Transcript Myths

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Stories From the Beginning of Time
Myths
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Myth: A Definition
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An ancient story dealing with
superrnatural beings, ancestors, and
heroes
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It explains the view of a group of
people
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The word mythology is Greek in origin
(etymology)
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Mythos= story
Logo= speech or argument
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What are Myths?
■ Myths-
Stories that use fantasy to express
ideas about life that cannot easily be
expressed in realistic terms
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They are, at heart, religious stories
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They deal with and explore the relationship
between human beings and the
unknown/spiritual world
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They were once believed to be true
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Purposes of Myths…
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Scientific: explanations of
things in nature
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Literary: entertainment; good
storytelling
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Religious: give meaning to
things in life; explain the role of
the gods in everyday life
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Why do we Study Myths?
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They depict and reveal
behavior problems common to
all human beings
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Remind us that human nature
is the same across time and
culture
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Reveal that many social,
ethical, and religious attitudes
continue through time
They reflect the attitudes,
priorities, and values of the
cultures that produced them
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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
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Characteristics of Myths
■ Contain
heroes and
heroines
■ Gods
■ Supernatural
■ Explains
elements
■ Told
orally (spoken)
and
goddesses
a natural
phenomenon
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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
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Greek and Roman Mythology
■ The
mythology from the Greek and
Roman cultures is often called
“Classical Mythology.”