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//**This page is a Gallery for any online visuals- images or video that we find useful, interesting and, of course, related to mythology and our explorations in this class. Below, I've provided a sample of the sort of image and caption you might use. To post the photo, I used the File link and uploaded the picture from my desktop. You can also provide a link or use the widget to insert a YouTube video or a Flickr photo stream.**//

**One of my favorite Roman goddesses is Minerva (in Greek mythology she's Athena)- the goddess of wisdom. This statue, by** **Pierre-Charles-Simart, show her in her fierce aspect. She's often shown with her owl avatar, but here, she stands with a serpent.** **Reminds me of other myths relating wisdom and serpents- pretty common with the Greeks, for example. I wonder why?**

I agree, this is an interesting statue. I have always been interested in snakes and serpents related to Greek Mythology. Sometimes they appear as ordinary snakes, but at other times, they take on magical or monstrous forms, serpents. Serpents and snakes have long been associated with good as well as with evil, representing both life and death, creation and destruction. When snakes grow, they shed their skin, revealing a shiny new skin underneath; for this reason snakes have become symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality and healing. Other myths that include Gods/Goddesses and serpents are Medusa, Asclepius, Minoan, Ophioneus, Typhon, Cerberus and many more; what they all have in common to a snake however tho is they had a strength on their body resembling a snake, like a tail or hair, or they fell victim to a snake/ had to battle one. -deLacy Kennedy Source

The combination of symbols that a snake represents is fascinating. There are some cultures that look at the snake as a symbol of regeneration and rebirth. As you mentioned, the shedding of the skin has made the comparison an understandable one. There is also Ourorboros, the image of the snake eating itself. It comes from Greek origins, but other cultures have embraced it as well. The devouring of its own body, and at the same time making a circle, has come to represent regeneration and endless time. The Hydra also follows along with this thinking, since cutting off one head produces two. The snake, however, is usually connected to negative things. The snake in the garden of Eden is the prime example of snakes being evil. Norse mythology also has a dangerous snake. Jormangund joined the fight of Ragnorok and is responsible for Thor’s death. Killing the son of a god shows tremendous power and is something to fear. (Source) --Cate Mahaney

I have seen this painting, by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, many times before and have always thought that there is something elegant and soothing about it, but I never knew anything about the picture other than it is Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty. After doing some more research, I found that the child in the picture is Eros, or Cupid, Aphrodite's son. I liked this because it added love and affection to the artwork, being as she is the goddess of love and cupid represents love as well. -deLacy Kennedy

I Chose to include this picture of a statue of Pandora, by Pierre Loison (1816-1886), because the book I chose for my wiki page project is Pandora Gets Jealous, by Carolyn Hennesy. I wanted to become more familiar with the history in Greek Mythology of Pandora before reading the book. I am not one to advocate woman's rights or anything like that, but I did find it interesting, and a little bit comical, that Pandora was supposed to be the first woman created, by other male gods, but that before her, "worldly evils" did not exist. It took a woman to be curious and open the jar releasing the evils, but not a man. To me this implies that woman are curious creatures and act more on emotions before thinking about consequences that may arise; which in general is true. The story of Pandora makes me think about things like why are their evils in the world? or where/when did they begin? -deLacy Kennedy

One of the more well known gods, is **Poseidon**, God of the Sea. In this statue in Virginia Beach, VA, he is shown with his trademark Trident, and surrounded by some other sea creatures, including an octopus (squid?), fish and turtle. You can see his power evoked through his stance, his furrowed brow, and his grip on the shell of the turtle and trident. It's also interesting to look at his strong abdominal muscles, and thick arms, because the majority of the gods that I have encountered always have a good image! One well-known modern parallel to the mythological god, Poseidon is King Triton, in the Disney movie **//The Little Mermaid//**. He too is a merman, and always has his Trident. I believe that the God, Poseidon is the father of many children, including the ever popular one-eyed Cyclops, who is also pictured. The relationship between Poseidon, and the Cyclops is mentioned in **//The Odyssey//**, by Homer. - Sarah Stanton

I never even thought of the fact that King Trident was part of Greek Mythology. I have seen The Little Mermaid hundreds of times and never realized that it would deal with Poseidon. I think that is so interesting and such a great image for this Wiki. -Kristen Heer

Ok truthfully Hercules is just one of my favorite Disney movies, but I am taking advantage of that fact and using him as my first post on here. In the statue on the left he is shown made of guided bronze and located in the Vatican Museums in Rome (I actually saw this sculpture in person when I was in Italy this past May and have made a bronze sculpture on my own.) When the statue was originally found it was located near the theater of Pompeii. Hercules is actually a demi-god because he is the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. He was, however, still a hero for overcoming his restrictions of being half human and saving many peoples lives. -Alyssa Velk

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Very much worth watching! Since I was so very unfamiliar with anything about Mythology or Gods, or even anything having to do with it. I started small, I researched and tried to find anything to grab my attention. I stumbled upon this video, that gave a great in-a-nut-shell type of description of all the Gods, while being both interesting and thorough. It was a great starting point, and the narrators descriptions touch on a lot of the points that can be translated or linked to some of the factors the theorists we've listened to thus far have had to say. In the middle of the video the narrator says "it is a fine line between blessing and ruin..." I could watch this over and over and pick apart different parts that apply to children's stories/fables i've read through out school and I believe this would benefit anyone else in the class who may not be familiar with, or could use explaining in a storylike way. --Lauren Mescall

