Transcript Myths, Legends, and Tales

Myths, Legends, and Tales
A myth is a story that was created to explain the
mysteries of the universe.
A legend is a story handed down from the past
that is believed to be based on real people and
events.
A tall tale is a humorous story about events and
characters that are exaggerated.
Model 1: Myth
“How Day and Night Came”
1. What mysteries of the natural world
does the myth explain?
The myth explains why chipmunks have
stripes on their backs.
2. Describe the plan the chipmunk
devises to divide day and night.
The chipmunk’s plan is modeled after the
rings on the raccoon’s tail.
Sal Fink
1. What qualities make Sal Fink “larger
than life”?
Her talents and skills are known far and
wide. She is able to ride on the back of
an alligator and duel with a thunderbolt.
2. What else has Sal done that seems
unbelievable or exaggerated?
Sal has outraced a steamboat using a
much smaller boat with no engine.
Part 2: What Can Stories Teach
Us?
Cultural Values are the ideas and beliefs that
are honored by a particular culture.
1. Consider how the gods respond to
Philemon’s actions. What can you infer about
the kinds of behaviors that were rewarded in
ancient Greek culture?
The Greeks rewarded kindness and generosity
toward everyone, even strangers. The probably
frowned upon selfishness.
Baucis and Philemon
2. Reread the boxed text. What does it tell you
about how the Greeks felt about their gods?
“To have spoken with the immortals face to face
is a things few men can boast of…”
Philemon feels both humbled and proud to know
that he is one of the few people who have had
the opportunity to speak with the gods face to
face. This shows that Greeks honored and
valued the gods.
Part 3: Analyze the Literature
Ancient Greek myths are more than 3,000
years old, so why are we still drawn to
them? With their mighty heroes, flawed
gods and goddesses and supernatural
events, Greek myths still have the power
to entertain.
The Story of Ceres and Proserpina
pg. 647
• Classical myths are ancient stories that
were used to explain the world of gods
and goddesses who ruled over it. Passed
down by word of mouth for generations,
these myths:
– Explain how something in the world, such as
the seas or mountains, came to be.
– Feature gods, goddesses, and other beings
with extraordinary powers.
Reading Skill: Recognize Cause and Effect
• The events of a story are often linked by
cause-and-effect relationships. That is,
one event acts as a cause, directly
bringing about another event, or effect.
The effect might, in turn, be the cause of
another effect, creating a chain of events.
• However, these beings often have the
same emotions and weaknesses as
humans.
After reading…
1. How long does Ceres search for
Proserpina before Hecate visits her?
Ceres searches for nine days. Hecate
visits her on the tenth day.
After reading…
2. How does the myth explain the
changing of the seasons?
When Proserpina lives in the underworld
with Pluto, her mother is so upset that she
does not allow the crops to grow, and the
seasons change to fall and winter. When
Proserpina lives on Earth, Ceres is happy,
and the seasons turn to spring and
summer.
After reading…
3. In what ways does this myth
demonstrate the gods’ influence over
people on Earth? Explain.
The people depend on Ceres for their
crops, and they bring gifts and offerings to
Jupiter. The changing seasons show that
the quarrels of the gods can affect life on
Earth.
After reading…
4. Why might a story about the power of
love and loss be used to help explain
the change of seasons?
Love is such a strong emotion that it is
easy for people to relate to the joy and
heartache of love to changes in the natural
world. People also tend to associate fall
and winter with sorrow and loss, and
spring and summer with happiness.
After reading…
5. What power do the following gods have?
Jupiter-other gods do his bidding, and
Ceres seems powerless against him
Ceres-goddess of grain
Pluto-keeps Proserpina in the underworld
for half of every year