Myth and Folklore 1

Joseph Campell (1904-1987)

was greatly influenced by Jung's work. Campbell was a mythologist who studied hero myths and legends from around the world, and he discovered a common archetype. He found that while the specifics of the stories and heroes were unique to each culture, the overall themes and parts of the heroic journey were universal in nature. He identified these universal qualities as an archetypical structure in myths he called the hero monomyth, or the one underlying myth of all humanity

Trickster tales

Passed down orally from generation to generation and often teach a lesson, an animal is the main character, common tricksters are the coyote, hare, snake, and monkey, amoral, loyalties are often opportunistic in nature, self-serving, survivors, sometimes they portray a hero and a villain at different times in the same story, often scoff at societal rules and bend them to fit their agenda, antics are often foolish and make us laugh, overcome any physical limitations they may have with their cleverness

Warrior

Protects and defends against all enemies, power and strength will defeat injustice, loyal and devoted who will stay true until the end, merciless, swift, severe, do not allow for any disagreement or deviation from their goal, the end justifies the means, always on the side of good, tenacity, self-righteousness, strength, a sense of justice, loyalty, goal-oriented, impatient, and vengeance-seeking

Saga

Long narrative based loosely on a great historical event or that tells of legends and myths (Thor/Odin)

What calendar is the Chinese Zodiac based on?

Lunar

Hero

Marked special before they are born, foretold by prophets, etc. conceived in a miraculous way, born during dark times, and often linked to the gods (demi-god) or royalty (Odysseus, that one guy from that movie, Theseus) The hero is the main character of the story, called upon to sacrifice himself in some way by leaving the regular world to embark on a quest. He may do this willingly or with great reluctance. He must overcome all the obstacles along the journey to fulfill his destiny and restore balance. A hero monomyth is usually in narrative form, so the story is told from the hero's point of view (#1)

Animal roles

May be completely mythical in nature or 'real' with human characteristics, sometimes they are just regular animals who help protect their masters, often have dualistic natures, can be helpful, harmful, or fluctuate between the two, often portrayed as 'supersized' monsters, gigantic creatures represent the enormity of many obstacles of life and the fear of things we do not understand, when a monster is destroyed in legends it helps those listening to the tale face their own monsters with confidence, sometimes animals are portrayed simply as faithful companions, source of comfort for their owners and they often help to protect them, often great heroes became very attached to their 'pets', portrayed as guardians of gods, knowledge, treasure, heaven, hell. etc, gods have the features of animals or take the shape of animals, animals and people could communicate when the world was young, some cultures even have myths that trace their ancestry back to a specific animal, shown on totems and family crests, the snake plays a role in many creation stories

Mentor

Mentors help the heroes in some way. They often train Heroes and motivate them to move past their fears and insecurities, and "push" them towards the threshold. Often they give the hero knowledge or a gift that will be of great importance later on in the story. (#2)

Which type of creature symbolizes the obstacles of life?

Monsters

Skin-walkers and the Kitsune

Native American mythical people that could turn into the form of the animal of the pelt they were wearing, the Kitsune in Japan could turn from person to fox

Erik the Red

Norseman who was associated with the exploration of North America

In which of these stories does a mother care for her human son in the form of a deer?

Oisin

Reward

Once the hero has survived the mental and physical trials associated with his quest, he can finally obtain his reward. It may be a special item in the form of a weapon, treasure, or magic potion. It may also be emotional in nature, like being reunited with those the hero loves. The reward may also take the form of enlightenment, knowledge, or wisdom. These treasures may be freely given to the hero, or he might have to steal them away. If it is stolen, there will be a chase as the hero races back to his world (#9)

Brynhild

A Valkyrie that was known for disobedience, for punishment she was to get married but she would only marry a man without fear so he ordered her to sleep in a ring on fire until a hero rode through the fire to save her, Siguror Sigmundson proposed but a sorceress wanted him to marry her daughter instead so she gave him a potion to forget her and her son, Gunnar would marry her instead, but he couldn't pass the ring of fire so Gunnar and Siguror traded bodies and Siguror married her instead, Brynhild found out and had Gunnars brother kill Siguror, after, she killed their 3 year old son and then threw herself on his funeral pyre.