**"Diana (Artemis) and Actaeon" Painting of 1617 by Francesco Albani** The goddess Artemis wasn't afraid of being rugged and tough. She had a decent mean streak in her but also the respect of many of the woman she protected. Her respect wasn't just automatically given to her but she earned it by being a "self-made goddess." I can identify with her since I've always been a tomboy and have worked hard to achieve certain things and be recognized in a certain light. She didn't put up with any crap. At times she may have gone too far in her punishments (like turning Actaeon into a deer for accidentally walking in on her bathing cave as shown above,) but she had standards and rules that she never strayed from. Gotta give the goddess credit. (Source) **-Andi Matecki**

Going along with Alyssa Velk's post on Hercules, I am also a fan of that movie, but there was always something I liked about the Hades character. Hades, God of the underworld, and in Greek mythology Hades is the oldest male child of Cronus and Rhea. As soon as he was born he was swallowed by Cronus, along with his brothers. Eventually, he and his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, defeated the Titan Cronus and claimed ruler ship over the cosmos, ruling the underworld, air, and sea. They split the three areas up between themselves and thats how we know them; Hades=underworld, Zeus=sky and Poseidon=sea. This statue of Hades, can be found in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, located in Crete. A symbol of Hades is Cerberus, the three-headed dog. The dog's job is to guard the gates of the underworld. The dog can be found in many literature aspects such as Virgil's Aeneid and Homer's Iliad. -deLacy Kennedy Hades Cerberus

Dull video, but informative! I would look for one of these videos for each time I need to know about a god/goddess media type="youtube" key="SxhnJbqZx2A" height="315" width="420" align="center"

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I think that this is such a good post because I love to learn about the myths of the Gods. One of my favorite myths is about Cronus and how he eats his children. The links were also very informative! -Kristen Heer

Hephaestus is one of Hera and Zeus's sons. He is different from all the over gods because unlike the others, Hephaestus is physically ugly while all the other gods are "perfect" human specimen. He is the god of fire and forge, and he is kind, and peace loving. His wife, ironically, is Aphrodite- goddess of love, desire and beauty. "Many scholars believe Aphrodite's worship came to Greece from the East, and many of her characteristics must be considered Semitic. Homer called her “Cyprian” after the island chiefly famed for her worship and in Book 8 of the //Odyssey,// Aphrodite was mismatched with Hephaestus, the lame smith god, and she consequently spent her time philandering with the handsome god of war, Ares. This whole dramatic scene of the couple reminds me of sitcoms on TV today. It seems that in almost every show theres a pretty, thin wife who is married to a fat, annoying, lazy man. Even though Hephaestus was not claimed to be annoying, I feel like the general idea for these shows, like The King of Queens, 8 Simple Rules and According to Jim, came from the Greek mythology stories in one way or another. (Source)  -deLacy Kennedy

While researching the different stages of the monomyth, I came across this resource.

The site also includes the female version of the hero's journey:

This is the site where I found the previous two cycles. The articles and entries included on this site are perfect for what we are currently studying. Hope everyone finds something interesting here.

Last year, the film //Thor// was released. The film is based on a graphic novel series which is based on Norse mythology. The character of Thor (as depicted in statue form from Fogelberg and in the film) is the son of Odin and Jord. He is the god of thunder. He is depicted as a strong and powerful man, and historically was described as having eyes of lightning. It is interesting because another famous god, Zeus, has power through the use of lightning. The Norse believe that thunderstorms are caused by Thor riding his chariot through the heavens. He has become more popular than Odin because he does not require human sacrifices (Source).

There are other similarities to Zeus. Like Zeus, Thor is the son of a powerful god (or Titan in Zeus’ case). Both gods have come to eclipse their fathers in popularity through the years. They are both known because of their power/strength. Zeus has his lightning bolts, but Thor has Mjölner.

Mjölner is one of the most popular symbols in Norse mythology. The picture on the left is a replica of the Mjölner used in the film. The image on the right is the pictorial representation of Mjölner. The power of the hammer came from the legend that it would never miss a target and would always return to Thor’s hand. Thus, making Thor an extremely power and efficient killer and god.

(Source)

--Cate Mahaney



(Source) The Goddess Athena is the daughter of Zeus and Metis and is the half-mother of Erichthonius. She is a virgin goddess and was raped by Hephaestus, but her only true lover was Odysseus. Athena is an immortal goddess and is known as the Goddess of Wisdom who helped the Greeks defeat the Persians by teaching them wisdom and craft. In gratitude of her assistance the Greeks built her the Parthenon. Goddess Athena has they ability to transform her shape and is most famous for her artistic guise. Goddess Athena is a powerful, positive role model for adolescent females and if she had been in our society today she could be an icon for overcoming of obstacles and rising after the loss of love. -Katlyn Swanson

I love goddess's that are good role models for adolescent females. I have noticed too that most women deities are related to craft of some sort. The goddess IxChel was a well known weaver. It also represented how women were connected between a web of sisterhood. Ix-Chel as well overcame multiple obstacles and lost her lover due to his negative tendencies after marraige. -Kelsey Polhemus

