...I am going to talk about the concept of myths and heroes. First of all, I would like to give a definition of this notion. A myth is a fictitious story which narrates the foundations of a given community. These narratives can convey the ideals of this community and create or perpetuate inspiring heroic figures. In this case, the concept of myths and heroes then serves a more profound purpose in our culture than mere fictional stories. To illustrate this, I have chosen to focus my thought on people's successful careers, that is to say people who started from scratch and reach the top of the social ladder. How can myths and heroes influence people's careers ? Aiming at answering this issue, I will exhibit a rags-to-riches life which is a symbol of the American Dream. Then I will show that political heroes could inspire society as well. First and foremost, one cannot deny that society is based on founding myths, a collective identity forged around common landmarks and shared values. As elsewhere, but even more so the myths of “The American Dream” in the United States is a great example. Indeed it promotes the idea that not only is personal fulfillment due to honesty and hard-working but it is based also on God’s will. As a captain of industry and a generous philanthropist , Rockefeller is a case in point. He was a role model who likely fostered the American spirit of competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship. In the same token, we studied the rags-to-riches life of Oprah...
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...way it is. Many cultures have their own myths of gods, heroes and their interactions with humans. Each myth is specific to that culture and from them a lot about how the people lived and their day to day lives. I am going to compare one ancient, non-western myth with one modern, western-made myth. I have chosen to compare the Mesopotamian version of The Epic of Gilgamesh and Walt Disney’s Heracles. Heracles has become a western classic and while it defiantly does not have the same cultural and spiritual effects Gilgamesh’s myth does there are still many similarities between the two myths. Both myths are epic tails of Heroes who go on a journey to become all they can be; fighting Monsters and even gods along the way. Each of these myths is started with a sort of introduction from outside the story, Heracles by the muses and Gilgamesh by narration. The introductions tell of the deeds both heroes would come to do and give some background of why they were so famous. While they are both described as great heroes, the journeys of Gilgamesh and Heracles have some similarities and differences. Both have parts with our heroes valiantly battling monsters, saving cities from monsters and even meeting companions along the way; there are also many differences in their stories, like the type of hero they are, the Nichols 2 repercussions for their transgressions against the gods and their moral values. It is after the introduction that the real myth begins and one finds that they are not...
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...Heroes of Today and Yesterday Invincibility. Extreme strength. Super-speed. Flying. These describe the traits that the characters or “heroes” from yesterday and today are surrounded with. Mankind has used these heroes to describe the plight of man, and detailed their extravagant adventures I oral stories to help their society understand where we came from. Don Williams put it best saying, “Myths are, if you will, dreams created by whole societies -- they are extravagant metaphors for the patterns of our collective yearnings. In every age they take on the character of a search for something extraordinary, something beyond everyday life” (Williams, 1997). These myths were also used in societies way of providing hope, and symbolizing a light when things are at their worst or darkest. No matter the culture, all have created or expanded on a hero in order to make the hero’s plight intertwined with its intended audience. These heroes were used as moral compasses for society’s children in an attempt to get them to act in a way that was good and well behaved according to societal norms. The writers and creators of these heroes would humanize the heroes, giving them issues and problems similar to issues that the average person would handle, but on a much grander scale. Whether they were battling a throng of monsters, or saving a damsel in distress more often than not, these heroes would have to come to terms with their own mortality. As demigods or minor gods, these heroes found...
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...ideas of a myth and mythology. What they created were tales that are now known as myths. “A myth is a story based on tradition” (“Myths and Heroes” PBS.). Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines myth as, “a usually traditional l story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.” (Def.1a). These myths described the values and feelings that bounded members of society. The stories explained,...
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...Mythological and Modern-Day Heroes Paper · Identify a hero from literature or popular culture who embarks upon a mythical quest. · Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that includes the following: o A list of the mythological hero’s characteristics o A description of how that character exemplifies a mythological hero o The purpose of the mythical quest in general APA Style!!! * An epic hero has four distinctive qualities. The first characteristic is that the hero requires a life altering journey, one that can change the way he thinks about someone or something, or that has a substantial impact on him/her physically or emotionally. The next quality is that there must be some form of divine or godly intervention that helps or hinders the hero’s journey. A third quality of the epic hero is a quest, goal or objective that the hero must reach. Nearly all cultures have produced myths about heroes. Some heroes, such as the Greek Achilles, have one mortal and one divine parent. Others are fully human but are blessed with godlike strength or beauty. Many myths about heroes concern significant phases of the hero's career, such as the circumstances of the hero's birth, a journey or quest, and the return home. The birth and infancy of a mythological hero is often exceptional or even miraculous. In the ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean world, the births of many heroes followed similar patterns. Many heroes were often left to die at a ver...
