Intro to Myth

God

A god is a powerful, important supernatural being. Some gods are in the running of the universe. For example, god of weather, god of love/hate etc. Gods are considered to be male and goddesses are considered females. Gods/goddesses of Mesopotamia differ from Greek gods.

Heroes

A hero is a figure in whom the gods take special interest in. Heroes come from ancient Greek civilization. Gods can take both negative or positive interest in specific heroes.

Combat Myth

A myth about how a god or a hero battles/defeats a monstrous enemy. Usually in a combat myth, the god participating in the battle is a Storm God.

Apocalyptic Myth

A myth about how gods level destruction on humans because one or more humans have offended the gods.

Flood Myth

A myth about how one god, who is angry at humans sends a flood to destroy all life on earth. Flood myths is a variation of apocalyptic myth.

Katabasis Myth

A myth how a hero makes a descent to the underworld and returns to earth alive. A katabasis is a word meaning decent or to go down. Heroes are the only figures who can return alive from the underworld.

Heroic Quest Myth

A myth how a hero makes a journey to gain experiences and achieve fame especially through a battle.

Trickster Myth

A myth how tricksters transform either themselves or the world around them. Transformations like these are often through trickery. Tricksters are shape shifters which allows them to manipulate the world around them.

Divine Council Myth

A myth how two or more gods meet to discuss the fate of one or more humans. An example being whether the gods will help or harm that human. This type of myth also precedes an apocalyptic myth or a flood myth.

Succession Myth

A myth that discusses how one god succeeds to the kingship of gods (usually by deposing other god/s).

Creation Myth

A myth that includes how the universe (gods, humans, earth, sky, etc) came into being. All myths discussed in this class are considered creation myths because they have to start somewhere.

Ancient Near East

Abbreviated (ANE). Includes Mesopotamia which is modern day Iraq and Syria, Canaan which is modern day Mediterranean Coast, Anatolia/Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey and lastly Egypt. Ancient Greece is not properly part of ANE.

Spheres of Influence

Areas with which gods are associated/have power. Meaning gods are able to say that they are the god of something. For example Ishtar is the goddess of sexual desire, war, morning/evening star (Venus). Also Zeus being the god of rain, lightning, kingship and hospitality.

Primordial Waters

Primordial waters usually just exists but no one really knows how it is there. These are waters that exist at beginning of or even before creation. They exist in many creation myths. They usually precede the sea and other bodies of water.

Binaturalism

This is conception of gods with "two natures". There are 3 different ways how binaturalism can occur. For example one being, physical space + god (Sky, Earth, Sea). Another being an abstract concept + god (Love, Victory, Envy). And lastly a thing+ god, examples including Vedic gods Agni (=fire) and Soma (sacred drink).

Syncretism

This is the adaptation of one's culture's mythic beliefs by another culture. Syncretism means to mix together. For example, Summerian Inanna= Akkadian Ihstar as well as Greek Zeus=Roman Jupiter. Here Summerian culture and Akkadian Cultures are being mixed together as well and Greek culture and Roman culture.

Polytheism

This is the belief and worship of many gods. Polytheistic cultures we have studied are Greeks, Mesopotamians, Hittites, Canaanites and so on.

Anthropomorphism

This is the conception of gods "in shape (morph-) of human beings (anthropo-). So gods will look and act like that of human beings. They will have human emotions and qualities. This is seen often in the ancient Greek gods.

Trickster

Tricksters are amoral meaning that are absent of a moral code. It is difficult to figure them out. Tricksters are also shape-shifting deceivers, instigators and sometimes culture heroes. Culture heroes are figures who help human beings build cultures and civilizations.