Speaking of Athena's parents. Her father Zeus is arguably one of the most well-known Olympian gods. He is the god of sky and thunder. In many cases, he is referred to as the king of gods and ruler of the universe. Zeus is often associated with the thunderbolt. He depicts the hero and leader archetype. (Source) -Amanda Guenther





I think that it is fascinating that the Greek gods and goddesses were such an important part of the ancient Greeks that pieces of their history still exist and are well known. The Parthenon for example, in Athens, Greece, is a temple that was built in 447 BC to honor Athena. The temple is said to be the most important surviving building from a time when Greece was in the height of its power; this classical period had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire and influenced the foundation of Western civilizations to this day! Its decorative sculptures were an impressive component in Greek art. The most famous buildings in Greece are the temples made of stone or marble, these temples were built strictly as religious places. The Parthenon was not a religious symbol, only to honor a goddess. -deLacy Kennedy

This is a replica of what the temple of Zeus, the mighty God, once looked like and also what remains today (15 pillars left out of 104). I cannot get over how incredibly elaborate and massive these temples to the gods were! It was built in 470 BC by the Eleans from the spoils of the Triphylian war and dedicated to Zeus. Not only were these massive temples elaborate, but they were each sculpted down to individualize the temples to the gods so no other gods could claim them. Zeus's has lions heads and on the East wall depicts one of the most commonly known pastimes of the Olympic games: the chariot races. The scene illustrated on the pediment outlined the competitors’ pre-race preparations before the contest began, at the center of the pediment, stood Zeus who was the judge of the race and all human actions. (Source) - deLacy Kennedy

For some reason, I posted some photos in here earlier and they were deleted somehow. So I am posting them again. I came across this while researching the monomyth and the hero's journey online. I liked this particular photo because it goes more into depth about the hero's journey. -Kristan B.

Also, I found this site useful as well because it shows the origins of the gods. I know that when I'm reading mythology with a lot of detailed lineage it helps for me to have a visual to keep everybody straight. I posted the link as well because it has a lot of interesting information about the gods as well as their origins. (Source) -Kristan B.

__ Atlanta __ I wanted to look into goddesses of Greek mythology that I hadn't necessarily heard of. I found a very interesting Atlanta. She was born an unwanted daughter to her father (possibly King Iasus)who then left her to die in the forest. She was raised by a bear, and became a fearless and ferocious, great at hunting and found no use for men in her life. She won over her fathers favor after proving she was just as good as a son when she was the first to draw blood during the Calydonian Boar Hunt and also beating Peleus in a wrestling match. She was allowed to return home and her father thought it only right to find her a respectable husband. Not wanting to refuse his new found acceptance she agree only if the suitor could beat her in a foot race. She was one of the fastest known mortal and knew it would be near impossible to beat her. She also would behead each man who tried and failed. Melanion fell in love with her and asked the goddess Aphrodite for help. She gave him three magic golden apples to drop during the race and distract Atlanta so he could win. His only returning favor was to sacrifice for Aphrodite after winning Atlanta's hand. The apples succeed in distracting Atlanta during the race and Melanion won. He then forgot to sacrifice for Aphrodite and when the new couple was passing a shrine to a god (possibly Zeus) Aphrodite became enraged and turned them both into lions. The Greeks believed lions could only mate with leopards. (Source)

Atlanta and Melanion in the foot race for her hand in marriage. He wins by throwing the magical golden apples to distract her.

I really liked that I found this picture depicting the race. But I also liked another very different photo I found of Atalanta which is more modern but shows hers strength and ferocity. -Brittany Krise

**__Eros and Psyche__**

These pictures are of two different statues depicting the myth of Eros (Cupid) and Psyche. The statue on the left is in the Louvre in Paris, and the one on the right is in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. The myth tells the story of Psyche, a beautiful mortal girl. Aphrodite is jealous, so she tells her son Eros to shoot Psyche with one of his magical arrows and cause her to fall in love with something horrible. But he accidentally scratches himself with an arrow while trying to do the job and falls in love with her. Aphrodite becomes furious and curses Psyche with never finding a husband. Eros refuses to shoot anymore arrows while Psyche is cursed, stopping love and thus mating. The Earth starts to become old until Aphrodite agrees to give Eros Psyche if he will continue his work immediately. The myth goes on from there, ultimately resulting in Eros and Psyche getting married and having a child, Hedone, the goddess of "sensual pleasures." I like these statues because the one of the left portrays Eros as an immortal being with wings, whereas in the right image the two look like equals. The myth is interesting to learn about. -Gretchen Roesch



