If you want well-rounded information about MYTHOLOGY, 2 authors come to mind:
Barry B. Powell
and
Edith Hamilton
I studied a (THICK) Powell text ("Classical Myth") at University level for a Classics course (some of it, not for the queasy - Powell doesn't cut out the 'gore' of certain early Greek tales or of Roman battle).
Edith Hamilton material was permitted in addition to Powell material when essays were due for my Classics course, and I was lucky to find her material at SparkNotes (which alleviated a LOT of cost, since I didn't have to purchase more textbooks at the time!).
If you're interested:
www.sparknotes.com
Barry B. Powell is both an Egyptologist and a classicist who gained graduate degrees at both Berkeley and Harvard. He is also an internationally recognized expert on the poet Homer, a poet himself, a screenwriter and a novelist ("Ramses in Nighttown" 2006).
Edith Hamilton (1867-1963) was headmistress at the first school (in Baltimore, MD) in the United States designed to prepare young women for college. Her book, "Mythology" was published in 1942. Not always taken as serious scholarly information, her contribution is nonetheless considered to have made the greatest effect of any work of its time - in making 'classical tradition' popular. The book is not solely written by her but rather, is a compilation or collection of mythical tales from various sources which Hamilton then interprets.
If you're brand new to or just becoming curious about the topic of Mythology and are looking to enjoy some great 'story' type mythology and try to sort out the myriad of deities, particularly from the Greek and Roman cultures, Hamilton's work should more than suffice to hold your interest and give you a basic view of deities and heroes.
If you're looking for more 'historical' or 'scholarly' view of the Gods and Goddesses, perhaps a more objective view - along with some Greek/Mediterranean history to put things in context, then you'll want to check out Powell's material.
Again - if you're interested, here's the Spark Notes link:
Spark Notes
Once there, type 'Edith Hamilton' into the available search box at Spark Notes. The Spark Notes site is really easy to navigate. If you look around, you'll also find some of the Greek Classics that both Hamilton and Powell refer to in their work.
A few items relating to Mythology and Classics that you'll easily find at Spark Notes are:
Homer's "The Odyssey"
Euripides' "The Bacchae"
Sophocles' "Electra"
Sophocles' "Oedipus" Plays
Just to name a few...
Showing posts with label tales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tales. Show all posts
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Mythology - Not just 'stories'
Most just people think of fictitious and light-hearted stories when they hear the word 'mythology,' however the myths of old aren't just tales, fables, stories, and fiction.
Almost all myth begins as a valid 'explanation' or the most acceptable or necessary explanation available at the time of creation. Often the myth will be deliberately symbolic and dramatic - to run home a point about something that the creator feels is important. The original myth may deal with something problematic that the 'teller' needs solved, detailed, resolved, or represented.
Ancient people created 'explanations' to tell why things occurred all around them. This gave meaning to such things as natural events (daybreak, sunset, storms, seasons), animal behaviors (migration, mating, hunting activity), and other puzzling things in the ancient world. Instead of feeling that all occurrences, events and sights around them were all random and without meaning, 'explanations' gave the Ancients some PERSPECTIVE upon the world they were viewing, living in and interacting with.
In present day, we have mythical explanations, too - even among all the technological advances, data and knowledge that we possess above what the Ancients developed years ago.
In part - none of the advances we appreciate today would have occurred without myth-making taking place as a pre-requisite. Many of the greatest scientific discoveries have happened due to scholars and scientists seeking to DISPROVE or PROVE information and concepts surrounding myth. Without the original myth or story, there remains 'lack of wonder' about life situations, lack of basis for problem-solving, lack of 'hypothesis' - simply, one does not wonder why things are the way they are. Once one does WONDER - one can create a story which will last within reason - until it is either proved as entirely acceptable - or unacceptable.
Something that can be considered 'modern' myth - are 'common urban legends.' Most of these are difficult for the average person to 'disprove' or 'prove,' so information exists as 'stories' or myth, passed along from person to person - taken quite literally on 'faith' alone. Ghost stories, stories about strange coincidences, patterns of events - all fall into the large paradigm of things called 'MYTH.' Some of the urban legends seemingly more far-fetched are, in fact, mirrors of societal fears - used to serve as a heightened symbolic message with a purpose...warnings, suggestions (Don't go in the woods near the edge of town after sundown...) for some purpose of control. A virtually universal example is the societal and parental warning to children about not wandering away from home...
or else...
