patriarchal society

patriarchal society

1. In a strongly patriarchal society as ancient Greece was, one would think that some Greek myths might reflect an underlying tension between fathers and sons. In some cases, fathers might fear of being displaced by their sons and take steps to keep this from happening. In other cases, sons may find themselves constrained by an overbearing father. Discuss two myths which seem to reflect such tensions.

The myths of creation and Zeus present a tension between fathers and sons. In the myth of creation, Cronus is said to have castrated his father to rule over his creation. Cronus later swallowed his children at birth to prevent them from rising to power. In the myth of Zeus, Zeus is said to have swallowed his children at birth with the same motive as that of Cronus.

2. Ovid’s retellings of Greek myths often end with either stated or implied etiologies. An etiology is an explanation of how either natural phenomena or cultural practices came to be. Describe three such stories and tell for each one what these myths is meant to explain about the world.

The story of “Slay the Hydra” presents the victory of Heracles and Lolaus over the Hydra. The myth explains to the world that there exists a solution for every problem. The myth of “Prometheus and the theft of fire” presented the conflict between the mortals and the immortals. The myth was meant to explain to the world that the mortal world is controlled by immortals. The myth of “Narcissus and Echo” was used to explain to the world the power that the gods have over humanity.

3. Since the end of the 19^th century, students of myth have explored the connection between myth and ritual. Sadly, the link between myth and ritual is often hard to demonstrate. Describe one work we read this semester that would seem to be fertile ground for exploring the myth/ritual connection.

Herakles’ heroic career is one of the works that provide a great connection between myth and ritual. The explanation of Herakles as a hero explains what both myth and ritual are connected to reality.

4. When the Greeks conduct animal sacrifices to the gods, the human participants get the meat while the gods get the bones wrapped in fat. Explain how this seemingly unfair arrangement came to be.

“The trick at Mecone” explains the unfair arrangement in the division of sacrifice products. Zeus was tricked into choosing bones covered in fat by Prometheus, who was a hero and had decided to settle the conflict between gods and humanity.

5. In the first half of the 20^th century the Austro-Hungarian anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski advanced the theory that the primary purpose of myth is to justify the social order, its institutions, practices, customs, and moral codes. He labels such stories “charter myths.” Describe one myth we encountered this semester that might support this theory?

An example of charter myths is the “myth of the Trojan War.” The myth primarily serves to explain why war might be necessary even in an ideal society.

6. Read through the excerpt from Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams on the Oedipus story (you can find it in the readings for Week 5). In what significant ways does Freud misrepresent Sophocles’ version of the story? Are there ways in which his theory could still be true despite these objections?

A significant misrepresentation of Freud’s misrepresentation of Sophocles’ version of the Oedipus story is seen when he says that the Oracle advised Oedipus to stay away from his home town. The presentation cannot be overlooked because it might mean that Oedipus was helped to avoid a prophecy, which was not Sophocles’ original meaning.

7. Discuss three stories we’ve encountered where a hero is sent on a quest that is intended to end in his death, but he emerges victorious and ultimately kills (sometimes by proxy) the man who attempted to have him killed. (Feel free to use examples that approximate this pattern – i.e. where the pattern is still visible despite the variation)

The story of Hercules shows his determination to kill the creatures that are in his was to complete his labors. Although Hercules does not kill Hera, he manages to kill the monsters that Hera thought would kill Hercules. Theseus also killed Procrustes, who was a serial killer and would have had Theseus killed. The other story involving a hero killing their possible killer is that of Paris, who killed Achilles, the invisible hero who had killed other heroes such as Hector.

8. In the late 19^th/ early 20^th century, scholars applied folklore patterns to the study of Greek myth. One such study focused on the general pattern of expulsion and return: the hero leaves (or is driven from) his homeland only to return later in life. List five stories we’ve read which seem to reflect this pattern. (You needn’t explain the story, unless you feel that your including it needs some support).

Theseus and the Minotaur, Myth of creation, Myth of Hercules, Myth of Narcissus and The myth of Theseus.

9. Greek myths, from the moment we encounter them in either art or literature, seem to have a bewildering number of variant versions. Do you think that there ever existed a definitive version? As a follow-up, judging from the works we’re read this semester, do you think a myth can ever have just one meaning? Or is meaning always dependent on what a particular storyteller or artist does with it?

I think that all the myths have a definitive version that existed at some point. A myth cannot have a single meaning since each interpretation leads to a different meaning. Generally, the meaning is affected by the way a storyteller presents the myth.

10. The passage quoted below coms from Ivan Strenski’s Four Theories of Myth. Do you agree with it? In what sense might he be right? If you disagree, explain where you think he is mistaken.

“It is the true story or a false one, revelation or deception, sacred or vulgar, real or fiction, symbol or tool, archetype or stereotype…It is either strongly structured and logical or emotional and pre-logical, traditional and primitive or part of contemporary ideology…..Thus, instead of there being a real thing, myth, there is a thriving industry, manufacturing and marketing was is called ‘myth.’ ‘Myth’ is an ‘illusion’ – an appearance conjured or constructed by artists and intellectuals toiling in the workshops of the myth industry.”

I agree with Ivan Strenski that a myth is an illusion. Most of the actions presented in myths are not applicable in real life and only illusion can explain them.