Thoughts of the Myth Odysseus

After reading Odysseus as assigned for class I wanted to reflect on what I read. I briefly read Odysseus in high school but reading it again helped me clarify the general plot, motifs, and themes that were present in the method is this myth.

In regards to theme not just in this specific myth, but a general theme that I have discovered among many myths I have read for class, Include this idea of a hero.  We discussed the ideas of what it meant to be a hero and how we think of what it means to be a hero in modern times based on mythological heros.

Odysseus went missing for 10 years and due to the  longevity of his absence many believe that he had died. Odysseus being the King of Ithaca, a new king would be needed  to lead the kingdom.  Although many people wanted to take the role of being king of Ithaca it was tradition that the son of the dead King would now be crowned king.  I found that this desire for power is a common theme among Greek myth.  Even in modern times, holding power is something which people aspire to contain whether it's being president or being a captain of a sports team.  This everlasting desire for power is something which is so often found in Greek myth and has shaped modern era.

Also the theme of disguises tended to be prevalent not only in Odysseus, but in other mythological tales as well. Odysseus was put in disguise in order to protect himself. In another myth, like Persephone, Demeter disguises herself as an older woman also to protect herself. This notion of disguise is purposeful in order to look human and attract less attention than that of a God. Similar behaviors occur in modern times with movie stars, who cover their face to shield their identities.

Odysseus will be discussed in class today and I am eager to hear more about Odysseus as a person as well as common themes found in myth in the future.

Works Cited: Trzaskoma, Stephen, R. Scott Smith, Stephen Brunet, and Thomas G. Palaima. Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing, 2004.

Thesis statement activity

I just wanted to reflect on yesterdays class lesson where we went over helpful tips and tricks to a quality thesis statement. The lesson made me realize the importance of a thesis statement within an essay. A thesis statement is the focal point of the essay and is, in general, what the essay will be discussing. This statement, however, needs to have the ability to be argued, ability to be demonstrated, forceful, and ultimately confident. It also has to be specific and precise, as being general about a topic would result in an unclear essay.

From the lesson I learned that the thesis should not contain words like "I think" or "I believe" due to the lack of confidence that those words connote. I also learned that being confident and specific will display and possibly even convince an audience to believe what your saying is correct.

Lastly, the packet mentions that thesis statements can be found in everyday life and that being aware of everyone else's thesis statements as well as your own thesis statements. I found this to be extremely interesting and useful.

Works Cited:

9.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement

http://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/9-1-developing-a-strong-clear-thesis-statement/

After Reading Hero With A Thousand Face...

After reading The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell I felt I should go online and find any useful websites I could to help further my understanding of this read. Below is what I found, and I did feel this was extremely helpful.