This is a painting, by George Frederic Watts, of one of the most well known Greek myths; Orpheus and Eurydice. The myth is about love and passion, but also about weakness of the human spirit. Orpheus was the son of Apollo. Apollo gave Orpheus a lyre which Orpheus quickly learned to play the most beautiful music on. Orpheus met Eurydice and they soon fell in love. The god of marriage, Hymen, predicted that they would not always be happily married. This prediction soon came true. Eurydice was wandering in the forest one day when a Shepard saw her and was entranced by her beauty. Eurydice was afraid and began to run from the Shepard, while running she tripped and fell and was bitten by a poisonous snake and died instantly. Everyone was touched by Orpheus's grief and sadness that he expressed through his music on the lyre. Apollo suggested that Orpheus travel to the underworld to see if Hades would allow him to have his wife back. When he got there Orpheus began playing his lyre for Hades and his wife Persephone; they were both so touched that Hades agreed Eurydice could leave the underworld with Orpheus, under one condition: Eurydice would follow Orpheus while walking out to the light from the Underworld, but he should not look at her before coming out to the light because he would lose her forever. While walking Orpheus was listening for Eurydice’s steps, but he could not hear anything and he started believing that Hades had fooled him. Eurydice however was behind him but she was a shadow until they reached the light if Orpheus could keep his promise. Right before they reached the light Orpheus turned around only to see his wife whisked away forever. Orpheus began playing his lyre wishing for death so he could be united with Eurydice. He did die but the muses decided to keep his head among the living forever so all could forever hear his beautiful music. So he was never fully reunited with Eurydice. I like this story a lot, but it is sad too. It says a lot about trusting others and the general lack of faith people have in other people today. Many operas, songs and plays have been created in memory and honor of these lovers. Today, being Valentine's day, perhaps their spirits are a bit more impacting upon us. -deLacy Kennedy

The picture on the is a picture of the nymph **Echo**, and a boy **Narcissus** at a spring. The picture on the right shows **Hera** and **Zeus**. Echo is a nymph who betrayed **Hera**, the wife of Zues, when she would distract her under the request of Zeus, while he would go off and have affairs. Echo gets her name from her punishment. When Hera found out what she had done, she punished her by taking away her voice, and she could now only repeat or "echo" what she hears others say. On the right is Narcissus, who on the other hand, was a vain child and adult, and was punished with never being able to love anyone but himself. Interestingly enough the link below mentions he broke many hearts, male and female. Here is a link that provides the Myth in better detail: [|The Myth of Narcissus and Echo] - Sarah Stanton

I couldn't resist posting this. It's funny because they are mocking Disney stories, but all of these stories do fit into the monomyth cycle! It is very brief interpretations of what happened in these stories, but if you know the stories, you can fill in the details of the cycle. - deLacy Kennedy

(Source) Hera is considered to be the first of the Greek Goddesses. As Zeus's wife, she obviously has spent her share of time in the limelight over the centuries. Her name means "Lady" in Greek. From what I've read of Hera, she is known for being the protector of marriage. The link I posted above has a lot of information about Hera that I didn't know before (such as, she wasn't Zeus's first wife!) -Kristan B.

Stepping outside of the box (I hope that is ok) I'm going to talk about a hero that is not from Greek mythology, but more from a biblical sense. Also I just really love the bronze statue of him done by Donatello (who is now one of my heroes) which I saw in Italy this past summer and did a paper and presentation on.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Aresherc.png [|David] is his name, and he is the one who conquered Goliath.

This depiction, as I previously stated, was created by the sculptor Donatello. It was made as a gift for the Medici's (a prominent family in Italian history and culture). The statue is quite small in real life, 158 cm tall, but it is so impressive.

Any who, here is a link to the story of David and Goliath if you don't already know it. -Alyssa Velk



**"Earth be my witness in this, a****n****d** **the wide heaven above us, and the dripping water of the Styx, which oath is the biggest and most formidable oat among the blessed immortals, that this is no other painful trial I am planning against you."** This is a quote by Kalypso in //The// //Odyssey//. One of the main themes of the epic is honor for both men and women. Here, Kalypso is talking about how honorable Odysseus is that he is willing to trust her solely on what she is saying without any real proof or knowledge of the truth. It is showing the readers how important honor is. **"Three times and four times happy those Danaans were who died then in wide Troy land, bringing favor to the sons of Atreus, as I wish I too had died at that time and met my destiny on the day when the greatest number of Trojans threw their bronze-headed weapons upon me, over the body of perished Achilleus, and I would have had my rites and the Achaians given me glory. Now it is by a dismal death that I must be taken."** This is a quote also a quote about honor from //The Odyssey// said by Odysseus. He wishes that he could have had more honor by dying in the battlefields of Troy, fighting alongside his men for his king. It takes a hero to look back and say I wish I had died there for what I believe. He now thinks he is fated to die ingloriously at sea, be denied a decent burial, and have his reputable name forgotten because he did not die at the most honorable time. His journey was not over, he will realize this later on. For Women in //The Odyssey//, honor and loyalty go hand in hand. Penelope is a good example of this womanly honor. There is a part in the story when her husband, Odysseus, is away and Penelope refuses to show herself to a room full of men alone and unattended by her maidens. She is showing loyalty to her husband and not taking any chances to be unloyal or inappropriate. At a different time, she says **"Human beings live for only a short time, and when a man is harsh himself, and his mind knows harsh thoughts, all men pray that sufferings will befall him hereafter while he lives; and when he is dead all men make fun of him. But when a man is blameless himself, and his thoughts are blameless, the friends he has entertained carry his fame widely to all mankind, and many are they who call him excellent."** She has recognized the value of honor and reputation. The words in this quote are also a very important reason why she is so adamant about being loyal to Odysseus, even though she did not become his wife by choice. She knows what her role is and how to keep it up and be true to her husband. -deLacy Kennedy

We have put a lot of emphasis on the modern day hero, or myth and I found some images that can contrast the two pretty well. The comparisons are pretty stark and if nothing else are pretty cool images.

