Week 5 / Day 5
Continue with the WebQuest in the computer lab. Move on to Procedure 3. Give students a quick mini-lesson on the aspects of writing/stories: plot, setting, character development, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. This portion of the WebQuest is done individually, but if students are struggling badly they can pair up and work on the myth together. Some ideas for a myth are: a journey (by a god or mortal), a lesson/moral, creation, how the god got their duties, punishment/praise of mortals, war, etc. The due date for this myth is day 2/3 of week 6.
Week 6 / Day 1
Use class time for in-class writing of the myth. Try to have a computer available so students can go back to the WebQuest to access websites for information.
Week 6 / Day 2/3 (depending upon how myth is progressing)
Have students hand in their myths and comment on them. What did everyone write about? Was the WebQuest effective in helping them write their myth? Did they enjoy writing the myth? Do a quick wrap-up on mythology as a whole and how it all can be tied together.
Supporting Materials for Teachers Who Teach the Unit
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With A Thousand Faces . New Jersey : Princeton University Press, 1973.
Greek gods family tree
http://www.hol.gr/greece/godsft.htm
Map of Athens/Troy
http://www.southwestern.edu/academic/classical.languages/images/greece.html
Map of Odysseus' Journey
http://geocities.com/Athens/8497/journey.html
http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/fajardo/teaching/eng120/odyjour.htm
WebQuest
www.d.umn.edu/~ande2569/webquest
Grades
Students will be graded primarily on the WebQuest display and myth, but the periodic quizzes and tests will play a factor in the overall grade of this unit.
50% - WebQuest myth
30% - WebQuest display
15% - Mythology tests
5% - Mythology quizzes
1) Penelope and Telemachus' house suffers from an infestation of:
• Relatives
• Rats
• Suitors
• Vines
2) What was Penelope making in order to delay re-marriage?
• A blanket
• A shroud
• A tapestry
• A grand feast
3) Which of the main gods disliked Odysseus, and for what reason?
4) For what reason was Telemachus leaving Ithaca ?
5) What characteristics do you see coming out in Telemachus thus far? What kind of person do you see Telemachus as? Support your answer with details from the first two chapters.
1) How does Menelaus know Odysseus?
2) For what are Menelaus and Helen celebrating when Telemachus arrives?
3) What do the suitors begin planning when they hear of Odysseus' return?
• A welcoming ceremony
• An ambush of him
• Kidnapping Penelope
• Taking over Odysseus' house
4) Judging by the way Telemachus was treated when he arrived in Lacedaemon , what role does hospitality play in Greek culture? Is there importance placed upon it? Give an example from the chapter.
5) Much of the information we learn about Odysseus is through the medium of storytelling. Nestor, Menelaus, and Helen all recount stories of Odysseus and the Trojan War. Building off of your answer to the previous question, why do you think storytelling is so valued by the Greeks? How does it relate to the Greek view of hospitality?
1) How does Odysseus get into Phaeacia without being harassed?
• Zeus disguises him as a beggar
• He sneaks in under the cover of night
• The king states that he is an honored guest and is to not be bothered
• Athena puts a protective mist over him
2) What prompts Odysseus to take part in the Phaeacian games?
3) Give a quick summary of how Odysseus escapes from the cave of Polyphemus .
4) Chapters 9-12 deal with Odysseus telling the story of his journey up to that point. As has been stated before, oral tradition is highly valued in Greek culture. List some examples of other cultures that value oral tradition/storytelling and give examples to back it up.
5) Give an example of how temptation is illustrated in chapter 10.
1) T/F In Sparta Helen sees an eagle carrying a goose in its talons and interprets it as an omen that the suitors at Odysseus' home will steal Penelope from him.
2) Explain the irony of having Odysseus and Telemachus meet in the swineheard's hut.
3) Why didn't Telemachus reveal Odysseus' return to his mother Penelope?
4) What kind of match was Odysseus challenged to while he was disguised as a beggar?
