COURSE - ELL 113 - MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE
MODULE 1
l. OBJECTIVES
• Identify the various philosophical dimensions of the Greek, Roman and Norse
mythology;
• Discuss the differences/similarities in the literary characteristics and styles between
Greek, Roman and Norse folklore.
• Generate values from the analysis of the various Greek, Roman and Norse folklore
which would enable them to clarify their own set of schema and value system.
ll. PRE-TEST (See separate test questions)
Ill. INTRODUCTION
Greek and Roman mythology is quite generally supposed to show us the way the
human race thought and felt untold ages ago. Through it according to this view, we can
retrace the path from civilized man who lives so far from nature, to man who lived in close
companionships with nature; and the real interest of the myths, is that they lead us back to a
time when the world was young and people had a connection with the earth, with trees and
seas and flowers and hills, unlike anything we ourselves can feel. When the stories, were
being shaped, we are given to understand, little distinction had as yet been made between
real and unreal.
IV. CONTENT
Lesson 1: Introduction to folklore and Folklore
Myth has its core the origin of a people and is often sacred. Folklore is a collection of
fictional tales about people or animal. Superstition and unfounded beliefs are basic elements
in the folklore tradition. Both myths and folklore were originally circulated.
Folklore can be used in a variety of ways to help children:
• Develop stronger regarding skills
• Study other cultures
• Model character traits
• Appreciate other traditions
• Learn about decision making
• Explore new ways to see the world
• Discover or love of stories
Greek Mythology
Greek myths are not only rooted in reality but helped shape modern thinking in many
important ways. Their mythical nature does not take away from the fact that they contain
important morals and teachings that are relevant now as they were thousands of years ago.
Greek vs Roman Mythology
Roman gods and goddesses were named after objects and didn't a gender, whereas Greek
gods were decided by human characteristics and traits.
As Greek gods pre-dated Roman gods, Roman mythology would take the Greek deity and
assign a Roman object that would fit the description of Greek God.
Religion and myth became one under the Greek, influence the Roman Gods became
more anthropomorphic with the human characteristics of jealousy, love, hate, etc.
Roman Mytholoqy - is the body of traditional stories pertaining to the ancient Rome's
legendary origins and religious systems as represented in the literature and visual arts of the
Romans.
The Romans usually treated their traditional narratives as historical even when these
have miraculous or supernatural elements. The stories are often concerned with politics and
morality, how an individual's personal integrity relates to his/her responsibility to the
common or Roman state. Heroism was an important theme. When the story illuminates
Roman religious practices, they are more concerned with ritual augury and institution than
theology or cosmogony.
QUESTIONS ON MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE
Why do we study myth and folklore?
Studying of folklore is like studying the history that doesn't make it into
history books. It is personal, communication, and can serve so much about where we
came from on an individual and familiar level. It also helps create national narratives
that explain the past on a grander scale.
Is Greek mythology a folklore?
Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by Greeks and genre of
ancestral Greek folklore.
Did the Romans copy Greek mythology?
Due to the presence of Greeks on the lower Peninsula, the Roman adopted
many of the Greek gods as their own. Religion and myth became one under the
Greek influence; the Roman gods became more anthropomorphic with the human
characteristics of jealousy, love, hate, etc,
LESSON 2 - THE GODS
Unlike many other creation stories, in the Greek versions the gods are created by the
universe instead of the other way around. In the beginning two entities exist Heaven and Earth.
Their children are the Titans, whose children in turn, are the Olympians, the main Greek gods.
The Titans rule the universe until Zeus and their other children conquer them.
The term Olympians come from Mount Olympians, the god's mystical home, which is
conceived as a high mountain top but is really a magical place that exists on a heavenly plane,
not the heavens, earth, sea or underworld. Shared by all the Gods, Olympus is perfect. Rain
never falls there, and the gods while away their time eating, drinking and listening to music.
The twelve Olympians made up a divine family:
1. ZEUS (Jupiter) - the Chief; his two brothers (2) POSEIDON (Neptune) and (3) HADES
also called Pluto; (4) HESTIA (Vesta) their sister; (5) HERA (Juno), Zeus wife, and (6)
ARES (Mars), their son; Zeus children (7) ATHENA (Minerva) (8) APOLLO (9)
APHRODITE (Venus), (10) HERMES (Mercury) and (11) ARTEMIS (Diana); and
HERA's son (12) HEPHAESTUS (Vulcan) sometimes said to be the son of Zeus, too.
ZEUS
Zeus and his brothers drew lots for their share of the universe. Zeus became the
supreme ruler. He was Lord of the sky, the Rain god and Cloud gatherer, who welded the awful
thunderbolt. His power was greater than that of all other divinities together.
Nevertheless he was not omnipotent or omniscient either. He could be opposed and
deceived.
