divine such as beliefs in gods and a distinction between the ancient past acts as a constant reminder of the consequences of failed o Cultural identity we don t study the ancient past because we think we are better but because we recognize the role that the ancient past has played in the shaping of our society today Your input my input o Many open ended interpretations of Ancient Mythology that can be equally valid Values mortality and immortality diplomacy War and Peace Why Study Ancient Mythology Poor Reasons Good Reason o Cultural and ethnic elitism Mesopotamia Land between rivers o Tigris and Euphrates o Fertile Crescent Mesopotamian Civilizations 6000 BCE 6000 4000BCE People settled in Mesopotamia small villages turn into towns Sumerians c 4500 2270 BCE o Writing system first literate urban civilization o Cuneiform tablets Mesopotamian Civilizations c 6000BCE 539BCE Akkadian Empire c 2334 2193 o Influenced by Sumerians Sumerian Revival c 2100 2000BCE Rival Kingdoms c 2000 1600 BCE rival city states rise of the city of Babylon Rise of Assyria c 1600 Akkadian speaking Babylonia Akkadian speaking rival to Assyria o Defeats Assyrians in 612 BCE o Falls itself to Persians in 539 BCE Enuma Elish Babylonian work that tells creation and succession myths Apsu Tiamat to Marduk Enuma Elish When on High skies were not yet named Describes the rise of power of Marduk ruler of the universe Poem recited performed at New Year Festival spring equinox Anshar Sky Axle Akkadian sky god great grandfather of Marduk o Sound familiar Date of composition unknown c 1900 1000BCE Written on 7 cuneiform tablets o Poetry vs Prose preserved as a poem In the beginning water primordial Apsu fresh water and


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FSU CLT 3378 - Ancient Mythologies, East v. West Course Notes

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