• Boxing
• Running
• Discus throwing
• Wrestling
5) Prior to chapter 18 the suitor are not described much in detail or individually. In chapter 18 though we get a good picture of a few of them. How do these descriptions aid in setting the scene for Odysseus' planned attack on them?
Romulus and Remus were the legendary founders of the city of Rome . As tradition has it, his younger brother, Amulius, overthrew Numitor, king of Alba Longa . Fearing that Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, might eventually have sons who would have a better claim to the throne than he, Amulius forced her to become a vestal virgin, which meant she had to take a sacred vow of chastity.
But Mars, the god of war, came to her in the temple, and she gave birth to twin sons— Romulus and Remus. Intending them to drown, Amulius had the infants abandoned on a trough in the Tiber River . But their trough floated down the river, coming to rest at a site near a sacred fig tree, where one day they would found their city. A she-wolf and a woodpecker, both sacred to their father Mars, found the infants and suckled and fed them. Eventually they were discovered by a herdsman who, along with his wife, raised them to adulthood.
As young men, Romulus and Remus gathered around them a band of hardy, adventurous companions. With this band, Romulus and Remus killed Amulius, and returned their grandfather Numitor to the throne. Afterward, the twins established a town at the site where they were saved from the death that Amulius had intended for them.
When Romulus built a wall around the new city , Remus, taking it as a challenge, leapt over the wall, at which Romulus grew angry and killed him. Romulus then named his city after himself and offered asylum to exiles and fugitives in order to enlarge the city's population. Then, to get wives for the men of his city, Romulus invited the neighboring Sabines to a festival. When the Sabines were too drunk to fight, the Romans abducted their women, an act known as the rape of the Sabine women. Although the Sabines intended to attack Rome, to retrieve the women and regain their honor, the women, who had by then married their captors, persuaded the Sabines to make peace with Rome instead.
As one of the conditions of the peace treaty, Romulus had to accept Titus Tatius, the Sabine king, as his co-ruler, but Titus Tatius died soon afterward, so Romulus was again the undisputed king of Rome . He ruled for many years, until one day he mysteriously disappeared in the midst of a violent storm. The Romans believed he had been transformed into a god, and they worshipped him as the god Quirinus.
http://mt.essortment.com/romulusremus_rxjk.htm
This
tale begins with Thor
journeying in his goat drawn chariot with Loki
as his companion. One night they came to a farmer's home where they got
lodgings for the night. Thor
killed and skinned his goats and placed the meat in a cauldron over the
fire. When they were cooked, Thor
and his companion sat down to supper and invited the farmer and his wife
and their children to share the meal with them. Their son was called Thialfi
and their daughter Roskva
. Thor spread
the goatskins out away from the fire and told the farmer and his household to
toss the bones upon the skins. Thialfi
, the farmer's son, took hold of a thighbone and split it open to get at
the marrow. Thor
stayed there that night and just before daybreak got up and dressed. Thor
took Mjollnir
, raised it and consecrated the goatskins. The goats were reformed and stood
up, but one of them was lame. Upon seeing this Thor
declared that the farmer or one of his household had not treated the bones
with proper care. Thor
grew enraged, he clasped his hammer so tight that his knuckles went white.
The farmer and his family grew afraid and cried out to be spared and offered
to atone with all their possessions. When Thor
saw their terror his wrath left him and he calmed and accepted their children
as settlement. Thor
charged the farmer with the care of the goats and Thor
, Loki , Thialfi
, and Roskva
continued the journey to Utgard
.
Thor started on his
journey east to Jotunheim and all the way to the sea. He crossed the sea and
when he went ashore Loki
, Thialfi
and Roskva were
with him. The companions journeyed on foot for the day and that night found
themselves in a large wood. Thialfi
, who was the fastest of runners, carried the sack holding their provisions.
