Greek
Mythology Research Manuscript
In many of the world’s cultures, stories are told of gods, heroes, creatures and great cosmic events. These stories often deal with the deepest, most fundamental issues; they examine love and jealousy, war and peace, good and evil. Myths explore these crucial issues with intriguing plots, vivid characters, memorable scenes, and concepts that touch the deepest emotions, therefore have become eternally fascinating. Due to the oral roots of myths, they are endlessly retold, meaning there are so many variations there is no single correct or incorrect versions.
WHAT IS A MYTH 1.
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Myths are much more than just stories; they have a great importance in the lives of those who tell them- they not only reinforce religion but cultural identity. This is not only obvious through their countless retellings, but in the way they have inspired artists and writers. Social control is another important aspects of mythological tales, as they are passed on to children from their elders to scare them towards good behavior. Although many different cultures tell many different stories, common themes underlie them. Myths attempt to explain how the universe began, amidst a large number of deities and spirits. These gods often have different roles, with a select few who stand prominent and commonly represent the elements. Myths concerning these elements attempted to explain national disasters, which encouraged people to honor people to honor the gods.
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GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Ancient Greece is dominant aspect in the context of cultural mythology. Although the civilization of Ancient Greece was not founded by one nation or empire, each city similarly had it’s own traditions, culture and gods. The gods and goddesses of each culture had many local followings, and as this developed the Greeks
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came to realize a large group of deities who interacted with not only one another but the people of the Greece. The Greeks worshipped their gods, leaving offerings in temples and with regular festivals. Worshippers hoped that in return, they would be looked upon kindly.
Although originally myths were dispersed orally, over time myths of Greece have been documented through many evidential sources. With the invention of writing, people began to write their myths down and adapt them in new ways - turning them into plays, poems, or novels. Other sources include sculptures, which have the highest status today, wall paintings, mosaics, vase paintings, coins, engraved gemstones and decorated mirrors.
The span of Greek mythology is enormous, but it can be broken down into 3 ages – the age of gods, the age where gods and men mixed freely, and the age of heroes, where divine activity was more limited. There are many tales within each age, but this research manuscript focuses solely on the tales of the first age.
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THE ORIGINS OF THE WORLD & GODS It all started with inexplicable forces that were present even before the beginning of time and space. They were the first primordial gods: Chaos, Gaia, Tartarus and Eros. These four deities (deathless gods and forces of creation) are often depicted as a realm or a place. They are sometimes pictured or mentioned in their personified forms. The first deity to ever exist was Chaos - the nothing that existed before everything. It was the emptiness, the void, and a state of conflict or disorder. It was the genderless form from whence everything else was born. After Chaos, came Gaia (Earth), then Tartarus (Underworld) and finally Eros (Procreation). Gaia was the female personification of the Earth, which would later become the foundation for all the other gods and the mortals. Tartarus was the stormy space beneath the Earth, a bottomless abyss. And Eros represented the love of sexual reproduction and was the fairest of the four deathless gods.
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These four primordial gods were only the beginning. Chaos gave birth to Erebus, the male personification of darkness and the space between Tartarus and Gaia, and Nyx, the goddess of the night. Erebus and Nyx procreated to give birth to Aether, the bright upper atmosphere of the gods, and Hemera, the goddess of the day. Gaia then, through parthenogenesis, gave birth to Uranus (Heaven), The Ourea (Mountains) and Pontus (Sea) to complement and protect her. Uranus and Pontus were male gods, with whom Gaia would eventually mate to give birth to a whole new number of different beings and personifications. These were the primordial forces before the generations. You can say they were always there, but that at some point materialized, started a chain of events that led to creation and gave form to the first generations of gods. Uranus, as the Heaven and protector of Gaia, was the ruler of the Cosmos at this point.