Folklore

A culture's oral traditions, include proverbs, jokes, and popular beliefs of the culture, legends, folktales, and fairy tales are all a kind of these

Amazonomachy

A genre of art that depicts the mythical Amazons, and the battle of Attica, where the Amazons attacked a region of Greece

Pyre

A heap of combustible material, especially one for burning a corpse as part of a funeral ceremony

Fable

A short story in which the main character is typically a talking animal; the goal of a fable is to illustrate a moral lesson, which the author expresses very clearly at the end of the story

Legend (hero)

A story that has been passed down for many generations and is often believed to be historical by the culture where it originated, but it cannot actually be proven to be true or only has elements of truth to it (King Arthur, holy grail/Sinbad the Sailor 1001 Arabian nights)

Myth

A story that is shared by a group of people and is part of the cultural identity of the group, the origin of a particular myth is typically unknown or forgotten, and most have their basis in religion or supernatural events, they were understood to be true by the people who developed them, some are based on some event in history, but they have been revised, elaborated upon, and enhanced through the years, making it impossible to know how much of it is historically accurate, usually few characters that are either personified gods or regular human beings who have supernatural powers, the setting is usually a place that is relevant to the culture in which the myth occurs, usually take place in an age that is beyond time in the way we conventionally think of it—the time before the earth took its current form

Metamorphoses

A story that tells of King Lycaeon who is visited by the gods, he tests them to find out if they are really gods or mortals and serves them human flesh at a banquet in their honor to see if they noticed, the gods become enraged after finding out and change him into a werewolf as punishment

Narrative

A story told from the perspective of the main character

Archetype

A universal symbolic pattern

The Amazons of Dahomey

All female military troop, originated as a group of elephant hunters, King at the time trained the women to fight as a militia to help defeat the neighboring kingdom, they recieved rigorous military training, wore uniforms, and used Danish guns, made up about 1/3 of the Dahomey army, were not allowed to marry or have children while in the military, many of them were virgins and warrior status was considered sacred

Boto Dolphin

Amazonian legend that says the spirits of those who drowned enter the bodies of the boto dolphin, they can transform into handsome men and woo young women during the feast of St. John in June but they must return to the river by daybreak

Folktales (story type)

Ancient stories that do not have a single, identifiable author; they have been passed down orally from generation to generation, and at some point they were put into written form, reflective of the culture from which they come and typically contain universal themes, a simpler story that is regional in nature, the characteristics of folk heroes are exaggerated, as are their deeds (Paul Bunyan + Don Quixote fake, Davy Crockett exaggerated)

Personification

Animals often represent specific human characteristics (busy as a bee, sly as a fox, bull headed)

Theogenic Myths

Attempts to explain the relationships between gods and creatures in a system of mythology

Cryptid Examples

Bigfoot of the Northwest United States, the Yeti of the Himalayas, and the Loch Ness Monster of Scotland, Chubacabra of Central and South America, giant anacondas (over 100ft) along the Amazon River, The Mongolian Death Worm, The Yowei of Australia, and the Chinese Yerens

Chinese Zodiac signs

Buddha invited all the animals of the land to a race, he promised the first twelve animals to finish would have the honor of being represented on the zodiac calendar, humans share the characteristics of the animal their birth year matches up with, if you were born during the year of the Tiger then you will be unpredictable, powerful, impulsive, sincere, affectionate, impatient and stubborn

Morrigan

Celtic goddess of prophecy, passionate love, war and death, often portrayed as a black raven or crow that feeds on corpses on the battlefield, but also appears as a beautiful woman, has prophecies of misfortunes in battle and knows the fate of humanity, she appears to warriors who are destined to die, often is seen washing bloody laundry before battle

Macha

Celtic goddess that while pregnant outran the King's horses

Badb

Celtic goddess who often took form of a crow and would cause confusion and fear between soldiers so that she could sway the battle in her favor and would appear before battles to tell the death-count

Viking Women

Commanded great respect in Norse culture, ran their households and farms while Viking men were away, permitted to divorce her husband if she or her children were mistreated by him, if he was not a good provider, or if he offered insult to her family, property that a woman brought into her marriage remained hers and did not become part of her husband's estate, wives kept the keys to all of their buildings tied to her waist, which was viewed as a sign of her responsibility and great authority, children of free Viking women were protected by Viking law and were deemed the property of their mother

Celtic Women

Could participate in many activities and enjoyed the protection of Celtic law, "nearly as tall as the men, whom they rival in courage", rulers as well as warriors, trained to fight with swords and other weapons, could keep and bear arms, noted to have participated in the battle between the Celtic druids and the Romans, described as screeching, dancing wildly, and pulling at their faces to frighten the Roman soldiers, ability to become healers, priestesses, and poets, could participate in business affairs without the assistance of their husbands, diplomats, mediators, and judges in both military and political cases, could not be married against their will, may have been able to choose husbands, permitted to own and inherit property independent of their husbands, could pursue legal remedies without the assistance or consent of their husbands, divorce could be requested either by the wife or husband, divorced women were not seen as social pariahs and were free to remarry