Both of these pictures depict the Greek god of war, Ares. The picture on the right is the more conventional depiction of Ares while the picture on the left is from Marvel comics. Marvel did come out with a character named Ares, and yes he is the God of War in the comic books. We can see how the representation of him has changed drastically throughout the years, making him more modernized.

With the movie that just came out I don't think this man need any introduction but for those that do not know, these are both pictures of the Norse God Thor. The differences in these two representations are not quite as stark as they were with Ares but we can definitely tell that the latter picture is modernized while the first is more conventional. It is interesting to see how media is able to make these ancient Gods relevant to us today. -Luke Hider

It is interesting that the Greek/Roman gods and goddesses don’t follow the gender stereotypes. There are strong, macho men, like Zeus/Jove and Poseidon/Neptune, but Athena/Minerva and Artemis/Diana are more physical, active beings. Athena was born in “full armor.” She was the “first to tame the horse.” Artemis/Diana is the goddess of wild things and is depicted as a hunter.

**__Zeus/Jove__ __Poseidon/Neptune__**



**__Athena/Minerva__ __Artemis/Diana__** [|(Source One)]

[|(Source Two)]

[|(Source Three)]

[|(Source Four)]

On the other side, there are Apollo and Hermes/Mercury. Apollo is a musician and healer. He is the “god of light” and “likes the laurel tree, dolphins.” Hermes is known for his speed and is usually depicted very gracefully, something we could expect from a feminine being. ** __Apollo__ __ Hermes /Mercury__**

[|(Source One)]

[|(Source Two)]

For lesser gods, there is a god of love (Eros/Cupid), not a goddess. Victory, however, is covered by Nike/Victoria, goddesses. **__Eros/Cupid__** __**Nike/Victoria**__ [|(Source One)] [|(Source Two)]

It is refreshing to know that gods/goddesses weren’t the typical archetype. It is sometimes hard to tell whether a god is male or female from the images. For a woman, it is nice to know we aren’t just the goddess of the home and love. ([|Source Three]) --Cate Mahaney



In some myths, Prometheus was the creator of man from clay and water. In others, he fostered numerous men to possible raise up against Zeus. What he's best known for, however, is stealing fire stole fire from the gods and delivered it to men secretly in a stalk of fennel in order for them to have light and warmth. As you can imagine, Zeus was furious so he requested that the goddess Pandora be created and sent down to earth with her jar ("Pandora's Box") to release evils to the world. The punishment for Prometheus was bound to Mount Kaukasos and every year an eagle comes and eats his liver. His liver continued to grow back every year so he'd face the same torture over and over again. Herakles eventually came to his aid and freed him. The picture above represents the eagle eating his liver (in some myths his heart was eaten.) The title of it is "Prometheus bound" created with the materials Laconian black-figure amphoriskos. It's dated back to C6th B.C., and can be found at the Vatican City Museums. **__Andi Matecki** [|(Source)]





One goddess that I don't think has been mentioned yet is Demeter. She is a motherly figure, mostly known for her daughter Persephone who was abducted. Demeter is the goddess of the harvest or agriculture. When her daughter was taken, she stopped the growth of everything. Some also associate her with life and death, or the seasons. In images of her, she is often depicted with wheat or grain and a torch. She is also known by the name of Ceres. Demeter is recognized as a more "mature" goddess or a motherly figure. She was also in charge of a mystery cult that promised a blessed afterlife. (Information taken from about.com and wikipedia) -Kelsey Polhemus



**Narcissus, wall painting; from the House of Lucretius Fronto, Pompeii, Italy, //ad// 14–62**Narcissus was known for his beauty and was prophesized to live a long life as long as he never saw himself. There are different versions of how he ended up coming across his reflection, but the version I like the most is the one where he harshly rejects a nymph, Echo, who is madly in love with him. As punishment, the gods made him come across a spring and when he peered down into the water he fell in love with his image. He became so entranced with his reflection that he never left that spot and waned away to nothing. The Narcissus flower grew where he died and the term "narcissism" come from this myth, as well. **_Andi Matecki** [|(Source)]



This is the painting of "The death of Procrida," by Piero Di Cosimo in 1495. It is currently being held in the National Gallery in London, England. The importance of this painting is a satyr kneeling beside Procrida, who has been killed by her jealous husband, Cephalus. The painting is supposed to have been inspired by the stories created by the poet Ovid. I choose to post this painting because in just about every Greek mythology story I have read, there are gods and goddesses but also Nymphs and satyr's. Satyr's were male companions of Pan and Dionysus who roamed the woods and mountains. Nymphs were female nature deities associated with a particular location or landforms. Different from gods, nymphs were generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young maidens who love to dance and sing. Nymphs were often frequent target of satyrs. They were frequently associated with the superior divinities: the huntress Artemis; the prophetic Apollo; the god of wine, Dionysus; and rustic gods such as Pan and Hermes. -deLacy Kennedy