THEPANTHEON FIRST The Twelve Titans: Every night Uranus would descend to Earth, covering her on all sides, and mate with Gaia. This led to the birth of many children, children that Uranus didn’t want. They were the twelve Titan gods, the three Cyclops and the three Hecatonchires. The first children, the twelve Titans, were immortal beings of incredible sizes, formidable strength and unmatchable endurance. They ruled during the Golden Age and were considered the first gods, the Titan Gods. The three cyclops were giants similar to their elder siblings, but with a single eye in their forehead. They were known for their stubbornness, strength, might and craftmanship. The cyclopses were responsible for the craft of many of the mythical weapons from Greek mythology. The three Hekatonchires were ferocious and dangerous powerful giants with one hundred arms and fifty heads each. Uranus hated them at the first sight and was fearful that these powerful creatures would grow up and eventually overthrow him as the only ruler of the Cosmos.
Cronus Oceanus Coeus Crius Hyperion Iapetos Theia Rhea Themis Mnemosyne Phoebe Tethys
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Hateful and disgusted with his children the three Hekatonchires, and fearful of the Cyclops, Uranus locks them deep beneath Gaia, in Tartarus. In anger, Gaia asks the Titans to punish their father for his actions. Only Cronus, the youngest and most wicked of all the Titans, answers to her plead. With a stone sickle created from Gaia, Cronus waits for the night, and as Uranus descends to Earth to mate with Gaia, Cronus castrates him and throws his genitals into the sea. From the drops of Uranus blood on the Earth, the Erinyes (Furies or gods of vengeance), the Gigantes (Giants) and the Meliai (ash-tree nymphs) are born. And from the white foam that spread from the immortal flesh of Uranus’ testicles, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, arises. Uranus swore vengeance upon the Titans and retreats to become the mere sky above the Earth. As aconsequence to these events, Nyx (Night) gives birth to Moros (Doom), Moirai (Fate), Thanatos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep), Oneiroi (Dreams), Momos (Blame), Oizys (Misery), Nemesis (Retribution), Apate (Deceit), Philotes (Affection), Geras (Ageing) and Eris (Strife). Among other dark spirits and nymphs.Then it is Eris,
Nyx’s offspring, who gives birth to more dark personifications: Ponos (Toil), Lethe (Oblivion), Limos (Famine), the Algos (Sorrows), the Makhai (Fights), the Hysminai (Battles), the Phonoi (Murders), the Androktasia (Manslaughter), the Neikea (Quarrels), the Pseudologos (Lies), the Amphilogia (Disputes), Dysnomia (Lawlessness), Ate (Ruin) and Horkos, the curse of those who make false oaths. Among the Titans, more couples are formed and more children are born. Oceanus and Tethys have three thousand rivers and three thousand Oceanid nymphs. Theia and Hyperion have Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon) and Eos (Dawn). Pallas and the Oceanid Styx have Zelus (Zeal), Nike (Victory), Cratos (Strength) and Bia (Force). Iapetos and Klymene, another Oceanid nymph, have Atlas, Menoetius, Prometheus, and Epimetheus (all important names in Greek mythology). The purpose of the second generation seems to be one of completing the Earth with all the essential elements and concepts that are part of it. From the deathless gods and their descendants, many more deities and minor gods were born.
SHAPING THE WORLD 7.
THEGENERATION THIRD Now ruler of the Cosmos, Cronus reimprisons his younger brothers in Tartarus. Uranus and Gaia had prophesied to Cronus that one day, one of his children would overthrow him. When he marries Rhea, to make sure that the prophecy would never be fulfilled, Cronus swallows each of the children Rhea births: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. To avoid the swallowing of Zeus, her sixth son, Rhea pleads to Gaia for help. Gaia then devises a plan for Rhea to trick Cronus, by giving him a huge stone in a blanket to swallow instead of Zeus. Cronus takes the bait, and Rhea then hides Zeus deep in a cave where he was to be raised by nymphs. Eventually Zeus grows up, and with the help of Gaia, comes up with a plan to make Cronus regurgitate his brothers and sisters. Zeus then rebels against the Titans to overthrow Cronus, an act that leads to a 10-year war. The Titans were many and powerful, but cunning Zeus goes deep into Tartarus and releases the Cyclops and the Hekatonchires, forming an alliance with them. The Cyclopes provide Zeus with his famous thunderbolts and the Hekatonchires use their power to ambush the Titans. Together with his siblings and their newfound allies, Zeus ends up victorious, locks most of The Titans in Tartarus, and becomes the new omnipotent god, ruler of the Cosmos.