Animal Symbols

Death is often symbolized by the black horse, dragon, owl, dragonfly, raven and the vulture, Monkeys are often used to symbolically represent mischief; bees are synonymous with immortality and lions with courage and nobility, in some cultures bats are used to represent revenge and in others they represent good luck, snakes are another such animal, worshiped in some societies and feared in others

Celtic Goddesses

Described as having two natures, beautiful and hag-like, both of whom could bestow great power, mixture of Greek and Roman, focused on fertility and the cycle of life, including death, represented creativity, after Christianity they began to evolve into warrior-goddesses, as the importance of women in society declined under constant attack, Celtic culture had begun to emphasize death and bloodlust rather than a respect for life and death

Meeting with the Mentor

During this time of indecisiveness, a mentor often appears. This mentor can be an internal voice, a god, or a special person like King Arthur's advisor, Merlin. This mentor may reveal to the hero who he truly is, help him to see his potential, and give him valuable information, magical gifts, or advice that he will need on his quest. The end result of this meeting is that the hero gains the confidence he needs to begin his journey (#4)

Western Zodiac signs

Each of the twelve western zodiac signs represent a myth, like, Cancer the crab is the gigantic creature Hercules battled and crushed, after its death Hera set it in the Stars

Paul Bunyan's ox and Odin's wolves are examples of what type of companion?

Faithful

Archetypes change according to the culture the hero story originated in, but the hero's weapons, magic, and religious beliefs are usually the same in all cultures.

False

Hero myths are always purely based on fiction.

False

Hero tales can be found in every large culture, but are rarely found in smaller ones.

False

Legends are simpler than folk tales and more regional in nature.

False

Lord Vishnu, of Indian myth, slept in the coils of the great Rainbow Serpent before forming the earth

False

Signs of greatness usually do not emerge until a hero has reached adulthood.

False

The animals of the Greek Zodiac competed in a race to determine what order they would be placed

False

The hero's quest is lateral, and he often ends up far from where he began once the quest is complete.

False

Hero Journey

He often goes through a time of isolation in order to prepare for his destiny, it is circular in nature, and the hero ends up where he started at the end of his quest, rarely does he return the same person; rather, his character has been forged by the difficulties he overcame on his journey, and he has emerged from his trials as a true hero

Krishna

He proved his bravery by subduing a great water serpent

Tests, Allies, Enemies

In this stage, the hero tests the waters of the new world and seeks to figure out its rules. He will begin to face tests and trials that give him an opportunity to try out his strength and powers. He will begin to figure out who his allies and foes are. His arch nemesis might be revealed at this time as well. The hero may continue on the quest alone, or be joined by a sidekick (#6)

Women in Sparta

Taught how to read and write, taught to defend themselves at an early age, participated in athletic events such as the javelin, discus, foot races, and staged battles with young Spartan males, were expected to birth healthy, strong, and loyal children, Spartan woman married, the ceremony did not involve pomp and circumstance, the woman was kidnapped in the night by her husband, her head was shaved, and she wore men's clothing while lying on a pallet filled with straw, would have intimate relations with her husband for almost entirely procreative reasons, girl was deemed a woman when she married, but her life did not revolve around marriage and production of children, did not participate in the upbringing of their children, who were instead cared for by nurses, allowed to own and control property, permitted to marry another husband if their first husband stayed away at war for a long period of time, until her husband returned from war, a Spartan woman could also take control of her husband's property and guard it against invaders, due to their strength and independent nature, Spartan women were often depicted as warriors

Legends (story type)

Tell stories of mortal people and their actions, the characters may be mentioned in written history, as they lived more recently, there is no evidence that the stories are real, either the main character never truly did what the legend says, or the events surrounding the main character are not completely accurate (King Arthur)

Which of these characters is an example of an antagonist?

The Big Bad Wolf

Call to Adventure

The call to adventure occurs when the hero's ordinary world is shaken in some way and he is called upon to restore it. The call can come in many ways: as a message from the gods, with the introduction of a villain, or it can be preceded by ominous weather or events. The reason for the call can take several forms. Sometimes the forces of the universe have been disrupted and must be put back into balance, Often, something must be found, answer to universal questions, an item of great significance, once the call to adventure has been presented, the hero must then choose if he will remain where he is or answer the call (#2)

Mythology

The collection of stories that form a system based in a particular culture or society

Mediators

Animals are considered mediators between humans and the gods or the natural and supernatural

Epic

Sometimes in the form of a song, which tells the story of a hero's mighty deeds and adventures (Beowulf/Gilgamesh)

According to Japanese legend what creature was used as the foundation of the earth?