As darkness came the companions began looking for some sort of lodging in which
to spend the night. After some searching they found a strange building with
an opening that seemed to take up one entire side of the structure. The companions
settled in but were awakened at midnight by a great earthquake. They woke and
sought shelter farther inside the building and came at last to a side chamber
halfway down the right side of the building. Thor
positioned himself at the entrance of this chamber and prepared to defend
himself against whatever might come while his companions went into the chamber
and resumed sleeping.
When the dawn arrived Thor
went out and discovered the source of the ground shaking. A little way's
off a giant was asleep and snoring mightily. As Thor
sighted the giant, the giant awoke and stood. It is said that for once
Thor was afraid to
strike with Mjollnir
. Instead, he asked the giant his name. The giant replied that he was called
Skrymir and said
he did not need to ask who was questioning him for he knew it was Thor
of the Æsir
. Skrymir
then asked if Thor
was making off with his glove. Skrymir
reached over and picked up his glove and it was then that Thor
realized the strange building was the giant's glove and the side chamber
had been the thumb. Skrymir
asked if Thor
and his companions wished to travel with him since they were going in the same
direction and Thor
agreed. Skrymir
then picked up his sack and prepared his breakfast while Thor
and his companions moved a short way off and did the same. Skrymir
then suggested they pool their food and took the companions sack and placed
it in his own. After tying up the sack they set off towards Utgard
. Skrymir
took great strides and late in the evening found them a lodging beneath a large
oak tree. Skrymir
laid down to sleep and tossed the sack to Thor
saying he and his companions should prepare their supper.
Thor took the sack
and tried to untie it but no matter how hard he labored, he couldn't loosen
a single knot or move a single strap end. When he realized his efforts were
getting nowhere he grew angry. Gripping Mjollnir
he stepped to where Skrymir
was sleeping and struck at his head. Skrymir
awoke and asked if some leaf had fallen upon his head. He then asked Thor
if his company was done eating and was ready for bed. Thor
replied they were just getting ready to sleep. The companions moved under
another oak tree and tried to sleep. At midnight Thor
was awakened by Skrymir
's snoring such that the forest resounded. Thor
got up and, gripping Mjollnir
tightly, went to where Skrymir
lay and swung the hammer quickly and hard down the center of Skrymir
's head. Thor
felt the face of the hammer sink deeply into his head. At that moment Skrymir
awoke and asked if some acorn had fallen on his head. Seeing Thor
, Skrymir
asked what he was doing. Thor
backed away and said he had just awoken and that it was midnight and still
time to sleep. Thor
then resolved that if he got a chance for a third blow Skrymir
would never open his eyes again. Just before dawn Skrymir
was deep asleep and Thor
got up and ran at him swinging Mjollnir
with all his might and struck at the temple. The hammer sank in up to the
handle but Skrymir
woke and stroked his cheek asking if there were any birds in the tree above
him, commenting that he thought he had felt some droppings from the twigs above
as he was waking.
Seeing Thor awake
Skrymir said it
must be time to wake and dress. Skrymir
told Thor that
it was not far to the castle called Utgard
and that he had heard the companions whispering that he was a person of
no small build. Skrymir
said the men of Utgard
are bigger than he is and that Thor
and his companions would be better off to turn around and not journey to
Utgard . Skrymir
also offered advice to the companions not to act big in Utgard
, as the men there would not take kindly to those actions. Skrymir
told the companions that if they were determined to go on, they should
travel east while his path lead north to the mountains. Skrymir
took the sack, turned north, and set off for the mountains.
Thor and his companions
set off to the east and by midday they saw a castle standing in an open field.
They gazed up at the castle and had to bend their heads back until they touched
their spine to see up over the castle. They approached the castle and came to
a shut gate across the entrance. Thor
went to the gate and tried to open it but could not. However, by struggling
they were able to squeeze between the bars and thus they came into the castle.
