Mythology and Folklore Units 1-4

hero monomyth

seven archetypes common to the . . . . . . . . . . . . . that represent the characters a hero will come in contact with during his journey

Morrigan

similar to the Valkyries, . . . . . . . . . . appears to those warriors who are destined to die, and is often seen washing bloody laundry before the battle

shapeshifters

some are enemies of people and some are friends of people

threshold guardian

stand between heroes and the special world, they test the heroes' resolve and make them prove their worth, heroes may not begin their quests unless they can get past them

crossing the threshold

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . signifies that the hero has finally committed to the journey, 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

Macha

. . . . . . . . .'s husband and the king of Ulster had a wager, as the birth of . . . . . . . . .'s child neared, her husband told the king of Ulster that . . . . . . . . . could outrun his horses despite her pregnancy, the king of Ulster threatened to kill . . . . . . . . .'s husband unless . . . . . . . . . raced, so she raced the horses and defeated them

fairy tale

. . . . . . . . is a type of folktale, but a folktale is not ways a . . . . . . . . .

people shape-shift because . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. gods had the ability to turn themselves and mortals into animals 2. gods turned people into animals in order to punish them 3. the result of a curse or spell

Macha, Morrigan, and Badb

Celtic War-Godesses

Boudica

Queen of the Iceni tribe in ancient Britain, led a rebellion against the Romans who occupied Britain during this time period, and was married to Prasutagus

antagonist

in many myths and legends the beast is often the . . . . . . . . . . that must ultimately be defeated by the hero

fairy tale

in these stories, good always wins out over evil, and there is a reward for the good character at the end. You can be sure that . . . . . . . . . . . always end "happily ever after."

epic

a poem, sometimes in the form of a song, which tells the story of a hero's mighty deeds and adventures

Aesop's fables

a collection of short stories first told by a Greek slave in the 6th century BC

cryptid

a creature that has not been identified by scientists, its existence is based completley on anecdotal records and is most likely mythological in nature

amazonomachy

a genre of art that depicts amazons

warrior

a literary archetype who protects and defends against all enemies

Joseph Campbell

a mythologist who studied hero myths and legends from around the world, and he discovered a common archetype, and 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, and identified these universal qualities as an archetypical structure in myths he called the hero monomyth, or the one underlying myth of all humanity

Carl Jung

a psychiatrist who believed humans possess a universal collective unconscious that is revealed in the commonalities, or similarities, of our myths, and 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, or the forces that speak to our souls

folk tale

a simpler story that is regional in nature, the characteristics and deeds of folk heroes are exaggerated, folk heroes can be historical figures such as the frontiersman Davy Crockett and the steelworker John Henry, and can also be fictional

legend

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

myth

a story that is shared by a group of people and is part of the cultural identity of the group

folklore

a term that encompasses a culture's oral traditions

fable

a type of folktale, a short story in which the main character is typically a talking animal

morality tale

a type of folktale, the purpose of a . . . . . . . . is to caution the reader about dangerous situations, or to teach the reader about a cultural taboo, and unlike fables, the moral is not clearly stated, but is more disguised

archetype

a universal symbolic pattern

Amazons of Dahomey

an all-female military troop, that originated as a group of elephant hunters, later trained as royal bodyguards, and then became known as fierce warriors

folktales

ancient stories that do not have a single, identifiable author, that have been passed down orally from generation to generation, and at some point they were put into written form

guardians

animals are often portrayed as . . . . . . . . . in myths and legends, and may protect: gods, knowledge, treasure, heaven, hell, etc

concepts

animals often represent . . . . . . . . . in myths and legends

herald

announces the call to adventure and his arrival signifies that change is imminent, are often seen as 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

theogenic myths

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

Chinese Zodiac

based on a twelve year cycle calculated using the Chinese Lunar calendar, each year is symbolized by an animal: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog

saga

is a long narrative based loosely on a great historical event or that tells of legends and myths

personification

common element in myths and legends, where animals often represent specific human characteristics

meeting with the mentor

during this time of indecisiveness, someone often appears, this person can be an internal voice, a god, or a special person, 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 hero gains the confidence he needs to begin his journey

Western Zodiac

each of the twelve signs of the . . . . . . . . . . represent a Greek myth or legend

test, allies, enemies

face tests and trials that give him an opportunity to try out his strength and powers, hero will begin to figure out who his allies and foes are, and often his arch nemesis, the hero may continue on the quest alone, or be joined by a sidekick, or a group of men

the road back

final leg of the hero's journey, where the stakes rise, he must fight his way back to the ordinary world, this may take the form of a chase to retrieve the reward from the villain or a race against time, or a chain of events that must be stopped has been set into motion

the hero's journey

has eleven distinct stages, is circular in nature, and the hero ends up where he started at the end of his quest

mentor

help the heroes in some way, they often train them 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