"The Creation of the Galaxy," by Giacopo Tintorreto in 1580. This painting is being kept in the National Gallery in London, England. The importance of the painting is in an attempt to trigger motherly instincts on Hera, Zeus enlisted the aid of Athena to trick Hera into suckling the infant. Athena found the infant outside the walls of Thebes, where Alcmene had abandoned him in fear of Hera's jealousy. Athena showed the child to Hera and urged the goddess to take pity on the neglected infant. Without thinking, Hera bared her breast to the baby, but he sucked with such force that she tore him from her breast. The milk that spurted from the breast across the sky created what we know today as the Milky Way in the Solar system. I like this story because it explains something real and something that so little is known about. The science aspect is more believable than milk from a Goddesses breast, but to some it could be an explanation. -deLacy Kennedy

The first picture that I uploaded is the goddess Athena. The second picture I uploaded is the goddess Medusa. These two goddesses are sisters and are called Gorgons. They are the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. I thought the story of why Medusa had snake for hair was so interesting. Medusa lived in a place where there was no sun and she asked her sister Athena to go to a place in which there was sun and when Athena said no, Medusa said it was because Athena was jealous of her. So from that day on, Athena turn Medusa's hair into snakes and put the curse on her in which anyone that looked into Medusa's eyes, would turn to stone. -Kristen Heer



I had to upload this pictures because this is one of my favorite Disney movies. I think the story of Hercules is perfect for this class because there are so many different myths about Hercules and in this Disney movie, he is the greatest hero and of course, he gets the girl in the end. -Kristen Heer

Gallery- This is a video from Toon Disney with The Lord of the Dead, Medusa, and Aphrodite. There were so many different cartoons like this from the Disney movie, Hercules. These cartoons would be a great way to start teaching mythology in the younger grades. -Kristen Heer

This website used charts to provide a compare, contrast of Roman and Greek Mythology. It allowed the user to read the descriptions of the characters purpose and job in the universe. After a quick glance of the website I learned that many of the Roman characters share the same names as the planets we know to exist today. It made me interested to know about this topic and this site would be a great resource to use because it is easy to navigate and understand. Below I have included some of the charts that were provided on this great website. --Katlyn Swanson


 * ~ Greek ||~ Roman ||~ Description ||
 * < **Zeus** ||< **Jupiter** ||< Lord of the sky and supreme ruler of the gods. Known for throwing lightening bolts. ||
 * < **Poseidon** ||< **Neptune** ||< Ruler of the sea. Brother of Zeus. Carried a three-pronged spear known as a trident. ||
 * < **Hades** ||< **Pluto** ||< Ruler of the underworld and the dead. Brother of Zeus. Had a helmet which rendered its wearer invisible. ||
 * < **Hestia** ||< **Vesta** ||< A virgin goddess and sister of Zeus. No distinct personality or part in myths. Goddess of the Hearth, the symbol of the home. ||
 * < **Hera** ||< **Juno** ||< Zeus's wife and sister. Protector of marriage, spent most of her time punishing the many women Zeus fell in love with. Likes cows and peacocks. ||
 * < **Ares** ||< **Mars** ||< God of war and son of Zeus and Hera. Likes vultures and dogs. ||
 * < **Athena** ||< **Minerva** ||< Daughter of Zeus alone. No mother.(?) She sprang from his head full-grown and in full armor. The protector of civilized life, handicrafts, and agriculture. Invented the bridle, and first to tame the horse. Likes Athens, olives, and owls. ||
 * < **Apollo** ||< **Apollo** ||< Son of Zeus. Master musician, archer god, healer, god of light, god of truth, __ [|sun god] __. A busy god who likes the laurel tree, dolphins, and crows. ||
 * < **Aphrodite** ||< **Venus** ||< Daughter of Zeus. __ [|Goddess of Love] __ and Beauty. Likes the myrtle tree, doves, sparrows, and swans. ||
 * < **Hermes** ||< **Mercury** ||< Son of Zeus. Wore wings on his sandals and his hat, thus was graceful and swift. ||
 * < **Artemis** ||< **Diana** ||< Apollo's twin sister and daughter of Zeus. Lady of wild things and huntsman to the gods. As Apollo is the Sun, Artemis is the moon. ||
 * < **Hephaestus** ||< **Vulcan** ||< Son of Hera, God of Fire. The only ugly and deformed god. Makes armor and weapons forged under volcanoes. ||

Other Gods
 * ~ Greek ||~ Roman ||~ Description ||
 * < **Gaea** ||< **Terra** ||< Mother __ [|Earth] __. ||
 * < **Asclepius** ||< **Aesculapius** ||< God of medicine. ||
 * < **Cronus** ||< **Saturn** ||< God of the sky; Ruler of the Titans (Roman mythology: God of agriculture) ||
 * < **Demeter** ||< **Ceres** ||< Goddess of grain. ||
 * < **Dionysus** ||< **Bacchus** ||< God of wine and vegetation. ||
 * < **Eros** ||< **Cupid** ||< God of love. ||
 * < **Hypnos** ||< **Somnus** ||< God of sleep. ||
 * < **Rhea** ||< **Ops** ||< Wife of Cronus/Saturn. Mother Goddess. ||
 * < **Uranus** ||< **Uranus** ||< God of the sky. Father of the Titans. ||
 * < **Nike** ||< **Victoria** ||< Goddess of Victory. ||

[|(Source)]: This picture shows how the Gods and Goddess of Greek Mythology interconnect to each other. The complex and complicated photo describes all the characters roles in the heavens. It even includes the characters from the well known mythological books, __The Odyssey__ and __The Iliad.__ Due to this picture being so robust, click on the above link to the original website to get the full image, it is very informative and helpful. --Katlyn Swanson



