An Invitation to Myth
Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899)
Life is a narrow vale between the cold
And barren peaks of two eternities.
We strive in vain to look beyond the heights,
We cry aloud; the only answer
Is the echo of our wailing cry.
From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead
There comes no word; but in the night of death
Hope sees a star, and listening love can hear
The rustle of wing.
These myths were born of hopes, and fears and tears,
And smiles; and they were touched and colored
By all there is of joy and grief between
The rosy dawn of birth and death’s sad night;
They clothed even the stars with passion,
And gave the gods the faults and frailties
Of the sons of men. In them the winds
And waves were music, and all the lakes and streams,
Springs, mountains, woods, and perfumed dells,
Were haunted by a thousand fairy forms.
Source: Bierlein, J.F. Parallel Myths. Ballatine Publishing Group: New York. 1994.
Myths & Man
A study of man through myths
Unbeknownst to many, our lives are saturated in myths. Fables, fairy tales, literature, epics, tales told around campfires, and the scriptures of great religion are all packed with myths that transcend time, place, and even, culture. This commonality helps us to recognize the beauty of the unity in human diversity: No matter our geographic distance, myths are a tie that links lives together. While we will concentrate on Greek myths, these are not the only myths in existence. Many other cultures—including Japanese, Native American, Indian, Chinese, Norse, African, Celtic, and Egyptian—have their own myths. While the stories themselves may be wildly different, the characteristics are similar.
What Makes a Myth?
The myth has several characteristics that set it apart from the run-of-the-mill fictitious story.
Ø The origin of myth is without one single author, and is created through oral renderings.
Ø A myth is a religious story and considered to be sacred.
Ø A myth will offer explanation for the unknown.
Ø The myth is part of a larger mythology which incorporates several myths all tied together by a similarity or common theme.
Ø Myths highlight activities that break the laws of nature.
**In order for a myth to be a myth, it must have all the essential characteristics you just read about. If it doesn’t have all these attributes, it can be called a legend or folktale**
Because there is a similar theme or message to parallel myths, experts have been able to a number of them into categories, including:
§ Creation
§ Flood
§ Loss of Innocence
§ Hero
Making a God in Man’s Image
One commonality among most myths is the projection of human features or qualities on the divine, also known as “anthropomorphism.” So why do it? By weighing the gods with the physical features (beauty, No matter the culture, nationality or origin of a myth, there is a common way of categorizing the types of myths. Within these categories, there are also Archetypes. The term archetype can be applied to:
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· An image
· A theme
· A symbol
· An idea
· A character type
· A plot pattern
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Archetypal motifs/themes in literature:
These archetypes appear in numerous motifs within literature. The most familiar ones are:
• Creation
– Virtually every mythology is built on some account of how the cosmos, nature, and humankind were brought into existence
• The Flood
– “the end of the world”; mass destruction
– a “clean slate”
• Metamorphosis
– Change is inevitable (growing up, personal growth, seasons)
• Immortality
– “return to paradise”
– Cyclical time
• The Hero
– The quest, the initiation, the sacrificial scapegoat
Archetypal Images, symbols and character types:
From these motifs, images can be drawn that connect with one or more of these archetypes. Among them are:
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• Water
• Sun
• Colors
• Serpent
• Circle
• Egg
• Yang-yin
• Numbers
• Archetypal Woman
(or mother goddess)
• Wise Old Man (or
benevolent guide)
• Trickster
• Garden
• Tree
• Desert
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Types of Archetypal Journeys
No matter the hero, be he a warrior, savior, lover or even an anti-hero, they all go on a quest, collectively known as a “Hero’s Journey.” They can fall into one or more category:
1. The quest for identity
2. The epic journey to find the promised land/to found the good city
3. The quest for vengeance
4. The warrior’s journey to save his people
5. The search for love (to rescue the princess/damsel in distress)
6. The journey in search of knowledge
7. The tragic quest: penance or self-denial
8. The fool’s errand
9. The quest to rid the land of danger
10. The grail quest (the quest for human perfection)
The Archetype in You!
We know that the archetypal pattern exists in myth and literature, but what about in our own lives? Have you ever struggled with an existing force (i.e. parents) to become your own person? Have you experienced a loss of innocence by gaining knowledge about the world (i.e. the death of someone or something close to you)? Have you changed since entering high school (your clothes, friends, the way of speaking)?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then your life has reflected at least one of the archetypes we have studied in class. For your first formal essay, I ask that you examine an experience you have had that fits one of our archetypal patterns and write about it through a personal narrative.
Remember, a narrative is a story, not simply an essay. Your writing should use vivid description to convey the experience and a mature writing voice that reflects on the significance of the experience.
Requirements: - About 600-700 words
- Proper use of dialogue
- Variety of sentence beginnings
- A brief paragraph explaining how your story reflects the characteristics of your selected archetype
Don’t forget to have a clear introduction to the conflict, vivid detail that
shows action, and a climax or resolution.
This essay is worth 25 points!
Stages of a Hero’s Journey
Stage 1: Departure: The hero is called to adventure, although he is reluctant to accept.
Stage 2: Initiation: The hero crosses a threshold into a new, more dangerous world, gaining a more mature perspective.
Stage 3: The Road of Trials: The hero is given supernatural aid, endures tests of strength, resourcefulness, and endurance.
Stage 4: The Innermost Cave: The hero descends into the innermost cave, an underworld, or some other place of great trial. Sometimes this place can be within the hero’s own mind. Because of this trial, the hero is reborn in some way—physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Through this experience, the hero changes internally.