Once inside they saw a great hall with an open door and they went inside. There
they saw a great number of people seated on two benches and most of them were
a fair size. Next they came before the king, Utgartha-Loki
, and addressed him. It was some time before the king turned to them and
when he did he bared his teeth in a smile and said, "News travels slowly
over long distances. Or am I wrong in thinking that this little fellow is Oku-Thor
(Thor the Charioteer)? You must be bigger than you look to me." He
then asked what feats they intended to perform saying no one is allowed to stay
in Utgard unless
he has some art or skill in which he is superior to most.
Loki answered from
the back that he could eat faster than anyone there. Utgartha-Loki
smiled at this and called forth Logi to compete with Loki
. A trencher was set between the two contestants and it was piled with meat.
Loki and Logi sat
at opposite ends and each ate as quickly as he could. They met in the middle
and while Loki had
eaten all the meat on his half of the trencher, Logi had devoured the meat,
bones and the trencher itself and it seemed to everyone that Loki
had lost the contest.
Next Utgartha-Loki
called to Thialfi
and asked what feat he would perform. Thialfi
said he would run a race with whomever Utgartha-Loki
put forward. They all went out to a space where the ground was flat such
that it would make a good course for running a race and Utgartha-Loki
called forth a boy named Hugi and bade him run a race with Thialfi
. They started the first race and Hugi was so far ahead that he turned back
and to meet Thialfi
at the end of the race. Utgartha-Loki
then told Thialfi
he would have to make a greater effort if he was going to win the contest
but did say never before had people come to Utgard
who seemed able to run as fast as Thialfi
. They then began another race and when Hugi got to the end of the course
and turned back Thialfi
was still an arrow shot behind. Then Utgartha-Loki
said that Thialfi
had run a good race but he no longer had confidence that Thialfi
would win the contest. Then they started a third race and Hugi reached
the end of the course and turned back before Thialfi
had gotten halfway. Everyone agreed then that the contest was decided.
Utgartha-Loki
then asked Thor
which of his accomplishments he would display before them. Thor
replied he would most willingly engage in a drinking contest with someone.
Utgartha-Loki
said that would be fine and called for the horn the men of the court were
used to drinking from. The horn was brought to Thor
and Utgartha-Loki
said the horn is considered to be well drunk if it can be emptied in a
single draught, but some people drain it in two though no one is such a poor
drinker that he can not empty it in three. Thor
looked at the horn and thought it was not very big, though it was long.
He began to drink and took great gulps intending to empty the horn in one drink.
When he ran out of breath and straightened himself he looked in the horn to
see how his drinking had progressed and saw that there was very little difference
in the level of the horn now compared to before he had drunk. Utgartha-Loki
said it was a good drink, and not excessive, but he wouldn't have believed
it if anyone had told him that Thor
would not have drunk a greater draught. He then said he was sure Thor
was intending to finish off the horn with his second draught. Thor
made no comment and was determined to drink a bigger draught. He struggled
with the drink as long as his breath held out but found that the tip of the
horn would not go as high as he would have liked. When he lowered the horn and
looked into it this time it seemed that the level in the horn had gone down
less than it had the previous time. Utgartha-Loki
then asked Thor
what was the matter. Was he keeping back for a third draught, and if he was
it would have to be the biggest one yet. Utgartha-Loki
then said Thor
would have to give a better accounting of himself in other contests if the dwellers
of Utgard were
going to consider him as great a man as the Æsir
claimed he was. At this, Thor
grew angry and put the horn to his mouth drinking as hard as he could for
as long as possible and when he ceased drinking and looked into the horn this
time he saw that he had made the most difference, though the horn was still
not empty. Thor handed
the horn to Utgartha-Loki
and would drink no more.
Utgartha-Loki
then told Thor
it was clear he was not as great as they had heard. He asked if Thor
wanted to try other contests, as it was clear he was getting nowhere with
the horn. Thor said
he would try other contests, though he would have been surprised if drinks such
as he had taken would have been reckoned so slight in Asgard
. He then asked what contest Utgartha-Loki
offered now. Utgartha-Loki
told Thor how
the lads in Utgard ,
though it did not seem that significant, would lift his cat off the ground.
