Mythology: Forms of myth in Greek culture
By A.W.H. Adkins &
Britannica Editors
Source: Britanica
Photo Source: Unsplash,
Forms of myth in Greek culture
To distinguish between myth, legend, and folktale can be useful, provided it is remembered that the Greeks themselves did not do so.
Religious myths
Greek religious myths are concerned with gods or heroes in their more serious aspects or are connected with ritual. They include cosmogonical tales of the genesis of the gods and the world out of Chaos, the successions of divine rulers, and the internecine struggles between the Titans and the Olympians that culminated in the supremacy of Zeus, the ruling god of the Greek pantheon. They also include the long tale of Zeus’s amours with goddesses and mortal women, which usually resulted in the births of younger deities and heroes. The goddess Athena’s unique status among the children of Zeus is implicit in the story of her motherless birth (she sprang full-grown from Zeus’s forehead); and the myths of Apollo explain that god’s sacral associations, describe his remarkable victories over monsters and giants, and stress his jealousy and the dangers inherent in immortal alliances.
Myths of Dionysus, who was sometimes regarded as having foreign origins, demonstrate the hostility aroused by a novel faith. Those who rejected his divinity were inevitably punished: In one story the Theban king Pentheus banned the worship of Dionysus, his cousin, and was torn apart by the Theban women, among them his mother; the Thracian king Lycurgus was driven mad for his opposition to Dionysus. Some myths are closely associated with rituals, such as the account of the Curetes, attendants of the infant Zeus, clashing their weapons to drown his cries and protect him from his father Cronus, which was reflected in ancient rites of initiation. Some myths about heroes and heroines also have a religious basis. The tale of creation and moral decline forms part of the myth of the Five Ages (see below Myths of the ages of the world). The subsequent destruction of humanity by flood and regeneration of humans from stones is partly based on folktale.
What is your faith? How can it impact your health? Why?
Share the wealth of health with your colleagues and friends by sharing this article with 3 people today.
If this article was helpful to you, donate to the Shidonna Raven Garden and Cook E-Magazine Today. Thank you in advance.
Comments