The stages of the HERO are: 1) THE HERO IS INTRODUCED IN HIS ORDINARY WORLD. Most stories take place in a special world, a world that is new and alien to its hero. If you're going to tell a story about a fish out of his customary element, you first have to create a contrast by showing him in his mundane, ordinary world. In WITNESS you see both the Amish boy and the policeman in their ordinary worlds before they are thrust into alien worlds -- the farmboy into the city, and the city cop into the unfamiliar countryside. In STAR WARS you see Luke Skywalker bored to death as a farmboy before he takes on the universe. 2) THE CALL TO ADVENTURE. The hero is presented with a problem, challenge, or adventure. Maybe the land is dying, as in the Arthur stories about the search for the Holy Grail. In STAR WARS again, it's Princess Leia's holographic message to Obi Wan Kenobi, who asks Luke to join in the quest. In detective stories, it's the hero accepting a new case. In romantic comedies it could be the first sight of that special -- but annoying someone the hero or heroine will be pursuing/sparring with the remainder of the story. 3) THE HERO IS RELUCTANT AT FIRST. Often at this point, the hero balks at the threshold of adventure. After all, he or she is facing the greatest of all fears -- fear of the unknown. At this point Luke refuses Obi Wan's call to adventure, and returns to his aunt and uncle's farmhouse, only to find they have been barbqued by the Emperor's stormtroopers. Suddenly Luke is no longer reluctant, and is eager to undertake the adventure. He is motivated. 4) THE HERO IS ENCOURAGED BY THE WISE OLD MAN OR WOMAN. By this time many stories will have introduced a Merlin-like character who is the hero's mentor. In JAWS it's the crusty Robert Shaw character who knows all about sharks; in the mythology of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, it's Lou Grant. The mentor gives advice and sometimes magical weapons. This is Obi Wan Kenobi giving Luke Skywalker his father's light sabre. The mentor can only go so far with the hero. Eventually the hero must face the unknown by himself. Sometimes the wise old man is required to give the hero a swift kick in the pants to get the adventure going. 5) THE HERO PASSES THE FIRST THRESHOLD. He fully enters the special world of his story for the first time. This is the moment at which the story takes off and the adventure gets going. The balloon goes up, the romance begins, the plane or spaceship blasts off, the wagon train gets rolling. Dorothy sets out on the Yellow Brick Road. The hero is now committed to his journey... and there's no turning back. 6) THE HERO ENCOUNTERS TESTS AND HELPERS. The hero is forced to make allies and enemies in the special world, and to pass certain tests and challenges that are part of his training. In STAR WARS, the cantina is the setting for the forging of an important alliance with Han Solo, and the start of an important enmity with Jabba The Hut. In CASABLANCA, Rick's Cafe is the setting for the "alliances and enmities" phase, and in many westersn it's the saloon where these relationships are established. The tests and challenges phase is represented in STAR WARS by the scene of Obi Wan teaching Luke about the Force, as Luke is made to learn by fighting blindfolded. The early laser battles with the Imperial Fighters are another test which Luke passes successfully. 7) THE HERO REACHES THE INNERMOST CAVE The hero comes at last to a dangerous place, often deep underground, where the object of his quest is hidden. In the Arthurian stories the Chapel Perilous is the dangerous chamber where the seeker finds the Grail. In many myths the hero has to descend into hell to retrieve a loved one, or into a cave to fight a dragon and gain a treasure. It's Theseus going into the Labyrinth to face the Minotaur. In STAR WARS it's Luke and company being sucked into the Death Star where they will rescue Princess Leia. Sometimes it's the hero entering the headquarters of his nemesis; and sometimes it's just the hero going into his or her own dream world to confront his or hers worst fears... and overcome them. 8) THE HERO ENDURES THE SUPREME ORDEAL. This is the moment at which the hero touches bottom. He faces the possibility of death, brought to the brink in a fight with a mythical beast. For us, the audience standing outside the cave waiting for the victor to emerge, it's a black moment. In STAR WARS, it's the harrowing moment in the bowels of the Death Star, where Luke, Leia and company are trapped in the giant trash-masher. Luke is pulled under by the tentacled monster that lives in the sewage, and is held down so long the audience begins to wonder if he's dead. E.T. momentarily appears to die on the operating table. This is a critical moment in any story, an ordeal in which the hero appears to die and is born again. It's a major source of the magic of the hero myth. What happens is that the audience has been led to identify with the hero. We are encouraged to experience the brink-of- -death feeling with the hero. We are temporarily depressed, and then we are revived by the hero's return from death. This is the magic of any well-designed amusement park thrill ride. Space Mountain or The Great White Knuckler make the passengers feel like they're going to die, and there's a great thrill that comes from surviving a moment like that. This is also the trick of rites of passage and rites of initiation into fraternities and secret societies. The initiate is forced to taste death and experience resurrection. You're never more alive than when you think you're going to die. 9) THE HERO SIEZES THE SWORD. Having survived death, beaten the dragon, slain the Minotaur, the hero now takes possession of the treasure he's come seeking. Sometimes it's a special weapon like a magic sword, or it may be a token like the Grail or some elixer which can heal the wounded land. Sometimes the "sword" is knowledge and experience that leads to greater understanding and a reconciliation with hostile forces. The hero may settle a conflict with his father or with his shadowy nemesis. In RETURN OF THE JEDI, Luke is reconciled with both, as he discovers that the dying Darth Vader is his father, and not such a bad guy after all. The hero may also be reconciled with a woman. Often she is the treasure he's come to win or rescue, and there is often a love scene or sacred marriage at this point. Women in these stories (or men if the hero is female) tend to be SHAPE-SHIFTERS. They appear to change in form or age, reflecting the confusing and constantly changing aspects of the opposite sex as seen from the hero's point of view. The hero's supreme ordeal may grant him a better understanding of women, leading to a reconciliation with the opposite sex. 10) THE ROAD BACK. The hero's not out of the woods yet. Some of the best chase scenes come at this point, as the hero is pursued by the vengeful forces from whom he has stolen the elixir or the treasure. This is the chase as Luke and friends escape from the Death Star, with Princess Leia and the plans that will bring down Darth Vader. If the hero has not yet managed to reconcile with his father or the gods, they may come raging after him at this point. This is the moonlight bicycle flight of Elliott and E.T. as they escape from "Keys" (Peter Coyote), a force representing governmental authority. By the end of the movie, Keys and Elliott have been reconciled, and it even looks like Keys will end up as Elliott's father. (The script not the final cut, guys). 11) RESURRECTION. The hero emerges from the special world, transformed by his experience. There is often a replay here of the mock death-and-rebirth of stage 8, as the hero once again faces death and survives. Each ordeal wins him new command over the Force. He is transformed into a new being by his experience. 12) RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR. The hero comes back to his ordinary world, but his adventure would be meaningless unless he brought back the elixir, treasure, or some lesson from the special world. Sometimes it's just knowledge or experience, but unless he comes back with the exlixir or some boon to mankind, he's doomed to repeat the adventure until he does. Many comedies use this ending, as a foolish character refuses to learn his lesson and embarks on the same folly that got him in trouble in the first place. Sometimes the boon is treasure won on the quest, or love, or just the knowledge that the special world exists and can be survived. Sometimes it's just coming home with a good story to tell.

