You have recently been hired by a museum curator
to recreate a vivid exposition of Greek mythology. To do so you must research
the era of these Gods, Heros, Titans and Creatures as well as the myths
pertaining to each.
Creation Myth
From Hesiod's Theogony (loosely interpreted):
In the beginning there was only Chaos, an empty void.
This huge vacancy gave birth to Gaea (the earth), to
Tartarus (the great region beneath the earth),
to Eros (the god of love and attraction, to Erebus (the darkness of
the underworld), and Night (the darkness over
the earth). Then Erebus slept with Night, who gave birth to Ether
(the heavenly light), and to Day (the earthly
light). Later Night alone produced Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep, Dreams, Nemesis,
etc. Meanwhile Gaea alone produced Uranus (the starry sky), the Mountains,
and Pontus (the sterile sea). Uranus became mate and equal to Gaea, because
he "covered" her on all sides. As a couple (he-sky, her-earth) they procreated
the Twelve Titans, the three Cyclopes, and the three Hecatoncheires (with
the fifty heads and hundred arms each). Uranus hated these latter children,
and they hated him. In anger he pushed them back into Gaea's womb and kept
them there. This was very painful for Gaea and she plotted revenge against
Uranus. She fashioned a flint sickle and called upon her children to avenge
her. All but Cronus, the youngest Titan, refused to help her for fear of
Uranus's wrath. That night, when Uranus came to lie with Gaea, Cronus,
hiding in ambush, was able to grab his father's genitals and sever them
with the flint sickle. As the blood fell to the earth the Furies, the Ash-Tree
Nymphs, and the Giants were created. When Cronus heaved the testicles into
the sea Aphrodite arose from the foam. We hear no more of Uranus in the
myths. Cronus then became leader of the Titans, and confined the Cyclopes
and the Hecatoncheires to Tartarus. He married his sister Rhea and they
produced many offspring. But Cronus had been warned by both Uranus and
Gaea that a child of his would replace him as leader of the Titans, so
when Rhea gave birth to a child and presented it to Cronus he would swallow
the baby. This is what happened to Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon
shortly after each was born. Rhea finally wised up, and when Zeus was born
she presented Cronus a stone wrapped in the swaddling clothes, which he
swallowed thinking it was the newest child. Zeus grew to manhood on the
island of Crete, attended to by nymphs. He sought and got advice from Metis,
another Titaness, who prepared an emetic potion for him. Soon, disguised
as a cupbearer, he was able to get Cronus to drink the potion. Cronus immediately
vomited up all the children he had swallowed, all safe and sound, and fully
grown. They overwhelmed Cronus and bound him as a prisoner in Tartarus.
And so the Olympians began their rule. (It took ten more years of strife
and wars between Titans, Olympians, Cyclopes, Hecatoncheires, assorted
monsters and dragons (like Typhoeus) before the rule of the Olympians was
solidified.)
Persephone:
The goddess of the underworld. Explaining the origines of the 4 seasons
List and describe the twelve labors of
Heracles (also known as Hercules in Roman Mythology) and explain why he
had to accomplish them.
Choose one God/Goddess, one hero, one titan and
one monster and describe who they were and in what myths they were involved.
Identify and briefly describe the twelve
Olympians and explaining what they represented.
Draw a detailed family tree of Zeus' most
important consorts and offspring.
Read a myth from either Roman, Norse, Mesopotamian
or Incan mythology and write a summary (setting, characters, plot, etc.)
of this particular myth.
Create a myth of your own paying particular attention
to the setting and characters. A lesson to live by may be included, for
instance the Flight of Icarus = rebellious teenagers.
The Process: 1. Five classes are permitted to accomplish
this assignment (you may do some tasks as homework providing
you have access to the internet).
2. Carefully read & research each task.
3. Accomplish each task and include them in a
duo-tang.
4. Your duo-tang must include a title page,
an index, a letter of presentation, the 5 tasks, a conclusion and a bibliography.
5. Your duo-tang must be handed in December 17,
2003.
Assessment:
Each task is worth 10%
-0.2 pts per spelling/ grammar error
-20% per day late
Conclusion:
The purpose of this mythology webquest was to explore the origines of different
types of myths while answering a large part of the learning outcomes outlined
in the English Language Arts curriculum
This page written by Jean-Luc Deveau,
English 10 , jldeveau@scolaire.ednet.ns.ca
Persephone:
The goddess of the underworld. Explaining the origines of the 4 seasons