PS268 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Homeric Hymns, Minoan Religion, Origin Myth
Document Summary
Still entertain; re ect human concerns that transcend politics, language, and religion. Evidence for myths found in literary genres of poetry and drama: myths are highly exible with many variations of the same myth. Remote settings; deities are larger than life; patriarchal society. Born from the head of zeus; zeus had swallowed her mother metis. Born from zeus" thigh; zeus accidently burned his mortal mother to a crisp, transplanted the fetus to his thigh. Represents irrational force of human nature and physical nature. Greeks were polytheistic: worshipped gods in temples. All gods descended from gaea (earth) and ouranos (sky) Characteristics and types of myths: myth: derived from greek mythos: literally something someone says , myth is a traditonal story set in remote past and involving actions of divine beings/human heroes. Traditional story; from latin trado handed over or handed down ; was transmitted orally from one generation to the next.