[|(Source)] The character that I have been researching and the main character of the novel I choose for my personal wiki page is Athena the Warrior Goddess of Wisdom. Athena wears an aegis that was given to her by her father Zeus, after she became an Olympian once she defeated Poptropica the daughter of Poseidon. Athena did not think the aegis was quite finished or suited her until Medusa's head was placed on top. As you can see from the photo above that the snake locks of Medusa's hair are included in the aegis, this was Athena's own touch to her wardrobe. To find this picture go to the website above. --Katlyn Swanson

King Arthur Though it may not fit the stereotypical myth, the story of King Arthur and Camelot are traditional stories that were told long ago and have been retold today much like a myth. In many of the tellings of the story we get to see the chivalric values of the middle ages and how to up hold them, even the more modern tellings. -Joe Ho

I used Mayan mythology to write my own myth, here are the main deities from Mayan mythology. Ixchel was the main character of my story and she is awesome. She ended up leaving her husband because he was jealous and abusive. Now she lives in the night sky (avoiding the sun god during the day) and she helps women who praise her. Because she is associated with the moon, she is also the goddess of fertility. The deities can have different spellings of their names because Mayan tribes span many countries and languages. And as you can tell from the chart, the Mayan had a strong relationships with nature. Maize (aka corn) was really important to their culture because it is said in their creation story that man was created three times. The first time he was made out of wood, then clay, and then maize. Only the man made from maize survived, hence why is is so important in their culture. -Kelsey Polhemus

I was in a yoga class today and on my way to relaxation I was thinking about homework I had to do later and it hit me...many yoga poses we do in class resemble poses Greek Gods and goddesses are holding in statues or pictures. These first two pictures show the warrior 1 pose in yoga and a statue of Zeus doing almost the same pose. Warrior 1 pose is used to strengthen leg muscle and muscle definition. Greek Gods are just about always portrayed with defined muscles, a lot in the legs. The next two pictures shows extended triangle pose and a sculpture of a discus thrower. The discus thrower is a general athlete and not a God, but this was a very popular sport back then so the pose was well known. The benefits of this pose are to strengthen the legs, stretches the groins, hamstrings, hips, and opens the chest and shoulders. This would be a good stretch and pose for an athlete because all of these body parts would go into how far one could throw a discus. I think it is really interesting how poses we use today were sculpted back so many years ago! There are many more examples,for one, Aphrodite is always pictured using gentle and light touches, which are encouraged in yoga for that serenity aspect. -deLacy Kennedy

On the Hero Comparison Chart Brittany added some pictures about symbols of the Greeks used today and I found some more to add: astrological figures happy and sad theatre faces  Honda Odyssey  Olympic Torch of Prometheus  The flag of Barbados is Poseidon's trident  Fraternities and Sororities use the Greek alphabet and it is called "Greek Life   **-deLac****y Kennedy**

It's really interesting how Greek mythology has transferred into our own culture. I've also noticed too that our language is based a lot off of Greek as my friend taught me some Greek phrases (she grew up in Greece). In America we are made with a ton of different culture, many of which are represented in symbols or items we see in everyday life as deLacy has pointed out. It would be an interesting lesson for students to bring in such pictures that represent their own culture and create a writing assignment around such. -Kelsey Polhemus

Here's an easy chart to assess the differences between the Greek and Roman mythological names:= -Kelsey Polhemus

Since we have just finished the first and second part of Watership Down, I wanted to include some real pictures of the area. The beginning of the novel informs us that Adams bases the geography off of Watership Down but that the people are fictional. It truly is beautiful... -Kelsey Polhemus

Another idea came up in the discussion board, what age group is Watership Down intended for? I have heard there is a movie based off of the book and while searching for actual photos, I came across some funny, and disturbing images from the movie.

I actually laughed out loud at the second image. It's true though, I really can't see small children watching this movie, the bunnies are so scary! Although I can't say too much because I haven't seen the movie. -Kelsey Polhemus



These are all of the covers of **//Watership Down//** that I could find online. I personally found the third version in stores. Since this page focuses on graphics, I figured it might be interesting to look at the different covers of the book that are out there. What do you think of the covers? Which do you think represents the book the most closely? - Sarah Stanton

I think the third cover represents the book the best because there are several layers of land which symbolizes the different warrens they start and pass through. The rabbit is small and insignificant compared to the land, showing it's vulnerability. The rabbits life is dependent on the land and they must find a safe place to establish their warren, hence why they leave their home warren. The gate the rabbit is at is open signifying a new journey for the rabbit. -Kelsey Polhemus

Here are a few more covers I found. A couple are of the movie adaptations, but I still found them interesting to compare.