Stage 5: Return and Reintegration with Society: The hero uses his new wisdom to restore fertility and order to the land
Characteristics of the Hero’s Journey
Although the actual hero may come from different cultures, background and maybe even gender, there are some similarities in the characteristics of the journey they will go on:
· The hero is naïve and inexperienced
· The hero meets monsters or monstrous men
· The hero has a strange, wise being as a mentor
· The hero years for the beautiful lady who is sometimes his guide or inspiration
· The hero must go on a journey, learn a lesson, change in some way, and return home
· The hero often crosses a body of water or travels on a bridge.
· The hero is born and raised in a rural setting away from cities
· The origin of the hero is mysterious or the hero losses his/her parents at a young age, being raised by animals or a wise guardian
· The hero returns to the land of his/her birth in disguise or as an unknown
· The hero is special, one of a kind. He/she might represent a whole nation or culture
· The hero struggles for something valuable and important
· The hero has help from divine or supernatural forces
· The hero has a guide or guides
· The hero goes through a rite of passage or initiation, an event that marks a change from an immature to a more mature understanding of the world
· The hero undergoes some type of ritual or ceremony after his/her initiation
· The hero has a loyal band of companions
· The hero makes a stirring speech to his/her companions
· The hero engages in tests or contests of strength (physical and/or mental) and shows pride in his/her excellence
· The hero suffers an unhealable wound, sometimes an emotional or spiritual wound from which the hero never completely recovers.
Taking Nemo on a Hero’s Journey!
Who would have thought that a tiny, handicapped clown fish could be considered a hero or even his paranoid, overprotective father. Although they are animated, both Marlin and Nemo can be considered “men” on an epic Hero’s Journey. As we watch the film, Finding Nemo, take note of how both fish make it through the different stops of the journey.
Stage of Journey / Nemo / MarlinDeparture - Call to Adventure; hero might be reluctant to accept or be forced to go on journey.
Initiation – Crossing the threshold into a new & dangerous world; gaining a more mature perspective.
Road of Trials – heroes are given supernatural aid; endures tests of strength, resourcefulness and endurance. (indicate who helps Nemo & Marlin during the different trials)
Innermost Cave – Time of revelation, deepest pit of death & rebirth; through this experience the hero is changed internally.
Return to Society – hero uses his new wisdom to return home & restore order to his world.
What did the hero learn from the adventure that will be invaluable to his life back home?
Finding a Hero’s Journey on the Primetime!
Take what we learned from watching “Finding Nemo” and apply it to your favorite television show. While watching, consider how the primary characters go through the stages, in some cases, more than once! Use the table below to report the stages, then develop a strong analysis of how one of the characters moved through the stages, what challenges they faced, how they handled the difficulties, if someone helped them, and what was the lesson the “hero” learned by the experience. Make sure you use details from the show (consider that I might not have ever watched it and will need details to understand your explanation of the different stages). This will be worth 20 points.
Stage of Journey / “Hero” CharacterDeparture - Call to Adventure; hero might be reluctant to accept or be forced to go on journey.
Initiation – Crossing the threshold into a new & dangerous world; gaining a more mature perspective.
Road of Trials – heroes are given supernatural aid; endures tests of strength, resourcefulness and endurance. (indicate who helps during the different trials)
Innermost Cave – Time of revelation, deepest pit of death & rebirth; through this experience the hero is changed internally.
Return to Society – hero uses his new wisdom to return home & restore order to his world.
What did the hero learn from the adventure that will be invaluable to his life back home?
Getting to Know our Gods and Goddesses
Before we begin reading all our amazing stories of the Greek gods and goddesses, it would be only appropriate to get to know them a bit more personally. To do this we will be creating web pages on our wiki site to highlight the important details of our gods and goddesses. To make this task easier, you will work with a single partner of your choice.
Your Wiki-page must include:
§ 800-1500 words of text
§ Minimum of six (6) source (.org, .edu, .gov, etc. – Wikipedia if it links to a authentic resource)
§ Minimum of four (4) photos/clip arts
§ Minimum of eight (8) in-text links to external sources (up to 3 links to other pages in this wiki)
§ Use of color, graphics, titles and captions
§ All Work citations at the end of the page (including photos)
§ A minimum of six (6) entries per partner
Grading – Group & Individual:
The project is worth a total of 60 points. Students will be able to earn a maximum of 30 partnered points and 30 individual points; based on individual contribution to the project; how well the pair worked together; how well the pair used the research time, as well as, the two in-class working days; how well the page stayed on topic, and the overall aesthetics of the wiki-page.
Organization (5 pts.) / Concise paragraphs provide detail without rambling; subheadings used to separate sections; information presented in multiple formats for ease in reading (lists, paragraphs, etc.)Aesthetics (5 pts.) / Graphics/video information and text are visually appealing and do not distract from it; minimum 3 pictures used and cited
Content (25 pts.) / Appropriate overview of 800 - 1500 words; characteristics, qualities of the god or goddess that makes them more human-like, what faults or character flaws do they have, examples of how they have impacted the lives of humans (good or bad)
Support (10 pts.) / Minimum 6 sources cited, 10 links provided in-article (up to 3 may link back to other pages in this wiki)
Mechanics (5 pts.) / Site is proofread for grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling errors
Collaboration (10 pts.) / ALL students are expected to have contributed EQUALLY to the construction of your site, INCLUDING typing information on the site. I expect to see every group member's name in the Page History (making significant contributions, not just superficial edits)
Building the Image of our the gods