He is represented as falling in love with another woman after another and descending
to all manner of tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife. His breast plates was the aegis, awful
to behold; his bind was the eagle, his tree the oak. His oracle was Donna in the land of oak
trees. The god's will was revealed by the rustling of the oak leaves which the priests
interpreted.
HERA (JUNO)
She was Zeus wife and sister. The Titans Ocean and Tethys brought her up. She was the
protector of marriage, and married women were her peculiar care.
But when any account of her gets down to details, it shows her chiefly engaged in
punishing the many women Zeus fill in love with, even when yielded only because he coerced or
tricked them. It made no difference to Hera how reluctant any of them were or how innocent;
the goddess treated them alike. She never forgot an injury.
The cow and peacock were sacred to her. Argos was her favorite city.
POSEIDON (NEPTUNE)
He was the ruler of the sea, Zeus brother and second only to him in eminence. His wife
was Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan, Ocean. Poseidon has a splendid palace beneath
the sea, but was oftener to be found in Olympus.
Besides being Lord of the Sea he gave the first horse to man, and he was honored as
much for the one as for the other. Storm and clam were under his control. But when he drove
in his golden car over the waters, the thunder of the waves sank into stillness and tranquil
peace followed his smooth-rolling wheels.
He had some connection with bulls as well as with horses, but the bull was connected
with many gods too.
HADES (Pluto)
He was the third brother among the Olympians, who drew for his share the underworld
and rule over the dead. He was also called Pluto, the God of Wealth of the precious metals
hidden in the earth. He had a far-famed cap or helmet which made whoever wore it invisible. It
was rare that he left his dark realm to visit Olympus or the earth. He was not a welcome visitor.
He was unpitying, inexorable but just a terrible, not an evil god.
His wife was Persephone/Proserpine whom he carried away from the earth and made
Queen of the Lower world. He was King of the Dead not death himself.
PALLAS ATHENA (Minerva)
She was the daughter of Zeus alone. No mother born her. Full-grown and in full armor,
she sprang from his head. She is fierce and ruthless battle-goddess, but elsewhere she is warlike
only to defend the state and home from the outside enemy.
She was Zeus favorite daughter. He trust her to carry the aMul aegis, his bricked, and his
devastating weapon, the thunderbolt.
Athen was her favorite city; the olive created by her was her tree; the owl her bird.
PHOEBUS APOLLO
The son of Zeus and Lelo in the little island of Delos. He had been called "the most
Greek of all gods". He is a beautiful figure, the master musician who delights Olympians as he
plays his golden lyre; the lord too of the silver bow, the archer-god for shooting; the Healer as
well, who taught men the healing art.
His name Phoebus means "brilliant" or shining. There are a few tales told of him which
show him pitiless and cruel. Two ideas were fighting in him as in all gods. A primitive, crude
idea and one that was beautiful and poetic. The laurel was his tree. Many creatures were
sacred to him, chief among them the dolphin and the crow.
ARTEMIS (DIANA)
She was Apollo's twin sister. She was one of the three maiden goddesses of Olympus.
She was the Lady of Wild Things, Huntsman-in-chief to the gods, an odd office for a woman.
Like a good huntsman, she was careful to preserve the young; she was the protectress of "dewy
youth" everywhere. She is fierce and revengeful. In her is shown most vividly the uncertainty
between good and evil which is apparent in every one of the divinities.
The cypress was sacred to her; and all wild animals, but especially the deer,
APHRODITE (VENUS)
The goddess of Love and Beauty; who beguiled all gods and men alike; the
laughterloving goddess, who laughed smoothly or mockingly at those her wiles had conquered;
the irresistible table goddess who stole away even the wits of the wise. In the Iliad, she was the
daughter of Zeus and Diane but in other poem she is said to have sprung from the foam
of the sea. She was called "Beautiful Golden Goddess. But she had another side, too.
HERMES (MERCURY)
Zeus was his father and Maia, daughter of Atlas his mother. Because of a very popular
statue his appearance is more familiar to us than that of any god. He was graceful and swift of
motion. On his feet were winged sandals, wings were in his low-crowned hat fur and on his
magic wand the Caduceus. He was Zeus Messenger, who "flies as fleet as thought to do his
bidding". Of all the gods he was the shrewdest and most cunning; in fact he was master thief,
who started upon his career before he was a day old.
ARES (MARS)
The God of War, son of Zeus and Hera bQth of whom detested him. Indeed he is hateful
throughout the Iliad poem of war though it is. Homer calls him murderous, bloodstained, the
incarnate curse of mortals and strangely, a coward, too who bellows with pain and runs away
when he is wounded.
The Romans liked Mars better than the Greek Ares. HE never was to them the mean
whining deity of the Iliad but magnificent in shining armor, redoubtable, invisible.