He went on to say that he would not have mentioned it to Thor
, had Thor not
already shown that he was less impressive than had been heard. A big gray cat
then ran into the hall and Thor
strode forward and took hold with one hand under its belly and lifted it
up. But the cat arched its back as much as Thor
stretched up his hand and when Thor
had stretched up his hand as much as he could the cat lifted only one paw
from the floor. Utgartha-Loki
then said the contest had gone as he expected as the cat was rather big
and Thor was short
and small compared to the men there in Utgard
. Thor responded
by saying, "Small as you say I am, just let someone come out and fight
me! Now I am angry!"
Utgartha-Loki
looked about the hall and replied that he saw no one there who would not
think it demeaning to fight with Thor
. He then called for his old nurse, Elli
, saying she had brought down people who seemed no less strong looking than
Thor . Then came into
the hall an old crone and Utgartha-Loki
said she was to have a wrestling match with Thor
. When they wrestled the harder Thor
strained against her, the firmer she stood. Then the old woman started
trying some tricks, Thor
began to lose his footing, there was some hard pulling and it was not long
before Thor fell
to one knee. Utgartha-Loki
then went forward and stopped the wrestling and said there was no point
to Thor challenging
anyone else in the hall to a fight.
It was now late and Utgartha-Loki
showed Thor
and his companions to where they could spend the night and they received hospitable
treatment. When dawn came Thor
and his companions got up and dressed and prepared to set off when Utgartha-Loki
came to them and had a table laid out for them. There was no lack of good
cheer, food and drink. When they had finished eating they set off and Utgartha-Loki
traveled with them out of the castle.
As they parted Utgartha-Loki
asked Thor how
he thought his expedition had gone and whether he had come up against any person
more powerful than himself. Thor
replied that he could not deny he had suffered great shame in their dealings
and that, "I know you will say I am a person of little account and it is
that which upsets me." Then Utgartha-Loki
spoke and said now that they were outside the castle he would tell Thor
the truth. He said, "You would never have been allowed in the castle
if I had known what strength you possessed or how close you would bring us to
disaster." He told Thor
how he had deceived him and had been the one who met them in the forest.
He explained how the sack had been fastened with a trick wire and how he had
moved a mountain in front of Thor
's blows and the three valleys they had seen in a mountain near the castle
were the results of Thor
's three strikes at Skrymir
. He then explained that it had been the same with the contests in Utgard
.
When Loki engaged
in the eating contest, his opponent Logi was wildfire and it burned the trencher
as quickly as the meat. When Thialfi
had engaged in the race with Hugi, it was Utgartha-Loki
's thought against whom he raced and Thialfi
was not likely to be able to match his speed. When Thor
was drinking from the horn and it seemed to be going slowly a great miracle
had occurred. The other end of the horn was connected to the sea and that when
they next came to the sea they would see what a lowering of the level Thor
had made with his drinking. (This is now called the tides.) When Thor
next attempted to lift the cat from the floor, it was no cat, but was Jormungand
and its length was hardly enough so that both its head and tail were touching
the ground. When Thor
was wrestling with Elli
, he was wrestling against old age and no one, should they get old enough
to experience old age, will escape being brought down by it. Utgartha-Loki
then said that it would be better that Thor
never return to Utgard
for next time he would defend his castle with similar tricks or others
such that Thor would
get no power over him.
Upon hearing all this Thor
grasped his hammer and prepared to strike, only to find Utgartha-Loki
gone. He then turned for the castle, intending to destroy it, but the castle
was gone and there was only open meadow. He then turned back and returned to
Asgard , though
he was determined to challenge Jormungand
again and it did happen as told in the story Thor
Goes Fishing .
http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/mythology/myths/text/thor_utgard.htm
Osiris was an earthly ruler who was popular with his subjects. His brother, Set, was jealous of this popularity and plotted against Osiris. Set's plans to be rid of his brother started when he secretly obtained his brothers measurements and had a magnificent casket made to fit.