During his reign, Zeus has many wives, sons and daughters, through a long and confusing lineage, not at all times clear. Eventually it all leads to the Twelve Olympians, which are the twelve gods of the main Greek pantheon. From the original six brothers and sisters, Hades becomes the god of the underworld in Tartaturs and is excluded from Mount Olympus. Hestia also gives up her place to a younger god of a later generation, Dionysus. The Twelve Olympians: Zeus (God of the Thunder) Hera (Goddess of Marriage) Poseidon (God of the Sea) Demeter (Goddess of Agriculture) Dionysus (God of Wine) Apollo (God of Light) Artemis (Goddess of the Hunt) Hermes (Messenger of the gods) Athena (Goddess of Wisdom) Ares (God of War) Aphrodite (Goddess of Love) Hephaestus (God of Blacksmithing)
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It is during Zeus’ reign that the mortals are created as a means to amuse the gods. This task is given to Prometheus and Epimetheus, two lesser titans that sided with Zeus during the war for control of the Cosmos. Prometheus shapes men and the other animals out of mud, while Athena, goddess of Wisdom and daughter of Zeus and one of his many wives, breathes life onto them. Epimetheus was handed a set of gifts and the task of distributing them through the various mortal creatures, like strength, agility, fur, flight and many others. When he got to man though, he had no more good gifts to give. Prometheus, who was particularly fond of man, promptly arranged new gifts in order to protect them in this new kingdom. He stole Athena’s reason and Hephaestus’ fire (another son of Zeus and the blacksmith of the gods), and gave them to man. Zeus has also decreed that man had to gift the gods a portion of every animal that they sacrificed. Prometheus, as the protector of man, gives Zeus the choice of his part of men’s sacrifices: the hide of an animal, whose good meat was concealed inside; or its bones, that ware carefully wrapped in juicy fat. Zeus chooses the latter, and furious of the trick, takes fire away from man.
Prometheus loved the race of man above everything else, so contradicts Zeus, and once again gives man fire by lighting a torch from the sun and bringing it back to them. Zeus, deciding that Prometheus had gone too far, decides to punish man. Zeus has Hephaestus create a mortal of stunning beauty and curious nature. This creation was Pandora, the first woman. With Pandora he creates a gift as well, a box, which Pandora was forbidden to open no matter what. Completed, Zeus sends Pandora down to Epimetheus, who was staying amongst the men. Knowing of Zeus’ schemes, Prometheus warns Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Pandora’s beauty was too mesmerizing and Epimetheus allowed her to stay. Eventually, Pandora’s curiosity about the forbidden box becomes too great. She opens it, and from the box, all manner of evils, misfortunes and sorrows fly through the realm of man! However, there was still one good thing in the bottom of the box. Hope.Prometheus was eventually punished for his love for the mortals above the gods, and was chained to a rock, where an eagle would feast on his regenerating liver, every day, for all eternity.
PROMETHEOUS
& THE CREATION OF MAN
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And basically that was it. From the creation of the world and the first gods to the birth of humanity, these are the generally accepted events. The many names and intertwining story lines can become confusing; there are literally dozens of narratives and versions.
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Looking in terms of aesthetics, there is quite a range of different visual sources that represent ancient Greece and mythology – this is mainly down to the evolvement and development of Greece itself, and the stories. The artifacts and temples that have remained to preserve Greek culture over time seem to be the most dominant and obvious sources of evidence that present the aesthetics.
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VISUAL RESEARCH ANCIENT GREEK AESTHETICS
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CONTEMPORARY
DEPICTIONS
There are many great depictions, illustrations and artists impressions of the characters of mythology. Many of these show how Greek Mythology is seen nowadays in popular culture, but it is clear to see how these are inspired from the ancient portrayal of the gods, heros and creatures in artfacts, as well as the vivid descriptions in the myths.
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DESIGN
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DIRECTION
Looking in terms of a direction for design, the branding & identity of children-targeted products focusing on education, interactivity and fun. As well as this, the products/ packaging that come from these brands that kids will want to engage with - picture books, activity packs, physical or digital games, websites, flash cards or apps.
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