Greek mythology was used in ancient times to explain how and why the world works and how it was created. People used Greek Mythology to tell myths about why the world has characteristics such as water ,plants, life, and animals. Myths tell stories about Gods, Goddesses, monsters and mythical creatures, although there are many myths about the sea, trees, and life, but one the most important myth is the myth of Gaea she was known to be the creator of earth. Many tales have been told about gods and goddesses and have been appreciated by the greeks. The myth of Gaea tells the story about how she created earth. Gaea was a Greek goddess and was the creator of earth she created the earth to look like a flat plate shape covered in only the oceans
Greek mythology is something that everyone knows of, not only because it is so interesting, but because of the many gods and goddesses. One of the most well known goddesses being Goddess Athena who portrayed so many good characteristics. Although Goddess Athena is best known for wisdom, military skill, and crafts, she is also known for her mythological influence on the modern day world and her acts of heroism.
Creation myths are made to explain how the Earth was created and to introduce information on the relationship a group has with their creator. In both Iroquois and Babylonian creation myths, the gods do not find the Earth below as their first priority. In the Iroquois myth, the gods only help out the Earth when they are needed, but in the Babylonian myth, humans have more of a relationship with gods as the god that created Earth is willing to go beyond what is needed to help better the human experience on Earth.
Mythology was critical to Greek people’s everyday life, just like how religion is in our modern day in age. Everyday events, such as a thunderstorm, could be linked to a god or goddess. For example, when an earthquake would happen, it would be Poseidon crashing his tritan on the ground. People’s lives revolved around the whole ideology and it served as a way to explain the unexplained and to help them in times of need. All of the stories of these great gods and goddesses were passed down generation through generation each time getting more extreme and distorted. People idolized these beings and built stunning life like sculptures of them. Zeus was the most important of all the Greek gods and also king of Mount Olympus. He became a king after
Myths – as they are known to most of the world – give insight into the pasts of various countries and religions as the people saw them. They have been used to explain phenomenons in nature or describe the tales of courageous and important men and women throughout history. Creation myths in particular define how the Earth itself was created, along with the universe, heavens, hell, people, and creatures that exist today. Genesis of Christian mythology, for instance, tells the story of how the single deity God spoke and formed everything from day and night to man and woman. Various African creation myths, such as with the Yoruba, explain the creation of the Earth through at least a couple gods working together and all life sprouting from a seed. But all share a common themes, such as a form of chaos or nothingness before life is created. Joseph Campbell notes that “... the idea of an absolute ontological distinction between God and man – or between gods and men, divinity and nature - first became an important social and psychological force in the near East, specifically Akkad, in the period of the first Semetic Kings, c. 2500 B.C.,” showing another similar trait – a god or set of gods exists to create in each story (626). Joseph Campbell makes a comparison of how both Genesis and the Book of the Dead of Egypt share the same idea of their bodies belonging to their god in some way, or being reabsorbed into them at death (630-631). Others, like the Japanese and Iroquois creation myths, claim the Earth was once covered entirely of water before land was formed. Adam and Eve of Genesis and Izanagi and sister Izanami of Shintoism provide examples of myths that share both a passive and active pair of people who eventually create the Earth's population. In any case, certain popular creation myths, some closely tied to prominent religions, share more common characteristics than others. An entire sub-study, called comparative mythology, gives insight into this subject.
Greek mythology has always been a very fascinating subject to talk about. The belief that gods and goddesses once ruled the Earth is an interesting idea. To think that the land and sea were once looked upon by one of the strongest and fiercest gods that ever lived. Poseidon or Neptune was known to be one of the strongest gods that ever walked on the planet. Poseidon is best known for protecting and watching over the ocean.
Hesiod combines these two powerful things together to create a fundamentally strong entity who is integral to the early history of the gods. Gaia is the sole reason for the birth of the first and forthcoming generations of gods, acting as a foundation for life. Hesiod states in the text; “First came the Chasm, and then broad-breasted Earth, secure seat for ever of all the immortals who occupy the peak of Snowy Olympus line (Theog. 118-120).” This depicts that after the Chasm, a void or emptiness, the next thing formed was Earth. There is no mention in the poem of a relationship between the Chasm and Gaia, showing that she is individually accountable for the multiplication of life. She is the quintessential component for the continuation of life by her parthenogenetic birth of Ouranos and subsequent relationship with him to produce more offspring. Gaia plays a central role in the physical evolution of the cosmos, as she takes the indistinguishable matter that it once was and transforms it into a purposeful world through the births of the mountains, the sea, and the starry heaven itself (Theog. 127-131). Gaia is fundamental in the early formation of the cosmos and her independent decision to create offspring and bare life is the reason life continues today. Her physical nature as the Earth supports the world today with a home, and her mental intelligence as a god
The Greeks believed that the earth was formed before any of the gods appeared. The gods, as the Greeks knew them, all originated with Father Heaven, and Mother Earth. Father Heaven was known as Uranus, and Mother Earth, as Gaea. Uranus and Gaea raised many children. Amoung them were the Cyclopes, the Titans, and the Hecatoncheires, or the
Mythology was very important to the men and women of ancient Greece. They worshipped the gods and goddesses, wrote poems about them, and based a great deal of art work off of them. The people of Greece looked to the gods and goddesses for help in all aspects of their lives; including health, agriculture, and war. Reading about Greek mythology can inform people about the society of Greece because the Greek gods were created by the people of Greece. Three main goddesses who were worshipped by the Greeks were Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.
