For this assignment I have chosen the constellation Serpens-because I happen to love snakes as I believe that they are very interesting creatures. Had I been a muggle, I would have pursued a field of biology to study these wonderful creatures. This constellation happens to be the only one that is divided into two pieces. Serpens is believed to be (in the bible) the offspring of the constellation Draco (portrayed with feet, and therefore, not a snake), who is, in turn , thought to be the original tempter of Eve in the garden of Eden. In Greek mythology, Serpens represents the snake held by Aesculapius, the god of healing. He was the son of Apollo, the god of the sun, music,healing and inspiration. Serpens is a symbol of life and rejuvenation …show more content…
Each guest had been asked to bring a gift, which all of them could use. Apollo had chosen the revival herb, a herb that only he knew about, that only he knew how to cultivate- it grew among the dark paths of the forests near Corinth, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that. He had his oldest and most faithful cow, the one with luminous golden horns, carry it up the mountain for him. The jar in which the herbs were stored was heavy, the sun was hot and cruel, and the cow was tired and old. It spied a pool of crystalline water a few steps away, guarded by a serpent, basking in the sun. The old cow neared the creature and bent to drink from the pool. The serpent cracked open a gleaming, witty eye. "no, old one. A drink comes with a price." it hissed, but not unkindly. It had been cheated in life, and was not about to be cheated now, in its old age. The cow bowed its head, looking wistfully at the cool water. "what will it take?" it asked, trying to ignore the sun beating down on its head. "hmm. What about on of those herbs on your back? Surely, cows don't have any use for them...An herb for a drink." the snake said, already sensing defeat in the cow. The latter nodded. "of course. My master won't miss one, he has so many more." the cow let the snake take one herb from it and drank its fill at the cold
From the days of ancient Greece and before, epic heroes have had their lives chronicled and their stories passed on from generation to generation all the way to present day. Two of the greatest heroes have been Gilgamesh from the epic named after him and Achilles from Homer's Iliad. While the two men's stories transpired in vastly different eras, their lives shared a surprising number of commonalities. Of course, with resemblances come several discrepancies in the way they lived and the ideals they believed in.
Often, the trickster finds his antics to come back and hurt him, due to greedy, conceited, or boastful behavior. These tales are told in a humorous manner, meant to entertain the reader, but are specifically designed to teach a lesson about human behavior or morals. One trickster tale, “The Coyote and the Buffalo,” is the quintessential trickster story, and uses a coyote as a main character, very popular for early Native American literature. It tells of a coyote that has gotten himself into trouble with Buffalo Bull, his enemy, and has made a deal to give the Buffalo new horns. To express his gratitude, Buffalo Bull gives Coyote a young cow on the condition that he does not kill it, but only cuts off the fat. Soon Coyote gets greedy, and kills the cow for the better meat. However, he is quickly outsmarted by a woman who offered to cook the bones. She ends up stealing them, and the coyote is left with nothing. He pleads to the buffalo for another, but the buffalo will not give it to him, “and that is why there are no buffalo along the Swah-netk’-qhu.”(Allen et. al. 52) The moral of this story is that having too much greed can leave you hungry, instead of full of the riches of life you can gain by listening and following the
Grecian urns preserve important scenes for posterity. Significant myths, figures, and rituals often grace the domed pottery. One such Grecian urn boasts a strange image: Apollo offering a libation. Libations, often drink offerings poured out to placate deities–typically
Religion often enlightens one with newfound reverence and respect. While caring for the wolf, the man finds both reverence and respect through a few spiritual encounters. As he is walking with the wolf, the man hears coyotes calling from the hills “above him where their cries [seem] to have no origin other than the night itself.” This represents the heavens calling out to the wolf to enter its gates. Once the man stops to build a fire, he seems to hold a ritual for the wolf. His shelter steamed “in the firelight like a burning scrim standing in a wilderness where celebrants of some sacred
When archeologist A. Evan found the Snake Goddess in Crete he originally identified her as votary shortly after reconstructing the figuring he then associated her with Egypt Nile Goddess Wadjet also referred to as ancient Egyptian cobra.