Works Cited:

A Practical Guide to THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES by Joseph Campbell In the long run, th

http://www.skepticfiles.org/atheist2/hero.htm

Common Time on Friday

Since I've had track every Friday except for the past weekend, I was able to finally attend common time. We learned about primary and secondary sources and I found this to be extremely helpful. I remember learning about primary and secondary sources in high school but was glad to be refreshed.

The man presenting before us informed us how primary sources came directly from the source and is a first hand piece of information/fact. On the other hand, a secondary source does not come directly from the source and is interpreted and created by a different source. For example, a secondary source could be a bibliography of a famous president. The president did not write the book, however it contains factual information of the president. If it was a handwritten diary that President Lincoln wrote, that would be considered a primary source.

Thus, finding a primary source contains a plethora of information and is the most reliable source, while secondary sources contain an abundance of information however they may contain some bias.

Some weird findings

http://listverse.com/2013/12/17/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-greek-mythology/

I found this on the internet and found it very interesting and relatable to the class!

Persephone in class today

After going over the Hymn to Demeter in class I just wanted to reflect my thoughts:

This has to be one of my favorite myths for the purpose of demonstrating the purpose of myth-These thoughts were also included in my Formal Paper- and I feel that it is easy for any reader to grasp the concept of the seasons.

That being said this myth is a perfect example of why myth is important in society. The story is captivating to any and all audiences, with the drama of the abduction of Persephone by Hades into the underworld. The story was also relatable, as we could relate to the distraught feelings of her mother, Demeter, for the absence of her daughter. Because of this sadness and distress, Demeter, who is the goddess of fertility and agriculture, she halted growth in crops. Thus, 9 months of the year Demeter goes looking in sadness for her abducted daughter, and this time we call winter, due to the lack of agriculture and growth.

Works Cited: Callimachus, and Neil Hopkinson. Hymn to Demeter. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.

"Behind the Name" website discovery

After messing around on buzzfeed for a while I saw an advertisement for a Greek Myth name website and  decided to take a look, as it related to our class.


http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/greek-mythology

ACANTHA   Ακανθα   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Ακανθα (Akantha), which meant "thorn, prickle"... [more]

ACHILLES   Αχιλλευς   m   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Αχιλλευς (Achilleus) which is of unknown meaning, perhaps derived from Greek αχος (achos) "pain" or else from the name of the Achelous River... [more]

ACHILLEUS   Αχιλλευς   m   Greek Mythology
Original Greek form of ACHILLES

ADONIS   Αδωνις   m   Greek Mythology
From the Semitic Adonai, which means "lord"... [more]

