GOOD AFTERNOON

EVERYONE
Mythology and
Folklore
Mythology
and
Folklore
THANK
YOU,
NEXT
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UWU
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 Let’s start!
SDQLR TERMS

SXODR TYPES
RNTQBDR SOURCES
LXSGR MYTHS
ENKJKNQD FOLKLORE
Basic Words/Terminologies in
Mythology and Folklore

Types of Myths

Sources of Mythology and

Folklore
Session Objectives
At the end of the lesson the students are
expected to:

1 Know the meaning of different Basic

Words/Terminologies in Mythology and Folklore.
2 Discover what are the different types of Myths.
3 Know what are the different Sources of Myths
and Folklore.
 Basic
Words/Terminologies
in Mythology and
Folklore
 Aegis
The aegis is the shield of Zeus
(originally a goatskin), which thunders
when he shakes it.This divine shield
afforded safety and security, and to be
under the aegis of an individual or an
institution is to be favored with
protection,sponsorship, or patronage
 Aeolian harp or
lyre Aeolus -
was put in charge of the winds by Zeus.

An Aeolian harp is a box-shaped musical

instrument across which strings are
strung; the strings vibrate when wind
passes across them.
 aphrodisiac - According to Hesiod, Aphrodite
was born of the foam around the severed
genitals of Uranus, a fitting beginning for a
divinity whose concern is the sexual. From her
name comes the noun aphrodisiac, denoting
anything that has the power to excite the sexual
passions.
Apple of Discord - it is a golden apple
inscribed “ for the fairest” thrown by
Eris,goddess of discord, into a banquet she
was not invited to (wedding of Pelues and
Thetis). The apple was claimed by Hera,
Athena, and Aphrodite, to whom Paris
awarded it.This dispute led to Trojan War.
Arcadia/arcadian - Arcadia is the central
mountainous region of the Peloponnese.

- the ideal land of rustic simplicity where life is

easy where shepherds leisurely tend their flocks
and pursue romantic dalliances.

primeval terrain, where human beings lived in

contentment and harmony with the natural world.
boreal- Boreas, the Greek god
of the north wind, has given us
this adjective, which refers to
the region of the world from
which his blasts come.
cereal / Ceres- (the Roman counterpart
of Demeter) was goddess of grain and
the fertility of the earth. From her name
is derived the Latin adjective Cerealis
(having to do with Ceres
and the grain), from which comes our
English word cereal.
 Chaos/Chaotic - Whether Chaos is to be
understood as a void or a primordial,
formless,undifferentiated, and seething mass out of
which the order of the universe is created, it is the
starting point of creation.

-For us chaos, together with its adjective chaotic,

simply means a state of confusion.
Chimera - A wild, hybrid creature, the Chimera had the head of a lion,
the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent, and it breathed fire.

It was killed by the Corinthian hero Bellerophon on one of his journeys.

Today a chimera is a fantastic delusion, an illusory

creation of the mind, or a hybrid organism, usually a plant.

Chimerical and chimeric

designate something as unreal, imaginary, or fantastic. These adjectives can
also signify that one is given to fantasy.
 Cynosure- The constellation Ursa Minor (“little
bear”) was called Kunos-oura (“the dog’s tail”)
by the astronomer Aratus, who saw in it one of the
nymphs who raised the infant Zeus. Long
a guiding star for seafarers, it has given us the
word cynosure,which can describe anything
that serves to focus attention or give guidance.
Electra complex
- Comparable to the Oedipus complex in the
development of the female is the Electra complex.

-psychotic attachment to the father and hostility toward

the mother.

- Electra was the daughter of Agamemnon and

Clytemnestra, a young woman obsessed by her grief
over the murder of her beloved father and tormented by
unrelenting hatred for her mother who killed him.
 Elysian Fields/Elysium
-In Vergil’s conception of the Underworld there is a place
in the realm of Hades reserved for mortals who, through
their surpassing deeds and virtuous life,have won a blessed
afterlife.

-the souls who inhabit this paradise live a more pure,

more carefree, and pleasant existence.

-The adjective elysian has come to mean blissful.

 Furies/furious/furioso
Furies were avenging spirits sprang from the severed genitals of Uranus when
drops of his blood fell to the earth.