The Trout

Christopher Vogler

helped to make this monomyth more understandable and broke the hero's journey into the seven archetypes and twelve stages you learned about earlier in the unit

Boudica

Queen of the Iceni tribe in ancient Britain, led a rebellion against the Romans who occupied Britain during this time period, her husband died and she couldn't take over his dues so she was publicly stripped and beaten, her daughters were possibly raped, these incidents caused her to unite tribes in Britain and lead the rebellion, died either from wounds in battle or ingesting poison

Freya

Queen of the Valkyries, goddess of love, fertility, battle, and death, Odin would receive one-half of the souls of the warriors, she would receive the other half, viewed the battlefield from her chariot pulled by two cats and choose which worthy souls would accompany her to her own banqueting hall, comfort those who were dying and helped to ease their passing into Valhalla

Which animal often symbolizes death in myths and legends?

Raven

The Mythical Amazons

Rumored to have had their right breast amputated so that they could more easily throw a spear or wield a bow, lived in Pontus (modern day turkey) under the rule of Queen Hippolyta, not allowed to have sexual relations with men nor could they live with them, however, once a year, Amazons would procreate with a neighboring tribe, the Gargareans, male children were either left in the woods to die, given to the father, or killed, whereas female children were taken by the Amazons to be trained to hunt, grow food, and participate in warfare, some myths say that not all of the men they fought would be killed, just enslaved

Selkies of Ireland and Scotland

Seals that can shed their skin and become human at will, beautiful in their human form and marry mortal men, these stories always end in heartbreak as their draw to the sea overcomes their love and they eventually put their seal skin back on and return to the ocean forever

Creation Myths

Seek to explain how the earth came to be, often involve gods and animals, along with struggles between forces, the death of the god or the animal forms the universe

Nature Myths

Seeks to explain natural phenomena that occur, like the stars moving, why there were spots on the moon and why the sun rose and set

Which of the following is an example of a 'friendly' shapeshifter?

Selkie

Shapeshifter

Shapeshifters pose as allies and hide their true intentions until an opportune moment presents itself during the quest. Their betrayal usually catches the heroes completely off guard (#5)

When of the following cryptids resemble a large man or ape?

The Yeti of the Himalayas, The Yeren of China, The Yowei of Australia

Antagonist

The beast that must be defeated by the hero

Freydis Eiriksdottir

The daughter of Erik the Red, she was strong-willed, one saga indicates that she joined an expedition to Vinland in which the Norse were driven into retreat by the natives of Vinland, she chastised the Norseman for their cowardice and asked for a weapon to fight them, the natives of Vinland chased her into the woods where she had picked up a dead man's sword to defend herself, she began to strike her breast with the sword, and the natives were so frightened that they fled

Herald

The herald's character announces the call to adventure and his arrival signifies that change is imminent. In religious texts, heralds are often seen in the form of angels. They typically appear at the beginning of a journey, and announce a challenge or explain the quest at hand to a hero. They may reemerge throughout the story to deliver messages or pass judgment (#4)

Refusal of the Call

The hero does not always jump at the chance for an adventure. He may refuse the call or even run from it. Sometimes this is due to his own insecurities about his abilities as a leader, or the fear of failure. Other times, he might not want to leave that which is familiar and comfortable (#3)

Return with the Elixir

The hero's return to the regular world with the elixir (or reward) marks the final stage of the journey. The quest is over. The hero shares the elixir with humankind and brings knowledge to the people or healing to a broken land. Sometimes it is the hero's own death that brings about greater awareness, and inspires the people of the regular world to rally and bring about change (#12)

Approach to the Inmost Cave

The inmost cave represents the path to the heart of the journey: the hero's final battle. At this time, the hero may have a brief respite from action before the main "battle" begins. He and his men must regroup. They may mourn their dead, regain their strength, and make their final strategic plans. The hero will often give a speech (similar to a pre-game pep talk) at this time to spur his men to greatness and help them move past their own fears (#7)

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)

The light reflecting off the Valkyries armor as they rode into battle

Shapeshifting

The lines between humans and animals are often blurred in these types of tales, in Greek mythology gods and goddesses had the ability to turn themselves and mortals into animals, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is pictured above with an owl that represents wisdom, gods often turned people into animals in order to punish them, is often the result of a curse or a spell (Princess and the Frog, Beauty and The Beast), sometimes transformers prey on humans, some legends tell of shapeshifters that befriend people

Morality Tale

The purpose of a morality tale is to caution the reader about dangerous situations, or to teach the reader about a cultural taboo (Little Red Riding Hood)

Shadow

The shadow is represented by the hero's enemies and villains. It is the force bent on destroying the hero and keeping him from completing the quest. It represents our fears and hidden desires. The Greek hero Theseus outwitted King Minos, and killed the Minotaur guarding the "impossible" Labyrinth built by the king (#6)

Threshold Guardian

The threshold guardians stand between heroes and the special world. They test the heroes' resolve and make them prove their worth. The heroes may not begin their quests unless they can get past the threshold guardians (#3)

Monomyth

The universal hero myth that speaks to humankind.