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...there is also a villain or monster, in which case the depression was, since it was what society had to overcome as nation. The image of Superman was used to uplift society and showing what America should represent. Through the readings, heroes and monsters have general characteristics that are seen in people in modern day society. Looking at superheroes seen in comic books or movies, they have very similar qualities from their upbringing to their adversities as a superhero. Through “The Hero: Man Divided against Himself” it reveals the roles of superheroes and how most of them derive from Greek myths. It begins with showing the heroic pattern that heroes tend to follow, for example Superman or Batman came from a royal family, becoming an orphan, overcomes a near death experience and defeats the villain. These are a few of the many patterns heroes follow. The chapter goes on to acknowledge that these characteristics can be seen in. modern day people, like first responders during a tragedy or soldiers fighting on foreign soil. According to The Hero and Society (sub point), “the hero has unique gifts that allow him to excel at protecting human societies from threats to personal, economic, or cultural survival” (231). This expresses that heroes can be seen from many different perspectives to fit the heroic criteria. Furthermore, as well as heroic characteristics, there are monster characteristics that are seen today. In chapter five “The Hero’s Adventure”, Joseph Campbell and...
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...GreekMythology.com has information on all subjects of Greek Mythology, including details on Greek Gods and Greek Goddesses, Greek Myths and Greek Heroes like Achilles and Hercules. It also has full text of Greek Mythology and Literature books. You can freely use all information in this site for term papers, research papers, college essays and homework papers. Click on the links below for further info.GreekMythology.com has information on all subjects of Greek Mythology, including details on Greek Gods and Greek Goddesses, Greek Myths and Greek Heroes like Achilles and Hercules. It also has full text of Greek Mythology and Literature books. You can freely use all information in this site for term papers, research papers, college essays and homework papers. Click on the links below for further info.GreekMythology.com has information on all subjects of Greek Mythology, including details on Greek Gods and Greek Goddesses, Greek Myths and Greek Heroes like Achilles and Hercules. It also has full text of Greek Mythology and Literature books. You can freely use all information in this site for term papers, research papers, college essays and homework papers. Click on the links below for further info.GreekMythology.com has information on all subjects of Greek Mythology, including details on Greek Gods and Greek Goddesses, Greek Myths and Greek Heroes like Achilles and Hercules. It also has full text of Greek Mythology and Literature books. You can freely use all information in this...
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...There are several elements that define a hero. For example, a hero is a product of time and place, but also transcends time and space. This means that the hero is relevant to the place and time in which the story was created, but also has the power to communicate and connect with people of different cultures and backgrounds today. Heroes must have an emotional connection with the reader and teach a moral value that will leave a lasting imprint on the reader. Various stories of heroes, like Beowulf, are very similar and they all have the same basic elements: personal connection, cultural connection, and universal connection. The universality of heroes and myths are demonstrated through different story elements. To the modern reader, heroes...
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...art. Myths and mythological characters have enthused masterpieces of composition, literature, sculpture and architecture. By studying myths, you can study how diverse societies have answered primary questions about the world and the individuals place in it. As individuals, the study of myths shows us how urbanized a meticulous communal system is with the conduct of life. By investigative myths, people can understand the feelings and principles that combine members of society into one group. Comparing the myths of a variety of cultures to determine how they are diverse and how they remind you of one another can also, show understanding on how people behave. For at least 2,000 years, scholars have speculated about how myths began. Some consider myths began as historical events that became unclear with the line of time. Others think myths resulted from an effort to explain natural occurrences that people could not value. Scholars have also urbanized others theories of how myths began. These theories answers all the questions about myths, but each contributes to an understanding of the subject. Today, people have methodical answers theories for many such questions about the world around them, also the usual events in terms of stories about gods, goddesses, and heroes. In the early days each society urbanized its own myths, which played a significant part in the society’s religious life. Most myths are alienated into two groups’ creation myths and explanatory myths. In this...
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...5. A Wonder Book for Girls & Boys: Hawthorne, Nathaniel, and Walter Crane. A Wonder Book for Girls & Boys. New York: Oxford UP, 1996. Print. Nathaniel Hawthorne retells a number of well-known Greek myths specifically for children and captures the fantasy and horror in an intriguing manner. One of the most compelling tales Hawthorne illustrates is Pandora’s Box. The story of Pandora’s intense curiosity leading to the unleashing all of the evils in the world is especially applicable to children. Pandora can’t help herself even when everything and everyone is attempting to convince her otherwise. In the end, the lesson is that curiosity can be dangerous. Children have and will always be curious and explore things they should not. But curiosity comes at a cost. There is a deeper message in the famous tale. There was something else in the box along with the disease and problems; it was Hope. The one thing needed to combat all of the horrors that were released is Hope. The story teaches that no matter how bad things get, there is always something to fight for, and that is a much more important...