-They pursued those who had unlawfully shed blood, particularly within a family.
-They rise up to pursue the killer, driving the guilty to madness.
-As chthonic deities, charged with punishing sinners; they are usually depicted as
winged goddesses with snaky locks.

fury- a fit of violent rage or a person in the grip of such a passion, especially a
woman.
 Halcyon
The mythical bird called the halcyon is identified with the kingfisher.

Ceyx and Alcyone were lovers. Ceyx, the king of Trachis, was drowned at sea. Hera
sent word to Alcyone in her sleep through Morpheus, the god of dreams, that her
husband was dead. Alcyone in her grief was transformed into the kingfisher; as she
tried to drag the lifeless body of her husband to the shore, he too was changed into a
bird. The lovers still traverse the waves, and in winter she broods her young in a nest that
floats upon the surface of the water. During this time, Alcyone’s father, Aeolus, king of the
winds, keeps them from disturbing the serene and tranquil sea. Today, the halcyon days are
a period of calm weather during the winter solstice, especially the seven days preceding and
following it. The phrase “halcyon days” can also describe any time of tranquillity.
 Icarian Sea
-Daedalus had crafted out of wax and feathers two pairs of wings to
escape from the imprisonment imposed by King Minos of Crete, one pair
for himself and one for his young son, Icarus. Heedless of his father’s
advice, the young Icarus flew too close to the sun.The wax of the wings
melted and the boy fell into the sea. That part of the Mediterranean along
the coast of Asia Minor into which he fell ever after was known as the
Icarian Sea.

Icarian denotes acts that are reckless and impetuous and lead to ruin.
 Labyrinth
A labyrinth is a maze, and the
adjective labyrinthine describes
something winding, complicated, and
intricate.

Labyrinth can also denote

anatomical features marked by
connecting passages, in particular the
structures of the internal ear.
Lethe/lethargy/lethargic/Lethean
Lethe was the river of “forgetfulness” in the
Underworld.From it souls would drink and forget their
experiences upon being reincarnated.

Lethe refers today to a state of oblivion or forgetfulness;

lethargy and lethargic denote a state of persistent
drowsiness or sluggishness;

Lethean characterizes anything that causes

forgetfulness of the past.
Narcissism
- refers to the psychological
state of person who has a
pathological attachment to
himself or herself.
Nectar
-special drink of the gods, usually
paired with their food, ambrosia.
-Nectar has come to mean any
refreshing drink, the pure juice of a
fruit, or the liquid gathered by bees
from the blossoms of flowers, used
in making honey.
 Oedipus complex
-King Laius of Thebes was given a
prophecy that his wife, Jocasta, would
bear a son who would kill his father and
marry his mother. They did have a son,
whose name was Oedipus, and when
he grew up he killed his father and
married his mother.
- Oedipus complex is the term
Freud used to describe the
natural progression of
psychosexual development in
which the child has libidinal
feelings for the parent of the
opposite sex and hostility for
the parent of the same sex.

The Greek gods had their
homes on the heights of Mt.
Olympus in northern Greece,
and so were called the
Olympians.
Olympian
Olympian means “towering,”
“awesome,” and “majestic,” like to the
gods of Olympus. The adjective can also
refer to one who competes in or has won
a contest in the Olympic Games, but this
designation is derived from the ancient
Olympic Games, celebrated at Olympia,
which was a major sanctuary of Zeus in
the Peloponnese.
 Panic
-describes a state of great fear and
anxiety with an attendant desire for
flight, which was believed to be
inspired by the god Pan, generally
represented as a vigorous and lustful
figure having horns, legs, and ears of a
goat.

Psychology
-The Greek word for the
soul was psyche. The myth
of Cupid and Psyche can
be interpreted as the soul’s
longing for an eventual
reunification with the divine
through love.
For Freudians, psyche means mind,
and psychic refers to mental activity;
many English derivatives describe the
study of the mind and the healing of its
disorders (psychology, psychiatry, etc.).
In psychoanalytic terms, the soul is
the mind, the seat of thoughts and
feelings, our true self, which seeks to
orient our lives to our surroundings
Rhadamanthus

- along with Minos and Aeacus,

is one of the judges in the
Underworld. Rhadamanthus
and Rhadamanthine describe a
rigidly just and strict person.
 Stygian
-Across the river Styx, the “hateful” river that circles the
realm of the Underworld,the ferryman Charon
transports human souls to Hades.

-relating to the Styx river itself.