ADRASTEIA   Αδραστεια   f   Greek Mythology
Feminine form of ADRASTOS... [more]

ADRASTOS   Αδραστος   m   Greek Mythology
Means "not inclined to run away" in Greek... [more]

AEGLE   Αιγλη   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Αιγλη (Aigle) which meant "light, radiance, glory"... [more]

AELLA   Αελλα   f   Greek Mythology
Means "whirlwind" in Greek... [more]

AEOLUS   Αιολος   m   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of AIOLOS

AESON   Αισων   m   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Αισων (Aison), which is of unknown meaning... [more]

AGAMEMNON   Αγαμεμνων   m   Greek Mythology
Possibly meaning "very steadfast" in Greek... [more]

AGAUE   Αγαυη   f   Greek Mythology
Means "illustrious, noble" in Greek... [more]

AGLAEA   Αγλαιη   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of AGLAIA

AGLAIA   Αγλαιη   f   Greek Mythology, Greek
Means "splendour, beauty" in Greek... [more]

AIAS   Αιας   m   Greek Mythology
Greek form of AJAX

AIGLE   Αιγλη   f   Greek Mythology
Greek form of AEGLE

AINEIAS   Αινειας   m   Greek Mythology
Original Greek form of AENEAS

AIOLOS   Αιολος   m   Greek Mythology
Means "quick-moving, nimble" in Greek... [more]

AJAX   Αιας   m   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Αιας (Aias), perhaps deriving from Greek αιαστης (aiastes) "mourner" or αια (aia) "earth, land"... [more]

AKANTHA   Ακανθα   f   Greek Mythology
Greek form of ACANTHA

ALCIDES   Αλκειδης   m   Greek Mythology (Latinized), Portuguese, Spanish
Latinized form of Greek Αλκειδης (Alkeides), derived from αλκη (alke) "strength" and ειδος (eidos) "kind, type"... [more]

ALCIPPE   Αλκιππη   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Αλκιππη (Alkippe), derived from αλκη (alke) "strength" and ‘ιππος (hippos) "horse"... [more]

ALCYONE   Αλκυονη   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Αλκυονη (Alkyone), derived from the word αλκυων (alkyon) meaning "kingfisher"... [more]

ALECTO   Αληκτω   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Αληκτω (Alekto) which was derived from αληκτος (alektos) "unceasing"... [more]

ALEKTO   Αληκτω   f   Greek Mythology
Greek form of ALECTO

ALEXANDER   Αλεξανδρος   m   English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Slovak, Biblical, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Αλεξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant "defending men" from Greek αλεξω (alexo) "to defend, help" and ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive ανδρος)... [more]

ALEXANDRA   Αλεξανδρα   f   German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, English, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech,Slovak, Hungarian, Spanish, Russian, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Feminine form of ALEXANDER... [more]

ALEXANDROS   Αλεξανδρος   m   Greek, Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Greek Mythology
Ancient and modern Greek form of ALEXANDER

ALKEIDES   Αλκειδης   m   Greek Mythology
Greek form of ALCIDES

ALKIPPE   Αλκιππη   f   Greek Mythology
Greek form of ALCIPPE

ALKYONE   Αλκυονη   f   Greek Mythology
Original Greek form of ALCYONE

ALTHEA   Αλθαια   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Αλθαια (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek αλθος (althos) "healing"... [more]

AMALTHEA   Αμαλθεια   f   Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Αμαλθεια (Amaltheia), derived from μαλθασσω (malthasso) meaning "to soften, to soothe"... [more]

ANDROMACHE   Ανδρομαχη   f   Greek Mythology
Derived from the Greek elements ανηρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ανδρος) and μαχη (mache) meaning "battle"... [more]

Facebook Findings

http://www.medeaslair.net/ceyx.html

Browsing through Facebook I found this story which was shared by someone.

Thoughts About Oedipus as Discussed in Class

For homework, we read two different versions of Oedipus. This is a story of a man who's destiny is to kill his father and marry his mother. Understanding basic mythology, it is known that although many try to escape their destiny, it is impossible in any way, shape, and form to do that. Fate always cathes up. The myth ends with Oedipus doing just as the oracle said, even though he tried his best to avoid it.