Also this quote on the third cover I've shown here: "A timeless and powerful parable about society and it's relation to the natural world." I thought that this quote summed up the book very well. -Alyssa Velk



[|The Hunger Games Trailer]I know that everyone has been talking about The Hunger Games lately and I felt like I just had to add it to our gallery because Katniss is a heroine in this movie and in the book series. I don't want to give away any information about the book or the movie because I know it is very popular and everyone is trying to read the books or go see the movie. Katniss, (shown above), was called to adventure when her sister was picked to play in the hunger games which is a deathly battle in which 24 children are picked to fight for their lives and only one survives. Knowing that her sister would never make it out alive, she chose to play instead of her sister. Katniss is instantly a heroine in this situation because she is putting her life on the line for someone else. As I stated before, I do not want to give away the ending but Katniss plays a perfect role as a heroine throughout the entire movie. -Kristen Heer

I just recently finished reading the first book of The Hunger Games and I see why everyone has been drawn to the series. I can really see the book appealing to all ages and especially to females since Katniss is an awesome heroine. When I was teaching over winter break my middle and high school students were obsessed with the book. And as Kristen mentions, everyone in college is trying to get their hands on the series as well. I think what makes this series special is that is accessible to everyone. The book is simply written and the art of the book lies in the story line and the characters. I think Katniss can relate to a lot of students specifically because all of the characters are their age. They are driven to a mission involuntarily and forced to fight for their life. Adolescents find themselves questioning this world that the author presents, what if we were forced to fight? The book makes a lot of observations about our society as well. I would love to teach this book to a classroom if I were given the opportunity. I have heard of middle schools teaching the book and I've even heard of some schools taking their students to see the movie. I have yet to see the movie and as an avid reader, I am apprehensive on the idea. After reading the Lightning Thief I watched the movie and was extremely disappointed. The only similarities really were the fact that the lightning needed to be returned to its rightful owner. That was the first book/movie combination I have done and it wasn't the best experience. Any ideas on seeing the movie? -Kelsey Polhemus



Above is a map showing a visual representation of Odysseus's travels. Although this is just one persons interpretation, a map like this can be a very useful resource for students in a classroom while reading along to The Odyssey. It would be a great reference or bookmark to have while reading. Also, there are a few characters from Greek Mythology represented including Athena, Poseidon, Cyclops, and the Sirens. - Sarah Stanton

I think this would be a good supplement for students if they were reading the Odyssey since the land is very unfamiliar to them. I wouldnt want to take the time out of the class to have students create a map because I don't think location is the most important aspect to focus on in the novel. But a visual aid can definitely help students follow along better in a book, especially a complicated text like the Odyseey. -Kelsey Polhemus

This is a photo of George Clooney, who acted the part parallel to Odysseus in "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" (a fairly recent film that takes its major events from the story of //The Odyssey//). In //The Odyssey//, Athena is frequently altering Odysseus' image depending on what situation he is in, and in this film, Clooney's character also has frequent image changes. Throughout the film he is constantly looking for hair polish to fix his hair, so this is comparable to the way Athena makes Odysseus appear stronger, shinier and larger in order to give him an extra advantage. This top picture shows a time where George Clooney's character looks very dirty, while the image to the left shows a more clean cut character. The picture to the left parallels to the end of //The Odyssey//, when Athena turns Odysseus into a beggar. - Sarah Stanton

-Amanda Guenther
 * Egyptian Mythology**

I currently just finished reading The Alchemyst and the entire novel revolves around the acquisition of what they call the Codex. When I looked into more about Codex online I learned that they were orginally developed by the Romans. In the end, it was the next step in recording the written language after the scroll. Some believe that is was the most important development up until printing was invented. The Christian Bible gave a big rise to the Codex since it was just a largely distributed book. The codex was more reliable than the scroll because it had a hard cover (similar to that of hard-copy books). Technically all books today are considered codex but they have adopted the name of manuscript. Here are some pictures of the ancient texts...



These pictures show a progression of the Codex in theory. In the first the pages are thicker wood pages while the last one has colored ink on the pages. -Kelsey Polhemus

In //Odd and the Frost Giants// the enemy of Thor (as well as Odin and Loki) are the frost giants who overtook Asgard. Even though Thor has many enemies (mostly made up of giants) his arch enemy is Jormungand (Midgard Serpent or World Serpent): a serpent so big that it encircles the world and is able to bite its own tail. [|Source] _Andi Matecki

Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent Brooch, 7th century AD Thjodminjasafin, Reykjavik



Mythology in marketing? The famous Starbucks trademark is based on a siren. In Greek mythology, the Sirens are creatures with the head of a female and the body of a bird. Later in history, Sirens appeared as half female and half fish. They lived on an island (Sirenum scopuli; three small rocky islands) and “with the irresistible charm of their song they lured mariners to their destruction. The Starbuck’s Siren is drawn as half female and half fish because she represents the company’s hometown, the coast of Seattle, Washington. Starbucks uses the siren has a metaphor to lure customers to Starbucks doors to purchase coffee. [|Source] -Amanda Guenther

**Mythology in marketing?**



-Amanda Guenther
 * Nike-**Nike is the largest sports and fitness company in the world. So, what is the meaning behind swoosh logo? The swoosh is a representation of the wings worn by the goddess Nike. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory. Often in Greek art, Nike is shown flying down with a torch and a wreath to bestow victory on an Athlete.

Indian god and goddesses...

-Kelsey Polhemus

Hey everyone! I just found this awesome set of videos on youtube describing all the legend behind each of the Greek Gods. I am only posting the first video of four and they are all about 10 minutes long. Definitely a good way to brush up on your Greek Mythology.

media type="youtube" key="mRe389uQhmo?version=3" height="360" width="640" -Luke Hider