-Stygian describes something to be linked with the

infernal regions of Hell, something gloomy,inviolable,
infernal or hellish.
 Tartarean
- is the region in the realm of Hades reserved
for the punishment of sinners, among whom
are those who have committed the most
heinous crimes and suffer the most terrible
punishments.

The adjective tartarean refers to

those infernal regions.
 Zephyr
Zephyrus is the light west
wind (see aurora borealis),
which signals the return of
spring.
Today a zephyr is a
pleasant, gentle breeze, as
well as a reference to any
insignificant or passing thing.
 Types of Myths (Morford and Lenardon)

1. Pure Myth - Myths of this kind tend to be

examples of primitive science or religion.
They explain natural phenomena or the origin
of things, and they describe how individuals
should behave toward the gods.
Example: In Norse Mythology

Thor
- hammer wielding god associated with thunder,
lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the
protection of mankind, and also hallowing
of fertility.

- prominently mentioned throughout the recorded

history of Germanic people and tribal expansions of
Migration Period, to his high popularity during the
Viking Age.

The name of his hammer is Mjolnir.

2. Saga or Legend - Myths of
this variety tend to be examples of
primitive history; they contain a
germ or seed of historical fact and
enlarge upon it with great flourish. A
good example of a saga or legend
in the story of the War at Troy.
The Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the
subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter the city of Troy and win the
war. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the
Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of
men inside. The Greeks entered
and destroyed the city of Troy,
ending the war.
 3. Folk-Tale or Fairy Tale - Myths of this species tend to be
examples of primitive fiction. Tales of this sort are told for pleasure
and amusement. Frequently the stories contain supernatural
characters such as ghosts, elves, dwarfs or demons, and they
often include elements of magic, e.g., spells, potions, and objects.

-a story, usually of oral origin, contains elements of the fantastic, mostly

adventure of a hero or a heroine. Its main function is for entertainment, but it
can also educate with all sorts of insights.
Types of Myths (Eliot)
1. Primitive Myths - stories about nature as told by shamans
Shaman - one who is regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of
benevolent and malevolent spirits; typically enters into a trance state during a
ritual;practice divination and healing.
2. Pagan Myths - Greek and Roman’s tales of the interplay between deities and
humans.
3. Sacred Myths - stories from current eastern and western religions such as
Christianity and Hinduism.
4. Scientific Myths - considered as the most solemn and revered creeds of science.
 Types of Myths (Adam Leeming)

1. Cosmic Myths - including narratives of the

creation and end of the world.
2. Theistic myths - portrays the deities.
3. Hero Myths - with account of individuals.
4. Place and object Myths - describe places
and objects.
 Types of Myths (New Encyclopedia Brittanica)

1. Cosmological Myths - concerned with the creation of cosmos.

2. Life-crisis Myths - deal with the crucial events in human life;
birth, puberty, marriage, and death.
3. Hunting and Agricultural Myths - revolve around animals
and hunt.
4. Myths about extraordinary individuals - focus on
extraordinary individuals such as culture hero, trickster,
god-king, and savior.
Sources of Mythology and
Folklore (Jersey)

1. Aesop’s Fables - a collection of fables

under the name of Aesop over 2000 years
ago in Greece. According to Herodotus,
Aesop lived in the mid-sixth century and was
a slave and that he was killed by the people
of Delphi, perhaps for seditious or
sacrilegious beliefs.
2.A Thousand and One Nights - (also known
as The Arabian Nights): a collection of stories
and fables from Arabia, Egypt, India, and
Persia that were compiled from oral tales that
had been passed down through these cultures
for generations. Some well-known characters
include Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad the
Sailor.Jinn
3. The Great Epics of the World - Myths and legends are usually
sourced from the existing epics of the different cultures of the
world.

The Iliad and The Odyssey of the Greeks, The

Aeneid of the Romans, The Mahabharata and Ramayana of
India, Beowulf of England, The Song of Roland of France, El
Cid of Spain, Sha Namah of Persia, Gilgamesh of the
Babylonians, etc.
4.The Panchatantra - a collection of fables which was used
to educate Indian princes into becoming wise kings. It is
supposed that Aesop’s Fables largely owed much from the
Panchatantra.

5. The Poems of Hesiod: Theogony and Works and Days -

Hesiod is an early Greek poet who probably flourished around
700 B.C. Much of Greek mythology came from his two complete
works.
Thank you !