The snake is associated with both negative and positive, or duality, even in christianity. This is shown in the bible in the story of Adam and Eve.The snake in the tale traditionally has been thought to be Satan the devil. However, in this story the snake resembles Prometheus. It gives the humans something that belongs only to the gods, something he believes the human 's need for survival. It becomes their benefactor. The serpent tempts Eve into eating a fruit from the forbidden tree. She believes what he 's saying. Why? Why is it convincing? The hypothesis is that it knows better because it may have gone through the same experience earlier. Maybe it took the fruit and ate, and that would also explain why and how the snake became the wisest
David and Tessy continue running away from the battle. They realize that they are pretty far away from the inter-tribal war, so they decide to stop for a few minutes to rest. They sit down as well as drink some water from each of their canteens. While they are resting, David notices that something was moving among the trees. He gets up to go to check what it was. When he gets closer, he sees the eyes of an animal, a snake. He quickly alerts Tessy and they both grab some sticks to defend themselves. The snake crawls rapidly, opening its mouth along with taking out its long and pointy tongue, revealing that it is hungry. David starts running towards the snake also screaming ‘I´m not going to die here!’ Tessy gets surprised by David´s odd behavior,
Ménez, Andre’. The Subtle Beast: Snakes, from Myth to Medicine. New York, New York: CRC Press, 2003.
The Greeks have been known for their hospitality and politeness, especially when treating guests- whether strangers or not. This is demonstrated near the beginning of the Odyssey when Telemachus went to Pylos to visit Nestor. Nestor, not knowing who he was taking into his home as guests, treated them with great honor and respect. "Now is the time," he said, "for a few questions, now that our young guests have enjoyed their dinner. Who are you, strangers? Where are you sailing from, and where to, down the highways of sea water (p 299)?" If ever Greeks were to serve themselves before their guests or even a little better than them, then they were breaking the most basic of all Greek customs, for this tradition of hospitality was passed down from generation to generation, and breaking it would bring embarrassment and dishonor upon the home.
When it comes to hospitality, Greeks stand atop the list of all cultures for their generosity and politeness towards strangers. “Philoxenia” is the Greek word for “the love of strangers”. Philoxenia is demonstrated in several different cases in Homer’s The Odyssey. According to Greek customs, hospitality is respected by the immortal gods. If the Greek code of hospitality is not performed correctly, or not performed at all, the consequences may be very severe, gods may unleash their wrath to whoever does not follow this tradition of thoughtfulness. Homer suggests both positive and negative commentary on his own world through the examples of hospitalities that provide The Odyssey.
The women in The Odyssey are a fair representation of women in ancient Greek culture. In his work, Homer brings forth women of different prestige. First there are the goddesses, then Penelope, and lastly the servant girls. Each of the three factions forms an important part of The Odyssey and helps us look into what women were like in ancient Greece.
d’Aulaires, Ingrid and Edgar Parin. Book of Greek Myths. (Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.: New York, 1962), pp. 158-161.
The Classical mythology contains tales and epics of the ancient Greek and roman literatures and myths. On the other hand, Homer’s two epic poems, the Iliad relates to the events of the Trojan War while the Odyssey details Odysseus expedition after the war. Homer’s epic poems, the Odyssey and the Iliad present a major part of ancient history as modern fictional heroic stories. In ancient Greek, heroes were humans who were depicted to possess superhuman abilities. A key example in the classical mythology is Akhilles who is later known in Homer’s Iliad as Achilles. Achilles is he greatest hero of the Iliad whereas Odysseus is the greatest hero of the Odyssey. The greatest heroes from classic mythology and the modern fictional hero’s stories are mortal, and subject to death. The Odyssey and the Iliad marks the beginning of modern fictional literature.
Many diverse cultures are found in every corner of the world. Every culture is defined by its traditions and values. The film “The Odyssey,” depicts the culture of the ancient Greeks where it illustrates the life of a man, Odysseus, who has gone on a journey just to get back to his kingdom. Many values and traditions could be identified through the path of the journey. Some elements that are found important to the Greeks are the music, the religion, and the duty to the kingdom.
When the King of Babylon decided to build a gate (now called the Ishtar Gate), in order to surround Babylon, and to praise the gods, he immediately knew that he wanted to praise Mardurk. Then, came the snake-dragon symbol. The snake-dragon contained a head of a snake, a scaly dragon body,...