Kutoyis

This hero was conceived by a drop of buffalo blood

The Road Back

This is the final leg of the hero's journey, where the stakes rise. He must fight his way back to the ordinary world and he often needs a catalyst to push him back through. This force may take the form of a chase to retrieve the reward from the villain or a race against time. Often a chain of events that must be stopped has been set into motion (#10)

Resurrection

This is the final showdown between life and death. The hero has returned to the ordinary world and now must battle for not only his own life, but that of others or that of the world itself. To win this final battle, he must use everything he has learned on his journey. His actions will prove that he is a true hero as he is willing to sacrifice his own good and his desires for the benefits of others, even to the point of death if necessary. He may have help from his allies, but he must be the one to deliver the finishing blow (#11)

Ordeal

This is the hero's "title fight". It is the moment of suspense when all may be lost for the hero, and it is the pivotal stage of the journey. He must overcome his greatest fears, and confront either his own death or the death of someone or something he loves. Often, the hero must descend into the underworld. In the hero monomyth, death is the avenue for the metaphorical or physical rebirth of the hero. The hero may face off against the known villain or be betrayed by a shapeshifter during the ordeal (#8)

Ordinary World

This is the hero's home, and where his journey will begin and end. During this part of the story, the reader gets to know the character and learns who he is. Luke Skywalker in Star Wars is introduced on his home planet of Tatooine, where he lives with his aunt and uncle, oblivious to fact that he will soon be called on to help save the galaxy (#1)

Crossing the Threshold

This is the point of no return — the sign that the hero has committed to the journey ahead and all that it might require of him. Crossing the threshold signifies that the hero has finally committed to the journey. This is the heroes' entryway into the special world where their destiny awaits them. There are often threshold guardians that must be defeated in order for the heroes to enter (#5)

The Purpose of a Myth

To answer questions like, how did the world get here, what happens after we die, why does the sun go across the sky everyday, etc.

Trickster

Tricksters like to stir things up. Their physical antics or verbal tricks often cause chaos and trouble. Tricksters are often represented by animals, such as Ananse, the Spider of African lore, and the Norse god Loki, who can assume many shapes (#7)

A monomyth is a universal myth that speaks to all humankind.

True

Birds of myths and legends are often mediators between the gods and humankind

True

Heroes often resist their initial call due to their own insecurities or because they do not want to leave their familiar surroundings in search of the unknown.

True

Joseph Volger identified twelve distinct stages a hero goes through during his journey.

True

Myths in which creation begins with an animal bringing mud up from the bottom of the ocean are called earth-diver tales

True

The following idiom is an example of personification: 'Sly as a fox'

True

Aesop's fables

Use personified characteristics attributed to animals in order to teach a moral lesson

Fairy Tales

Usually takes place "long ago and far away" and often involves a person of royal station, the main character usually is tested by a problem or obstacle, and may have magical assistance, good always wins out over evil, and there is a reward for the good character at the end, always ends "happily ever after", they actually have far more sophisticated meaning than the surface story shows

Valkyries

Warrior goddesses in Norse legend who were the daughters of Odin and had the purpose of flying on their horses over the fields of battle and choosing the souls of the dead to carry to heaven, carried out Odin's instructions in determining the winners of battles and wars, chose only the souls of the bravest and most deserving warriors, so Vikings considered it a great honor to be chosen to be taken to Valhalla, the Norse hall that houses the souls of those who have died in battle, Vikings believed that if they saw a Valkyrie before the battle, they were destined to die in that battle, their symbol was a raven, known as corpse goddesses, fierce, beautiful, and young and rode their horses dressed in full armor and armed with swords, immortal, virginal, could transform into wolves and/or swans

Cryptids

What modern myths and legends are based on, they have never been proved to be real, can be found around the world, some can be dangerous like the chubacabra or the death worm, but some can also be shy and stay away from humans

Which of the following is an example of a Cryptid?

Yeti

Carl Jung (1875-1961)

believed humans possess a universal collective unconscious that is revealed in the commonalities, or similarities, of our myths. By studying myths, we can better understand not only the psyche of the culture where they originated, but the universalism of the human psyche, or those things that influence our thoughts, behavior, and personality — the forces that speak to our souls.