'The Boogeyman will get you!'
In all of this, it becomes IMPORTANT for people to value 'myth' and not disregard all myth as 'story-telling' or fiction. Much myth IS, in fact, fiction - but is symbolic, containing a bigger, more important message that often should not be ignored. There may not be a boogeyman, but it is still very definitely unwise for children to wander away from home after dark. On the other hand, if 'danger' is represented as the boogeyman, then DANGER certainly exists for children who wander away from home after dark. In any case - the myth about the Boogeyman isn't as ridiculous or fictitious as we might think, if we are the type to scoff at myth or stories.
Myth blends into urban legend, Biblical references, literature, science, health and wellness, our understanding of the animal and plant kingdoms - virtually permeating into all other realms of our existence. Not to mention the plain fact of the cathartic (the venting of stored-up emotions and the forgetting of real life for a while) value of 'stories,' in our hectic everyday lives. Certain presentations of myth are, indeed, plain old fictitious stories - designed for entertainment - however, even these can be said to have value.
I'll be back soon to post about some of the best recognized mythical characters - The Olympians.
Almost all myth begins as a valid 'explanation' or the most acceptable or necessary explanation available at the time of creation. Often the myth will be deliberately symbolic and dramatic - to run home a point about something that the creator feels is important. The original myth may deal with something problematic that the 'teller' needs solved, detailed, resolved, or represented.
Ancient people created 'explanations' to tell why things occurred all around them. This gave meaning to such things as natural events (daybreak, sunset, storms, seasons), animal behaviors (migration, mating, hunting activity), and other puzzling things in the ancient world. Instead of feeling that all occurrences, events and sights around them were all random and without meaning, 'explanations' gave the Ancients some PERSPECTIVE upon the world they were viewing, living in and interacting with.
In present day, we have mythical explanations, too - even among all the technological advances, data and knowledge that we possess above what the Ancients developed years ago.
In part - none of the advances we appreciate today would have occurred without myth-making taking place as a pre-requisite. Many of the greatest scientific discoveries have happened due to scholars and scientists seeking to DISPROVE or PROVE information and concepts surrounding myth. Without the original myth or story, there remains 'lack of wonder' about life situations, lack of basis for problem-solving, lack of 'hypothesis' - simply, one does not wonder why things are the way they are. Once one does WONDER - one can create a story which will last within reason - until it is either proved as entirely acceptable - or unacceptable.
Something that can be considered 'modern' myth - are 'common urban legends.' Most of these are difficult for the average person to 'disprove' or 'prove,' so information exists as 'stories' or myth, passed along from person to person - taken quite literally on 'faith' alone. Ghost stories, stories about strange coincidences, patterns of events - all fall into the large paradigm of things called 'MYTH.' Some of the urban legends seemingly more far-fetched are, in fact, mirrors of societal fears - used to serve as a heightened symbolic message with a purpose...warnings, suggestions (Don't go in the woods near the edge of town after sundown...) for some purpose of control. A virtually universal example is the societal and parental warning to children about not wandering away from home...
or else...
'The Boogeyman will get you!'
In all of this, it becomes IMPORTANT for people to value 'myth' and not disregard all myth as 'story-telling' or fiction. Much myth IS, in fact, fiction - but is symbolic, containing a bigger, more important message that often should not be ignored. There may not be a boogeyman, but it is still very definitely unwise for children to wander away from home after dark. On the other hand, if 'danger' is represented as the boogeyman, then DANGER certainly exists for children who wander away from home after dark. In any case - the myth about the Boogeyman isn't as ridiculous or fictitious as we might think, if we are the type to scoff at myth or stories.
Myth blends into urban legend, Biblical references, literature, science, health and wellness, our understanding of the animal and plant kingdoms - virtually permeating into all other realms of our existence. Not to mention the plain fact of the cathartic (the venting of stored-up emotions and the forgetting of real life for a while) value of 'stories,' in our hectic everyday lives. Certain presentations of myth are, indeed, plain old fictitious stories - designed for entertainment - however, even these can be said to have value.
I'll be back soon to post about some of the best recognized mythical characters - The Olympians.
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