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Greek mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. It was a part of the religion in ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to and study the myths in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and its civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself.

Greek mythology is explicitly embodied in a large collection of narratives, and implicitly in Greek representational arts, such as vase-paintings and votive gifts. Greek myth attempts to explain the origins of the world, and details the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines and mythological creatures. 

 

Greek Mythology

There was a huge range of mythology books in the library, where I hadn't actually been before. Little did I know it could of come into use for a previous project of mine. However, there were so many different books on different mythology, Greek, Roman, Japanese, Egyptian etc. I chose the books that would be more useful to my project, and as a culture, Greek mythology is one of my favourites as majority of the gods and goddesses appear monster like, and I am very familiar with them from being told all of these myths throughout my childhood. It would benefit out of my project knowing the historical background of mythology in more than one culture. Knowing where these beasts come from has always interested me.

This image was scanned from the book, a very well known mythical creature called "Medusa" she appered as an ugly creature, who had serpents on her head, and turned people into stone. 

 

 

In Greek mythology, there is no single original text like the Christian Bible or the Hindu Vedas that introduces all of the myths’ characters and stories. Instead, the earliest Greek myths were part of an oral tradition that began in the Bronze Age, and their plots and themes unfolded gradually in the written literature of the archaic and classical periods. 

 

 

THE OLYMPIANS

At the center of Greek mythology is the pantheon of deities who were said to live on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. From their perch, they ruled every aspect of human life. Olympian gods and goddesses looked like men and women (though they could change themselves into animals and other things) and were–as many myths recounted–vulnerable to human foibles and passions.

 

 

The twelve main Olympians are:

  • Zeus (Jupiter, in Roman mythology): the king of all the gods (and father to many) and god of weather, law and fate

  • Hera (Juno): the queen of the gods and goddess of women and marriage

  • Aphrodite (Venus): goddess of beauty and love

  • Apollo (Apollo): god of prophesy, music and poetry and knowledge

  • Ares (Mars): god of war

  • Artemis (Diana): goddess of hunting, animals and childbirth

  • Athena (Minerva): goddess of wisdom and defense

  • Demeter (Ceres): goddess of agriculture and grain

  • Dionysos (Bacchus): god of wine, pleasure and festivity

  • Hephaistos (Vulcan): god of fire, metalworking and sculpture

  • Hermes (Mercury): god of travel, hospitality and trade and Zeus’s personal messenger

  • Poseidon (Neptune): god of the sea

 

 

Medusa , know by ancient greeks, to be one of the most terrifying creatures. According to the myth,she appeared once to of been a ravishing woman, every greek man wanted to posess her. She Couldn't get married as she was the goddess of war. 

 

God of the sea. Poseidon, in a fit of raw lust, ravishes the virgin priestess ( She was Known as a rape victim ). In the myth, the Goddess Athena curses Medusa without warning, she begins an agonising transformation , her skin cracks, and her long silky hair becomes a riving mess of deadly posionous serpents.

 

She is isolated from any social society, and whose face appeared so hideous that one glance upon it would turn anyone who saw it to stone.. She will have no interactions with anyone else.

Athena has basically confined medusa into solitary confinement for the rest of her life 

 

For the tragic crime of being raped, Medusa has lost her status , her beauty and her ability to look at anyone without killing them. She is banished to a remote island for life. 

Medusa

Mythical Gods and Goddesses

Pegasus is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa.

He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing when his mother was decapitated by Perseus. Greco-Roman poets write about his ascent to heaven after his birth and his obeisance to Zeus, king of the gods, who instructed him to bring lightning and thunder from Olympus.

 

Pegasus has appeared in several films, including the animated films Fantasia, Hercules, and Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus along with the stop motion film, Clash of the Titans, Clash of the Titans the remake version and, as a name only, in Johnny English and its sequel Johnny English Reborn.

 

 

Pegasus

Pegasus image taken from one of the pages within the Greek mythology book, was great to get an image from Secondary research. A character called Pegasus, a known white horse with wings that flew.

 

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