This casket was in the form of a human shaped box. Set then organized a large feast to which Osiris and a number of others (usually given as 72) were invited. At the height of the festivities Set produced the casket and announced that it would be given to whomever it fitted.
All
the guests tried the casket for size, but none fit into it until finally Osiris
stepped into the casket. Set immediately slammed the lid closed and sealed the
casket shut with molten lead. The sealed coffin was then thrown into the Nile
.
Isis
was devastated at the loss of her husband and searched for the casket throughout
Egypt and then overseas. She eventually eventually found it where it had come
to rest in the roots of a massive tree.
Isis then returned the coffin to Egypt for a proper burial. For safekeeping she concealed it in the marshes beside the Nile . Unfortunately for Isis , Set found the casket while out hunting and was so enraged he chopped the body of Osiris into pieces and scattered the parts throughout the land of Egypt . Poor Isis had to then set out again looking for the parts of her husband. Eventually she found all the parts except one and reassembled Osiris and wrapped him in bandages.
http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/Egypt/myth_of_isis_and_osiris.htm
The Story of Lord Ganesh's Creation (Hindu)
Lord Ganesh is the virtual son of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvathi. The story of creation of Ganesh is a very fascinating one.
A long, long time ago when Lord Shiva was away fighting for the gods the lady of the house, goddess Parvathi, was left alone at home. On one occasion she needed someone to guard the house when she was going for a bath. Unable to think of an alternative, she used her powers to create a son, Ganesh. She instructed Ganesh to keep strict vigil on the entrance to the house and not to allow anyone into the house. Ganesh agreed and stayed on the strictest of strict vigils.
In the meantime Lord Shiva returned happy after a glorious victory for the gods, only to be stopped at the entrance by Ganesh. Ganesh, acting on Parvathi's orders verbatim, did not allow Shiva to enter the house. Lord Shiva was enraged beyond control and in a fit of rage slashed off the head of Ganesh. In the meantime Parvathi came out from her bath and was aghast at the scene. She was very angry at her lordship for what had happened and explained him the situation.
Lord Shiva wanted to make it up to Parvathi very badly. He agreed to put life back into Ganesh by putting the head of the first sleeping living creature that came in sight that was sleeping with its head to the north. He sent his soldiers to go in search of the creature. The first creature, which came in sight, was an elephant. So, Lord Shiva re-created his son with the head of the elephant. Hence, the trunk of Lord Ganesh.
Parvathi was still not totally happy with the deal and wanted more. Then Shiva granted Ganesh a boon that before beginning of any undertaking or task people would worship Lord Ganesh. Thus the reason for worship of Ganesh before start of any work.
http://members.tripod.com/~srinivasp/mythology/ganesha.html
Ganesh and Murugan's Race
On an occasion, Shiva and Parvathi had been given a fruit by the gods and both the sons Ganesh and Murugan (Kartikeya or Skanda or Kumara Swamy) wanted it. Some legends claim the dispute was about who was elder of the two.
Anyway, the parents then suggested that the one who circled the world three times and came back first would get it as a prize. Murugan got on the peacock, his vahana, and flew around the world stopping at all sacred spots on the way and offering his prayers. But at every major stop, he would find Ganesh ahead of him and was perplexed.
Ganesh understood that his vehicle, the mouse, would not be able to compete with Murugan's peacock and he could never beat him. But he thought for a while and came up with a solution. He walked around his parents, Shiva and Parvathi, three times, with great devotion. When his parents asked him why he was not circling the globe, he answered that his parents are the whole world. “I need go no further to travel the whole world,” replied Ganesh. Murugan on returning back learned of this, accepted the superiority of Ganesh, and bowed to him.
http://members.tripod.com/~srinivasp/mythology/ganesh3.htm