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Unit2 mythology

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Unit 2 Mythology Unit 2 MYTHOLOGY How much do you know about Greek myth and Roman myth? Write down your answers in the picture below. Part A Think about this Have you ever read mythologies? What are they? Do you know the differences among fairy tales，fables，and myths？ Are you curious about how and why myth comes? Introduction of Mythology Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm. 2009. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology (2nd edition). Hermes House. Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm 1 From Mesopotamia, the cradle of Western civilization, come legends of which we are able to glimpse only fragments, while the belief systems of other ancient societies, such as the Egyptians and Greeks, are far more readily accessible. The stories that have survived from these ancient civilizations describe gods that have long passed into history. Other deities, such as those of Hinduism and Buddhism, remain at the centre of living faiths, worshipped by millions of present-day devotees. But whether the myths recounted belong to current or long-vanished cultures, they continue to exert their influence on the civilizations of the world, as their themes are explored in literature and the visual arts, and the archetypes they present help to deepen our understanding of human psychology. 2 All human societies recognize powers that are greater than themselves, such as light and dark; sun, storm and frost; flood and drought; and the growth of the plants on which their lives depend. Investing such powers with spirits that have a recognizably human nature has allowed people to make greater sense of a random and threatening universe. Propitiating the spirits with offerings and prayers allows their worshippers to feel that they have a degree of control. At the same time, by seeking the protection of a deity, devotees are able to relinquish responsibility for their own lives to a higher authority. Myths concerning gods and goddesses help to give shape to the powers that are seen to preserve or endanger humanity. 3 Another strand of mythology recounts the experiences of human or semi-divine heroes, and touches upon the fundamental issues of existence. These stories deal with their large themes which underlie our present-day consciousness, expressing these profound ideas in terms of individual biographies and events comprehensible in human terms. The legends of heroes endure from age to age, and hold our attention because they dare to go to the extremes of human terror and delight. Myths of every culture reveal the power of live, with its accompanying anxiety and jealousy; the conflict between the generations, the old and the new; the violence of men, especially on the battle field or in hand-to-hand combat; the mischief of the trouble-maker, bored by the steady pace of everyday events; the sadness of illness or injury; the mystery of death; and the possibility of another life after it. Stories about individual heroes chart the effect of enchantment upon the mind and body; the horror of madness with its disruption of human relations; the incidence of good luck and misfortune, and the whole issue of fate; the challenge of the unknown, whether a voyage into uncharted waters or a quest for a sacred object; the personal danger of a contest with a monster, even a beheading game; and the sadness of betrayal and treachery by family or friends. Myths about the wider world try to explain its mysteries, dealing with the cycle of fertility in human beings, animals, and plants; the relationship between humankind and the gods; the creation of the world and the origins of society; and, last, but not least, the nature of the universe. 4 Different myths tackle these great questions in distinct ways. But the heroes and heroines of every civilization find themselves facing the same basic problems. The Athenian hero Theseus successfully confronts the Minotaur on Crete, but, full of his success against the bull-man, forgets the agreement made with his father about raising a white sail on his ship if he escapes death himself. As a result of this moment of carelessness, Theseus’ father commits suicide by leaping from the Athenian acropolis when a black sail is sighted. Similarly, in Ireland, the inability of Cuchulainn to stop and think for a moment leads to his killing of Conlai, his own son by the Amazon Aoifa. The Hindu hero Arjuna, on the eve of the great battle of Curukeshetra against this enemy the villainous Kauravas, has a crisis of conscience when he realizes that he can only achieve victory at the cost of killing his own relatives, and is only saved from his loss of nerve by the encouragement of his close friend, the god, Krishna. 