Christopher Volger

helped to make this monomyth more understandable and broke the hero's journey into the seven archetypes and twelve stages

refusal of the call

hero doesn't want to leave because of his own insecurities about his abilities as a leader, or the fear of failure, and because he doesn't want to leave his comfortable home and life

the seven archtypes

hero, mentor, threshold guardian, herald, shapeshifter, shadow, and trickster

folklore

legends, folktales, and fairy tales

trickster

like to stir things up, their physical antics or verbal tricks often cause chaos and trouble, and are often represented by animals

heroes

often born during dark times when they are needed desperately by the people

heroes

often marked as special even before they are born, their coming is often foretold by seers, oracles, and prophets, and they are often conceived in some miraculous manner

animals in myths and legends

often portrayed as 'supersized monsters', faithful companions, adoptive mothers, mediators, and guardians

Badb

often took the form of a crow, was known to cause confusion and fear among soldiers so that she could sway the battle to the side she favored, and would appear before upcoming battles to foretell of the upcoming carnage through her wailing cries

trickster tales

passed down orally from generation to generation and often teach a lesson, usually have animals as their main characters (coyote, hare, snake, monkey) they are amoral (neither good guys nor bad guys) and their loyalties are often opportunistic

mortals

people that die

shapeshifter

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

Freya

queen of the Valkyries, Norse goddess of love, fertility, battle, and death, Odin would receive one-half of the souls of the warriors, and she would receive the other half, she would choose which worthy souls would accompany her to her own banqueting hall, which was known as Sessrumnir, and would comfort those who were dying and helped to ease their passing into Valhalla

folktales

related to myths and legends

legends

related to myths, but there are significant differences

approach to the inmost cave

represents the path to the heart of the journey: the hero's final battle, the hero may have a brief pause from action before the main "battle" begins, his men will regroup and mourn their dead, regain their strength, and make their final strategic plans, the hero will often give a speech to encourage his men

totems

sacred animals believed to be ancestors or protectors of their clan, the Native Americans of the Northwest often display these animals on totem poles, in other cultures they are displayed as family crests and a picture of the animal is often drawn on their shields

creation myths

seek to explain how the earth came to be

nature myths

seek to explain natural phenomena that occur

fairy tale

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

legends

tell stories of mortal people and their actions

These events led to rebellion against the Romans, led by Boudica, who had united the various tribes in Britain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the Iceni had to pay very high taxes, and some endured slavery to the Romans, when Prasutagus died, the Roman soldiers took all of Prasutagus' property as well as the property of other Iceni leaders, when Boudica could not pay Prasutagus' debts, the Romans publicly stripped and beat her, and also raped her daughters.

Valhalla

the Norse hall that houses the souls of those who have died in battle

Erik the Red

the Norseman who was associated with the exploration of North America

dualistic natures

the animals in myths and legends often have . . . . . . . ., they may be helpful, harmful, or fluctuate between the two

mythology

the collection of such stories (myths) that form a system based in a particular culture or society

resurrection

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, the hero's 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, hero may have help from his allies, but must deliver the finishing blow

fable

the goal of a . . . . . . . . . . . . is to illustrate a moral, which the author expresses very clearly at the end of the story

Morrigan

the goddess of prophecy, passionate love, war, and death, often represented as a black raven or crow who feeds on corpses in the battlefield, also can appear as a beautiful young lady, the prophetess of misfortunes of battle, and knows the fate of humanity

shadow

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

ordinary world

the hero's home, and where his journey will begin and end, the reader gets to know the character and learns who he is

call to adventure

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 hero must choose if he will remain where he is or answer the call

return with the elixir

the hero's return to the regular world with the reward marks the final stage of the journey, the quest is over, the hero shares the reward with humankind and brings knowledge to the people or healing to a broken land

hero

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

ordeal

the moment of suspense when all may be lost for the hero, and it is the pivotal stage of the journey, hero must overcome his greatest fears, and confront either his own death or the death of someone or something he loves, the hero may face off against the known villain or be betrayed by a shapeshifter

crossing the threshold

the point of no return, the sign that the hero has committed to the journey ahead and all that it might require of him

mythos

the word "myth" comes from the Greek root . . . . . . . ., which originally meant "speech" but evolved to mean "fable" or "legend"

Native American creation stories

this culture says that the earth began when water animal(s) brought up mud from the bottom of the ocean

hero myths

told in narrative form, from the eyes of the hero himself and fall into four major categories

shapeshifting

transformation into a different shape (like a moose)

Aesop's fables

used animals with human characteristics to teach moral lessons

Valkyrie

vikings believed that if they saw a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . before the battle, they were destined to die in that battle

Valkyries

warrior goddesses in Norse legend who were daughters of the Norse god, Odin, and their purpose was to fly on their horses over the fields of battle and choose the souls of the dead to carry to heaven, they could be ravens or wolves, and were immortal and virginal

Aurora Borealis

when Freya and the Valkyries rode forth on their missions, their armor caused the eerily beautiful flickering light that we know as the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , or Northern Lights.

reward

when the hero recieves a weapon, treasure, magic potion, being reunited with those the hero loves, enlightenment, knowledge, or wisdom, these treasures may be freely given to the hero, or he might have to steal them away and there will be a chase as the hero races back to his world

funeral pyre

where a person's dead body is burned

mediators

work between humans and the gods or the natural and the supernatural, often are birds and messengers