Lets learn about...

Mythology!

What is
Mythology?

Mythology is a collection of myths, expecially ones belonging to a particular regligious or cultural tradition.

Greco-Roman Mythology

The Greek and Roman Mythologies are very similar, the Greek God Zeus and the Roman God Jupiter are more or less the same.

The Greek Demigod Hercules is another example of this; in Greek mythology he is called 'Hercules' and in Roman Mythology he is called 'Herakles'.

These two mythologies share many of the same gods and goddesses in their stories, but most often the names are different.

What does Greco-Roman mean?

Greco-Roman refers to the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Greek vs. Roman

Zeus = Jupiter

Poseidon = Neptune

Cronus = Saturn

Aphrodite = Venus

Ares = Mars

Hermes = Mercury

Hephaestus = Vulcan

Fun Fact!

Many of the planets in our solar system are named after Roman gods!

The Story of Medusa

Medusa was obsessed with herself. She was mean to people because they were not as beautiful as her.

One day she went to the Parthenon and insulted the statues of Athena, saying that they should be of her, Athena then appeared in front of Medusa and turned her into a hideous monster with snakes for hair, making her look as ugly on the outside as she was inside, and anyone who looked at her would be turned to stone, even herself. Medusa

Egyptian Mythology

Egypt had one of the largest and most complex pantheons of gods of any civilization in the ancient world.

Over the course of Egyptian history hundreds of gods and goddesses were worshipped.

The characteristics of individual gods could be hard to pin down. Most had a main association (for example, the sun or the underworld) and form.

But these could change over time as gods rose and fell in importance and evolved in ways that corresponded to developments in Egyptian society.

Ra

Ra was the king of the Egyptian gods and the father of all creation. He was the god of the sun, heaven, power, and light. He was not the only god who governed the actions of the sun, he could also be the physical sun itself, as well as the day.

While Ra had many forms, he also expressed himself differently when combined with other dieties.

For example, when associated with Amun, one of the great unknowable creator gods, he became Amun-Ra and represented the power of the sun.
When combined with Horus, he became Ra-Horakhty (Pronounced "hor-ACK-tee") or "Ra-Horus in the horizon."

Horus

There are two versions of Horus despite being represented in the same way.

Horus the Elder was god of kings and the sky and brother to Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys.

Horus the Younger in the Myth of Osiris was the son of Isis and Osiris, who fought his uncle Set for control of Egypt.

Horus is one of the most recognizable gods of Egypt, being shown with a falcon's head on a human body.
Each Pharaoh (King/Queen of Egypt) considered themselves the living representation of Horus.

Here is a fun puzzle!

12 Osiris

Osiris

Osiris was the great ruler of the underworld, god and judge of the dead.

He was commonly represented as a mummy wearing an Atef crown, pharaoh's beard, and holding the symbolic crook and flail across his chest.

Osiris was the lord of many things, including agriculture (farming), with his relationship to the all-important crops: wheat and barley, being the foundation of his role.

Norse Mythology

Norse Mythology (or "Scandinavian Mythology") originated from the vikings. Complete with a creation myth that has the first gods slaying a giant and turning its body into the world, various realms spread out beneath the World Tree Yggdrasil (pronounced IG-dra-sil).

Its pantheon, headed by Odin, contains many different gods and goddesses who were respected in customs built into the ancient Scandinavians' daily lives.

These myths also inspired a certain superhero from a popular comic and movie franchise... *cough*THOR*cough*

Realm

Realms are different worlds connectd by the World Tree, we live on Midgard (or Earth), and the gods live in Asgard.

Thor

Thor is the god of thunder and one of the most well known gods in the Norse pantheon. He is the son of Odin and brother to Loki.

Odin

Odin is one of the main gods in Norse Mythology. He is the farther of Thor and Loki.

From the earliest times Odin was a war god, and he appeared in stories as the protector of heroes; fallen warriors joined him in valhalla.

His magical horse, Sleipnir (pronounced sleyp-nir), had eight legs, teeth inscribed with runes, and the ability to gallop through the air and over the sea.