HEPHAESTUS (VULCAN & MULCIBER)
The God of Fire, sometimes said to be son of Zeus and Hera, sometimes of Hera alone,
who born him in retaliation for Zeus having brought forth Athena. Among the perfectly
beautiful immortals he only was ugly. He was lame as well. His wife is one of the three Graces
called Aglaia in Hesoid; in the Odyssey she is Aphrodite.
He was a kindly, peace-loving god, popular on earth as in heaven. With Athena, he was
important in the life of the city. The two were the patrons of handicraft, the arts which along
with agriculture are the support of civilization.
THE TWO GREAT GODS
Demeter and Dionysus are the two best friends of humanity.
Demeter — goddess of harvest and nature, provides fruitful plenty and protects the
threshing-floor, while Dionysus, god of wine and revelry, rules the grapevine and so the
production of wine. Demeter is celebrated in a festival every fifth of September; her temple is
at Eleusis and her worship is a central and mysterious aspect of ancient life.
Dionysus also comes to be worshipped at Eleusis a natural pairing of the two gods who
bring the pleasant gifts of the earth and are both overpowered by seasonal change.
Hades, wanting a queen kidnaps Demeter's only child Persephone. Demeter wanders the
earth in aimless despair; eventually resting in Eleusis in human disguise, One day the kind family
that has been harboring her accidentally discovers her divine nature and offends her. They build
the great temple at Eleusis to appease her anger. Still Demeter looks herself out of sadness and
at that time nothing of grows on earth.
Finally, Zeus sends Hermes down to Hades to try to set everything right. Hades agrees to
let Persephone return to her mother but slyly makes her eat a magic pomegranate seed that
necessities her return. A comprise is arranged. Persephone will stay with Hades for one-third of
the year, Demeter for the other two-thirds when Persephone returns to the underworld at the
stan of each winter, Demeter's renewed sorrow makes the Earth barren. Persephone returns
each spring, causing Demeter's joy and thus the spring times blossoming.
Dionysus
He is the only main god who has one human parent. Zeus is his father, but his mother is
a mortal named, Senele. Enraged at Zeus affair Hera cunningly fixed Senele's death while she
was pregnant. Zeus snatch the baby from his mother's burning body and implanted it in his own
side until his birth, when Hermes carried the infant god off to be raid in secrecy by the nymphs
Of Nysa, a magic valley, Dionysius is generally a good god, spreading the secrets of wine
production everywhere he goes. He even loves the mortal Ariadne after Theseus cruelly
abandons her and dares defry Hades and rescue his mother from death. Somehow succeeding
Dionysus leads Senele up to line as an immortal at Olympus. He has another side, however as
one night expect from the lord of wine, he is a god of madness and insanity. The wild, bloody
Maenads are his followers. When Pentheus, King of Thebes, defies him, Dionysus drives
Pentheus mother and sisters so insane that they rip Pentheus apart with bare hands. He
eventually becomes the God of holy inspiration in whose honor the most famous theater and
poetry is held. Taking place every spring it commerates his rebirth. Like Demeter's history is one
of tragedy and death, though he always rises from the dead.
LESSON 3: HOW THE WORLD AND MANKIND WERE CREATED?
In the beginning of the universe there is only chaos. Chaos somehow gives birth to two
children. Night and Erebus (the primeval underworld) out of swirling energy. Love is born from
these two, who in turn gives birth to Light and Day. Earth appears, its creation never explained
as it first emerges out naturally out of Love, Light and Day. Earth, then create all other life
producing a host of terrible monsters the one eyed Cyclopes and creature with a hundred
hands and fifty heads. Then the Titans are born, One of them Crones, kills Father Heaven and
the Titans rule the universe. From the blood of heaven spring both the giants and the avenging
furies.
Next comes a dramatic coup, Powerful Cronos, leqrning that one of his children is fated
to kill nim, eats eacll one as ne/sne iS worn. His wile Rhea upset, hiues one bavy vy replacing it
with a stone for Cronos to eat instead. This infant eventually grows up and become Zeus who
forces Cronos to vomit up his brothers and sisters. The siblings bond together against the
Titans. With the help of one sympathetic Titan, Prometheus of the monster whom the titans
had enslaved, Zeus and his siblings win. They chain up the Titans in the bowels of the earth,
except for Prometheus and Epimetheus, his brother Prometheus' other brother, Atlas is
sentenced to forever bear the weight of the world in his shoulders as punishment.
ACTIVITIES
Note: Your answers serve as your output for this module thus it must be submitted to
your instructor.
l. Answer the following questions:
Why is the study of mythology and folklore important to us?
How did Zeus become the ruler of heaven and earth? How did the Greek thought
of the world in the beginning?
Describe the two great gods:
Demeter
Dionysus
Who among the gods impress you most? Why?
Is the creation of the world and mankind by the Greek similar/different to the that of
the bible. Fill in the table below.
Similarities Different
Greek
Bible
Good luck!
Sources:
Hamilton, Editha, Mythology, Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes,
New York, Grand Publishing 2012 [Link]
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