To no suprise, the two different versions were executed differently. I found this to be fascinating as it could impact the viewpoint of the reader, depending on what was emphasized by the author. Depending on who reads which version(s), opinions can be formed and readers may get the wrong impression. Authors may try to glorify a figure as opposed to display their real intentions, if known.

Works Cited: Trzaskoma, Stephen, R. Scott Smith, Stephen Brunet, and Thomas G. Palaima. Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing, 2004.

Feedback for Common Read Paper

Critical Thinking-

Be sure to address all parts of the essay question and include multiple perspectives!

Biology connections to Greek Myth

Reading through my biology textbook while stu(dying) for my exam, I noticed a few familiar terms which I found to be of the Greek origin. Echopraxia, the involuntary mimicking of another's movements, has the prefix "echo", which is a Greek nymph. The story of Echo details a beautiful nymph (Echo) who would never stop talking. She once deceived the goddess Hera, who in response passed a sentence upon her not to be able to speak, but only to respond by repeating the last words of the person talking to her. Echo fell in love with Narcissus and was unable to express herself to him and could only repeat his last words. I found this connection to be quite fascinating as I have an interest in the medical field and am able to find connections to Greek myth as different as those two genres might be. I looked further into the prefix-echo, and found more terms, including echocardiogram, echophfnia, and echotextures; all of which pertaining to the repetition of something or the mimicking of something. 

Connections with the Myth of Er

In english class my senior year of high school, we read Dante's inferno, which pertains to the stages of the underworld. While reading about the Myth of Er, I found many fascinating connections between the two. Er, the warrior who died in battle, experiences four openings. Two of which lead to the sky and the other two lead to the ground. The holy souls went into the sky and the unholy souls went into the ground, which to modern individuals could be depicted as heaven and hell. These different openings reminded me of the various layers of hell, which are the core (no pun intended) of Dante's inferno. I'm not sure if this similarity was meant to be that way, however I found it interestingly similar to each other. Also, Er acts as the messenger between the afterlife and reality, and tells the mortals about his experiences. The same thing happened for Dante's inferno, where Dante depicts through Cantos about his journey. The similarities between the two are fascinating.

Works Cited: Cummings, Philip W. Plato: The Republic. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1967.

Response to Plato, The Role of Poets

After reading this passage, I was able to make some connections between what I read on the page, and what I have been learning in my philosophy class. In philosophy, we are learning about Descartes Meditations. In the first and second meditation, Descartes discusses how knowledge is truly aquired and goes further into discussing what is true in what we observe and learn. Descartes stated that he has been fooled since he was young because of what he used to believe in as a result of what his senses told him. Interestingly, in Plato, Socrates talked about how the young are told stories which are false, and then they are taught this stories before their physical training begins. Socrates and Adeimantos talk about how young minds are so malleable and should be taught the correct information, as it will shape and mold them into adults. Speaking of the topic of information, they discussed how poets influence young minds due to their incredibly teachable stories. I found the connections between the two classes to be extremely fasinating.

FYS Otherness research

Research question: Where can otherness be found in society today?

Process: To aid my research, I went to the Marist library website, and typed in "otherness" into the fox hunt search bar. From there, I was led to print and online sources, which included texts titles "Otherness" and "Otherness:  A multilateral perspective". I found that these sources were very reliable and trustworthy. I also decided to google my research question entirely. This brought me to a variety of resources, including personal blogs, Wikipedia, and .edu websites.

Exercise 1: Free Write on "Otherness"

Prompt: How do I understand the Other and/or Otherness?

Response: I can understand the other by reading mythological literature that contains this notion of "otherness". By utilizing mythological resources such as texts and stories, I will be able to further my understanding of the other. I'm currently unsure of what the other means, whether it pertains to a higher power or something of a topic not discussed before. However, I feel that by exposing myself to as much mythological background and history as possible, I will be able to grasp the idea of "other" and "otherness". As of right now, the other could be a spiritual piece; one in which is different to explain to western culture. It could be something that science cannot prove and could therefore be something which modern society doesn't see relevance towards. Why is it called the other? Does that have to do with unexplainable things, so the word "other" is utilized? Through classic mythological texts as well as exposure in general to the ideas of the other I believe I will be able to shed some light on this "otherness"

"The Other" Concept map