5 Such stories underline both the variety and the continuity of human nature. Though the great myths concern gods, heroes and monsters, much of their fascination lies in the human vales they illuminate. It is easy to identify with the grief of the widowed Isis or the bereaved Orpheus; with the disgust of Amaterasu at the awful behavior of Suano-Wo, and her consequent sulk in her cave; with the happy family life of Shiva and Parvati; or with the hopeless love of Guinevere and Lancelot. 6 The abiding interest of mythology is its frankness about basic human drives. It could almost be described as sacred literature undisturbed by theologians. The raw and ragged ends of existence are still visible in its tales of both men and gods. Mesopotamia: 是古希腊对两河流域的称谓，意为“（两条）河流之间的地方。”在两河之间的美索不达米亚平原上产生和发展的古文明称为两河文明或美索不达米亚文明。 exert (v.): 发挥；运用 propitiate (v.): 抚慰 deity (n.): 神 biography (n.): 传记 enchantment (n.): 魅力 treachery (n.): 背叛 Theseus & Miontaur Theseus: 神话英雄特修斯 Miontaur: 克里特岛上的半人半牛怪 Cuchulainn: 爱尔兰神话里的英雄 illuminate (v.): 说明 theologian (n.): 神学家 Comprehension Exercises Each of the following six statements contains information given in one of the paragraphs of the above passage. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a number. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding number on the blanks before each statement. A. ______ People recognize powers are greater than themselves and invest such powers with spirits B. ______ Hinduism and Buddhism is the centre of living faiths worshipped by millions of present-day devotees. C. ______ much fascination of great myths lie in the human vales they illuminate. D. ______ Myths about the wider world try to explain its mysteries, dealing with the cycle of fertility in human beings, animals, and plants. E. ______ Although different myths tackle these great questions in distinct ways, the heroes and heroines of every civilization find themselves facing the same basic problems. Writing Practice Please read the following sentence and try to find the similar sentence pattern in the article, and then write several sentences like this yourself. All human societies recognize powers that are greater than themselves, such as light and dark; sun, storm and frost; flood and drought; and the growth of the plants on which their lives depend. Part B Think about this Do you know the Bible? Have you ever read it? Do a research about the bible stories, and introduce your favorite one to your classmates. Abraham and the Chosen People Dr Claude-Bernard Costecalde. 2008. The Illustrated Family Bible (2nd edition). Dorling Kindersley. Claude-Bernard Costecalde 1 The story of the Israelites begins with the story of Abraham, about two thousand years before the birth of Jesus. Ever since God had made a covenant with Noah, the people had become faithless and lapsed into worshipping other gods. So God called on a man name Abram to leave his country and set out for a new land. 2 God promised Abram a country especially set aside for him and his descendants. Even though Abram was childless and very old, God also promised, “I will make you into a great nation” (Genesis 11: 2). This was God’s covenant, and to signify this, God changed Abram’s name, which means “the father is exalted”, to Abraham, meaning “father of multitudes”. Abraham was to become the forefather of the Israelites. Mesopotamia—the land of Abraham’s birth 3 Abraham was born in Ur, capital of the ancient kingdom of Sumer in southern Mesopotamia. The city of Ur is now identified with the ancient site of Ur on the River Euphrates, near Basra in modern Iraq. 4 Mesopotamia, Greek for “land between the two rivers”, was the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Sumerians settled in southern Mesopotamia c.3300 BC. It was an exceptionally fertile land, and a prosperous agricultural economy developed. Farming villages around the rivers gradually grew into cities such as Ur and Babylon, inhabited by thousands of people. Trade flourished with countries as far away as India, and a rich civilization emerged. Mesopotamian culture 5 Mesopotamia saw the rise of one of the earliest civilizations. The wheel, units of weights and measures, and writing all originated in Mesopotamia. Sumerian scribes later developed this writing into cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) script. They used wedge-shaped style to engrave wet clay tablets, which were then baked. Archeologists have unearthed thousands of these clay tablets. They record such things as the annals of kings, literature, religious writings, dictionaries, and works of science. The Gods of Sumer 6 The Sumerians worshipped hundreds of gods, and each city was under the protection of its own deity. One of the most popular was the moon god Sin, whose centre of worship of Ur. The cult of Sin extended all over