Many people would blatantly state that the importance of the gods in Greek society derives from the fact that Gods in any society are usually used to explain phenomenon that people cannot logically comprehend, but in ancient Greece gods were actually entities that took part in the workings of society itself. Even simple aspects of day-to-day life such as sex and disputes between mortals were supposedly influenced by godly workings. Unlike modern religions such as Catholicism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, where an omnipotent force supposedly controls the workings of the world, a hierarchy of Gods characterized religion in ancient Greece. Working as one big family, which they actually were, each one of the Greek gods governed a certain aspect of the world in a way that usually reflected their own humanlike personalities. These unique personalities also contained many human flaws such as envy and greed, and were where the Greek God’s importance lay. Greek religion was more concentrated on the way an individual dealt with situations that popped up in the world around him than on understanding the world itself. In other words the Greeks were more interested in the workings of the mind than in the workings of the environment around them.
The gods and goddesses were thought to control different parts of the universe. For example, Zeus is the king of the gods, controlled weather. Or like Athena who was the goddess of wisdom. You learn about different gods and goddesses in myths. A myth is a story about a god or goddess. Homer, a blind poet, is famous for telling myths. He told myths because no one could read or write.
She couldn’t swim well, so the animals tried to grab land from the bottom of the ocean. Many tried, but all failed except for the Muskrat who drove deep down and brought up earth when it was near dead. The woman put it on the back of the turtle along with some seeds she grabbed before she fell and the Earth was created. Her falling through, leaving her husband behind, and the muskrat’s determination created the world as we know
Greek Mythology are the beliefs and ritual observances of the ancient Greeks, who became the first Western civilization about 2000 BC. It consists mainly of a body of diverse stories and legends about a variety of deities. The Greek myths were often recited aloud, not simply for amusement, but as an essential part of the education of Greek citizens.
Gaia was a earth goddess and controlled the earth and had a son named Uranus , he controlled the sky , Gaia wanted children so bad that she had kids with her son Uranus. The first set of Gaia children were the Hekatonkheires , they were giants who had hundred hands and fifty heads , but Uranus was worried that 1 day her children would over power him , so he had to get rid of them he pushed them back into her whom , Gaia was hurt at the loss of her kids. Gaia then had a second set of children named the Cyclopes , they had a single eye In the middle of their forehead and they were also giants , but then once again Uranus feared they would overpower him , so Uranus trapped them at the bottom of the sea so they won’t get out , Gaia feeling lost
According to the Greek creation myth, the world was nothing but darkness that a bird named Nyx lived inside. Nyx laid a golden egg with the wind, and for a very long time, she sat upon the egg. After a while, the egg hatched and out came Eros, the god of love. The broken pieces became the sky and the earth also known as Uranus and Gala, and Eros made them fall in love. Uranus and Gaia had many children and after a while, their children became scared of their own offsprings power. Kronos, who was Uranus and Gala's son, feared his children so much so that he would eat them while they were infants. Kronos's wife Rhea hid their youngest child and fed Kronos a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes so that he would not know the truth. When Zeus, Kronos
Throughout studying many myths, I came up with many new observations. Many questions came into my mind about these myths. Greek mythology takes us back to a time when people had a connection with nature and when nature played a major role in people’s lives. The religious beliefs of the people who wrote the myths are found in the background of these myths; however, they are not to be read like religious texts. The myths try to offer explanations of “how”, which makes us think deeply about the purpose of these myths and the questions they draw to our minds. According to the myths we studied in class, the world created the gods, not the other way around. The gods were always created in the image of man, which shows how much men were important in their society. Furthermore, many of these Greek myths show us the difference between the views of the Greek then and our view towards many aspects of the society, including nature. Monsters appear in Greek myths and have different representations and roles. Greek mythology reflects a view of the Greeks towards the world and how certain aspects of their lives are similar and different to modern society.