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...Filipino’s quest for genuine nationhood History and Partisan Scholarship * discusses the frameworks used by early historians in writing our history * emphasized that since colonial mentality and culture were effective instruments of colonization, a counter-culture for national liberation was necessary in order to blast the myths and distortions of history Definition of History * History is not just a description of the past but an important tool in understanding the present * It helps us to understand how events in the past shaped our society and how mistakes committed in the past will serve as lessons to be used in the future Writings on History I. Early Writings A. Created myths / propagated “colonial consciousness” B. Sources of Distortions: 1. Clerical Scholars a. point of view: religion b. writings based on Christian prejudices 2. American Historians a. focused on education b. posed as altruistic benefactors of the subjugated people 3. Filipino Historians c. tends to idealize and romanticize Pre-Spanish culture and society d. tends to celebrate leaders as heroes II. Partisan Scholarship A....
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...from myths in that they concern human beings rather than gods, and sometimes in that they have some sort of historical basis whereas myths do not; but these distinctions are difficult to maintain consistently Legend vs Myth: Myths are generally referred to as traditional stories occuring in a timeless past. They may involve supernatural elements and are beyond the frontiers of logic. Myths may also give a religious explanation. Myths have their chronology of events and cannot be related to present timelines. They may also be imaginary things. Legends, however, are stories about real people who are famous for doing something brave or extraordinary. Legends may be told upon topics of historical importance. It is not an explanation of something nor a symbolic narrative, they're based on an event. Examples of myths and legends It is a Greek myth that Prometheus stole fire from Zeus, the chief god, and gave it to humans so that they could keep themselves warm. To punish him, Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock where his liver was eaten by an eagle every day but grew again every night. There is nothing to prove it and we do not even have a time frame to show so it is a myth. A common contemporary myth is that a cat crossing the road in front of you brings bad luck. This is a myth as it not based on any solid evidence and is an unproven thing. Stories of heroes like Robin Hood and King Arthur are related to a certian time period and hence they are legends. Proof Myths are often...
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...What is a Myth? Before defining the term "mythology" one needs to define the meaning of the word "myth". The word itself comes from the Greek "mythos" which originally meant "speech" or "discourse" but which later came to mean "fable" or "legend". So the word "myth" is defined as a story of forgotten or vague origin, basically religious or supernatural in nature, which seeks to explain or rationalize one or more aspects of the world or a society. Furthermore, all myths are, at some stage, actually believed to be true by the peoples of the societies that used or originated the myth. The definition is thus clearly distinguished from the use of the word myth in everyday speech which basically refers to any unreal or imaginary story. A myth is also distinctly different from an allegory or parable which is a story deliberately made up to illustrate some moral point but which has never been assumed to be true by anyone. Some myths describe some actual historical event, but have been embellished and refashioned by various story tellers over time so that it is impossible to tell what really happened. In this last aspect myths have a legendary and historical nature. Definitions of Mythology The word mythology has two related meanings. Firstly it refers to a collection of myths that together form a mythological system. Thus one can speak of "Egyptian Mythology", "Indian Mythology", "Maori Mythology" or "Greek Mythology". In this sense one is describing a system of myths which were...
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...“There is an illusion about American, myth about America to which we are clinging to which has nothing to do with the lives we lead.” The great American myths that Negros do not believe in are: that their ancestors were all freedom loving heroes, that they were born in the worlds greatest country, Americans are invincible in battle and wise in peace, that Americans have always dealt honorably with Mexicans and Indians. Negros doesn’t believe these myths because they only discuss one race and that is white America. Between the years 1619 to 1865 my ancestors were not considered freedom loving hero’s, they were classified as nothing human.my ancestors was used as property beaten, whipped, shackled together, and left to die. Freedom-loving...
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...Within the section of the Zuni origin myths called “Talk Concerning the First Beginning,” there is recognizable forms of function, figures, and themes often seen throughout Native American stories. First, the function of the of this piece talks about the formation of societal order and the appropriate behavior for the members of this society. The people start out as creatures in the dark, but as they move up, they start to shed their beastly appearances and behaviors. Once the people arrive at the middle, they represent humans as they were then. Second, there are two cultural heroes on display in the story. The sons of the sun father have been tasked with leading these creatures from the dark places where they began, to the light of their father....
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