Mesopotamia and spread into Canaan and as far as Egypt. Abraham Reaches Haran 7 In c. 2000 BC, wave upon wave of invading tribes descended on Ur, eventually conquering the city. Terah, Abraham’s father, may have set out for Canaan with his family to escape these attacks. They probably followed one of the trade routes skirting the desert. However, when they reached Haran in northern Mesopotamia, they settled there. Haran was a cult centre for moon worship, and it is suggested that Terah might have dealt in religious figurines. Canaan—the Promised Land 8 God made a covenant with Abraham, promising a new country for him and his descendants. So Abraham left Haran and went to Canaan. The name refers both to the land of Canaan and to the descendants of Noah’s grandson, Canaan. 9 “Canaan” possibly means “land of purple”. Phoenicia, a region along Canaan’s northern coast, has the same meaning in Greek. This was because Canaan was a major producer of purple dye, a luxury product that was highly prized by royalty. Canaan’s coastal ports and its position between Egypt and Asia made it a nation of traders, and the name “Canaanite” came to mean “merchant”. Canaanite Culture 10 Archeological findings at sites such as Ugarit (Ras Shamra on Syria’s Mediterranean coast), Megiddo, and Jerusalem reveal that Canaan had a highly refined civilization in Abraham’s time. Its greatest legacy was a system of writing that forms the basis of our modern alphabet. Canaan was divided into walled city-states, each ruled by a king. These kingdoms often fought against each other. Canaan’s most ancient city was Jericho, which was first inhabited in about 8000 BC. Outside the walled cities were scattered villages and nomadic herdsmen, such as Abraham. His people lived in tents because they had to keep moving in search of new grazing land for their flocks. The Patriarchs 11 The origin of the Israelites is traced back to Adam through certain men called Patriarchs. The ten Patriarchs from Adam to Noah are known as the antediluvian Patriarchs, because they precede the Flood. Those after Noah are known as the postdiluvian Patriarchs. However, the term Patriarch refers more specifically to Abraham and his descendants Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The Family of Abraham 12 Abraham’s descendants would eventually multiply into the twelve tribes of Israel through Isaac, his son by Sarah. 13 Abraham’s eldest son was Ishmael, by Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maid. Ishmael was also the forefather of twelve tribes (Genesis 17: 20), known collectively as the Ishmaelites. Abraham 14 God made a covenant with Abraham, who is considered the first Patriarch because the nation of Israel descended from him. Isaac 15 God fulfilled his covenant by blessing the aged Abraham and Sarah with a son, Isaac, who became the next Patriarch. Jacob 16 Although Esau was Isaac’s elder son, God chose to renew his covenant with Jacob, Esau’s younger brother. Joseph 17 Through Jacob’s son Joseph, the Israelites prospered and grew in Egypt. Joseph was the last of Israel’s Patriarchs. The Patriarchs in Egypt 18 Egypt’s abundant economy made it a place of refuge during times of famine. 19 Abraham lived there during the Middle Kingdom (2040-1750 BC), a time when Egypt was experiencing its second great cultural age. 20 Joseph and his family settle in Egypt during the Second Intermediate period (1750-1650 BC), which saw a decline of royal authority and the rise to power of foreign rulers, the Hyksos. These Pharaohs adopted the customs and the culture of Egypt. covenant (n.): 誓约 exalt (v.): 提升; 赞扬 Mesopotamian culture cuneiform (n.): 楔形文字 Terah: 亚伯拉罕的父亲 dye (n.): 染料 Canaanite Culture: 迦南地文化 antediluvian (n.): 非常古老的血族 prosper (v.): 繁盛 Hyksos: 希克索斯人，外来入侵者 Comprehension Exercises Read each statement and circle T if it is true or F if it is false. (1) T / F God didn’t keep his promise to give Abram a country and his descendants. (2) T / F Mesopotamian culture was the earliest civilizations. The wheel, units of weights and measures, and writing all originated in Mesopotamia. (3) T / F Through Joseph, the Israelites prospered and grew in Egypt. Joseph was the last of Israel’s Patriarchs. (4) T / F Hyksos didn’t adopt the customs and the culture of Egypt. (5) T / F Before the birth of Jesus, the story of Abraham begins the story of the Israelites . Vocabulary Challenging Substitute one of the words from the passage for the underlined word or phrase in each of the sentences below. Write it on the line. You may have to change the form of the word. The first one has been done for you. exceptional (1) Weve enjoyed anlexcellentrun of fine weather recently. _________ (2) Richard was waiting outside the door as she appeared. _________ (3) He was ultimately overthrown and the country fell into chaos. _________ (4) She tore the rose apart and spread the petals over the grave Part C Think about this In Greek mythology, the Achaeans waged the Trojan War against the city of Troy after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus king of Sparta. If you were Helen/Achaeans/Paris, what would you do? How will you develop the story – Trojan War? Introduction of the Myths of Greece and Rome Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm. 2009. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology (2nd edition). Hermes House. Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm 1 The ancient Greeks were the great myth-makers of Europe. They even gave us the name by which we refer today to the amazing stories told about gods, heroes, men and animals. Around 400 BC the Athenian philosopher Plato coined the word mythologia in order to distinguish between imaginative accounts of divine actions and factual descriptions of events, supernatural or otherwise. Although he lived in an age that was increasingly scientific in outlook, and no longer inclined to believe every detail related about gods and goddesses, Plato recognized the power that resided in myth, and warned his followers to beware of its seductive charm. 2 The strength of Greek mythology, like all active traditions, lay in its collective nature. Unlike a story composed by a particular author, a myth always stood on its own, with a plot and a set of characters readily understood by those who listened to the story-teller or dramatist making use of it. When, for instance, the Athenians watched the great cycle of plays that Aeschylus staged about the murder of Agamemnon, they were already aware of the main characters and their actions. The audience knew how the House Atreus, Agamemnon’s father, was fated to endure a terrible period of domestic strife. Not only had Atreus and his brother Thyestes been cursed by their own father, Pelops, for killing his favorite child, their half-brother Chrysippus, but a bloody quarrel of their own had also added to the family misfortune. A dispute over the succession to Pelops’ throne at Mycenae led Atreus to kill three of Thyestes’ sons, although they had sought sanctuary in a temple dedicated to Zeus, the supreme god. Even worse, the murderer then served the bodies of his nephews up to his brother at a banquet, after which he dared to show Thyestes their feet and hands. Atreus paid for the outrage with his life at the hands of Thyestes’ surviving son, Aegisthus, who later became the lover of Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra during his absence at the Trojan War. 3 All this would have been familiar to the Athenians before Aeschylus’ treatment of the myth began with Agamemnon returning home from the Trojan War. Some of the audience doubtless recalled an even older curse laid on Pelops himself by the messenger god Hermes. Pelops had provoked the god by refusing a promised gift to one of his sons. Nothing that Aeschylus included in his plays was unexpected: neither the murder of Agamemnon, nor the revenge of his son Orestes, nor Orestes’ pursuit by the Furies for shedding a mother’s blood. What would have fascinated the audience was the dramatist’s approach to these tangled incidents, his view of motive, guilt and expiation. For that reason another dramatist was able to tackle the same story later in Athens during the fifth century BC. It needs to be remembered that such drama remained very much part of ancient religion. Today we cannot expect to appreciate the full meaning of these performances, but we are fortunate in having the raw materials from which they were made, the myths themselves. 4 Myths retain much of their power, even when told in summary. Because Greek myths were fashioned and refashioned over so many generations, they acquired their essential form, a shape that had been collectively recognized for longer than anyone could remember. Even now, we continue to be fascinated by the stories of Oedipus, the man who murdered his father and married his mother; of the Athenian hero Theseus, slayer of the strange bull-headed man, the Minotaur; of the great voyager Jason, who sailed across the Black Sea to distant Colchis in order to fetch the Golden Fleece; of Agamemnon, the doomed leader of the Greek expedition against Troy; of cunning Odysseus, one of the bravest of the Greeks and the inventor of the Wooden Horse, the means by which Troy was taken; of the hapless Pentheus, victim of Dionysus’ ecstatic worshippers, who included his own mother; of the unbeatable champion Achilles; of the labors of Heracles, Zeus’ own son and the only hero to be granted immortality; and many other. As Greeks living before and after Plato evidently understood, myths were fictitious stories that illustrated truth. 5 The

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