CLA204H1 Lecture Notes - Stheneboea, Tiryns, Greek Hero Cult
Document Summary
Saga/legend : " has a perceptible relationship to history, however fanciful and imaginative. The hero usually has elements of the extraordinary linked to his birth and his childhood. He inevitably faces opposition of one sort from the beginning and as a result he must prove his inherent worth by surmounting challenges of every kind. He is helped by one ally, divine, or human. He faces apparently insuperable obstacles, often must be accomplished through a quest. Adventurous conflicts with divine, human, or monstrous opponents. Death itself is the ultimate conquest, usually achieved by going to the underworld. Hero"s success may be rewarded with marriage, political security, or wealth and power. Principal characters are humans, even though god and goddesses often play a role. Purport and tell about events from human past are stories about heroes. Goes on a quest to the end of the world/to the land of the dead. Magical objects (rings, cloaks, phial, the sword sting)
