CMLT316 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Mythology
31 May 2018
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Analogies: drawing upon elements of ancient stories
● Star Wars
● Coraline
● Romeo and Juliet
Background Information
● Time is measured in BC and AD
○ BC= before christ
○ AD= Anno Domino
○ The further back in time, the larger the number
● New chronology
○ BCE and CE
○ BCE= before the common era (equivalent to BC)
○ CE= common era
○ Ex. 450 BCE is before 350 BCE
○ Ex for centuries, the 1st century BCE is 100-1; the 1st century CE is 1-100 CE
● Time frame: around 800 BCE to 100 CE
● Cultures: Greek and Roman
● Sources: mainly poetry, but also some prose writings and material evidence
What is a Myth? - Etymology
● Myth = Greek mythos ‘word’/’story’
● Mythology = Greek mytho-logos, ‘the study of myth’
● Mythography = mytho-graphia, ‘the writing of myth’
The Question of Definition
● Myth (proper): stories pertaining to gods and human relations with them (ex.
supernatural)
● Legends (saga): stories that take place in the ‘historical’ world (ex. Within the world as
we know it)
○ Trojan War
● Fairytales and folktales: ‘stock’ stories (e.g. Hero vs Giant, wicked stepmother,
mistaken identity, damsel in distress, grumpy old man)
○ Jack and the Beanstalk
○ Perseus and Medusa
○ Cupid and Psyche
Myths as Truth
● These stories relate some form of truth, either universal or particular
● One main concern is to try to discover what particular type of ‘truth’ any given myth is
relating
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Time is measured in bc and ad. The further back in time, the larger the number. Bce= before the common era (equivalent to bc) Ex for centuries, the 1st century bce is 100-1; the 1st century ce is 1-100 ce. Time frame: around 800 bce to 100 ce. Sources: mainly poetry, but also some prose writings and material evidence. Mythology = greek mytho-logos, the study of myth". Mythography = mytho-graphia, the writing of myth". Myth (proper): stories pertaining to gods and human relations with them (ex. supernatural) Legends (saga): stories that take place in the historical" world (ex. Fairytales and folktales: stock" stories (e. g. hero vs giant, wicked stepmother, mistaken identity, damsel in distress, grumpy old man) These stories relate some form of truth, either universal or particular.
