02.27 - Norse Creation Story

At the beginning of class today, we reviewed our discussion from yesterday and revisited the world map to look at the location of the Norse creation myth (see below). We also talked about a question that came up yesterday with respect to why people have different skin colors if the human race started out in one location (click the link for an explanation)

(the yellow pin in the upper center of the picture marks the general region of this story)

In class, we also talked about how population was very different at the time in which these stories were written. Around 8,000 BCE the world's population was about 5 million people. Today (as of around 2014 CE) the world's population is about 7 billion (click here to see this information as a graph).

Everyone then had about 20 minutes to complete a creation note sheet for the Norse myth.

We then spent about 10 minutes discussing and comparing the Babylonian/Sumerian creation story and the Norse creation story. Everyone handed in their note sheets for these stories at the end of class.

Handouts:

Hindu creation story

Creation story note sheet
Creation story note sheet instructions

Homework:

Read the Hindu creation story on pages 325-330 in the World Mythology book.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

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02.26 - Before Creation - the time of the Mother

Everyone had the first 20 minutes of today's class to work on the creation note sheet for the Babylonian creation story.

The Babylonian and Greek/Roman creation stories both feature a male deity overthrowing a female deity at the beginning of time. As we talked about yesterday, this transition can be seen as a transition from living as part of nature (with the female archetype representing nature) to living in a civilization separate from nature (with the male archetype representing order and civilization).

Today, in class we looked at these stories in their geographic and historic context. To do this, we looked at where the stories were first told (Greece, Rome and then Babylon/Sumeria) and then how these locations factored into human migration across the globe. Maps of the regions for Greece/Rome and Babylon/Sumeria are below.

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The Babylonian creation stories were created and told by the Babylonians living (roughly) in the area of present day Baghdad, Iraq.

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The Greek and Roman creation story was told by people living in the area living (roughly) in the area from present-day Rome to Athens.

Next, we went through the interactive map of human migration created by the Bradshaw Foundation and Stephen Oppenheimer. You can view this interactive map here.

The final step of this map occurs at the agricultural revolution which was about 10,000 years ago (or 8,000 BCE). The Babylonian/Sumerian creation story would have been written at this time or a few thousand years later. Our first reference of it is by Hammurabi around 4,000 BCE and it is likely the story existed for some time before then. 

(click image to enlarge)

Since these stories were written at around the time of the agricultural revolution, the time spoken of as being "before" in the time of the Mother goddess figure is the 140,000 years where people were living in hunter/gatherer societies and migrating across the planet. 

While the stories we are reading are old and date back to the beginning of human civilization, the science behind this research shows us that the time of the "Mother" archetype stretches back 140,000 years and the time of the "Father" (civilization) archetype begins in the last 10,000-8,000 years.

With the remaining time in the period, everyone began reading the Norse creation story.

Handouts:

Norse creation story (also available in the World Mythology text, pages 205-213)

Creation story note sheet
Creation story note sheet instructions


Homework:

If you did not finish reading the Norse creation story in class and completing the note sheet, do so for class.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

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02.25 - Greece/Rome Creation Story

At the beginning of class today, everyone had time to finish their creation story note sheet for the Greek and Roman creation story. We then came together as a large group to discuss this story. From here, we ended up breaking into groups of three to look at mapping the people and action of the story with a focus on looking not just at the names of the gods involved, but the powers that they represent.

Each group mapped out the events covered in the creation story taking note of what each god represented. We then looked at and discussed these maps to see what message Greeks and Romans were communicating about powerful forces in life.

These maps showed a progression from broad, earthly forces (Chaos, earth, the sky) to more specific, human forces (foresight, love, wisdom). The conflict between the forces showed that the newer, more human-like gods can use their powers of civilization to defeat the old gods and tame the enemies of the old gods (the cyclops, the hundred-handed giants).

In the remaining time in class, we began reading the Babylonian creation story.

Handouts:
Babylonian creation story (also found on pg. 148-158 in the World Mythology text)
Creation story note sheet
Creation story note sheet instructions


Homework:

Finish reading the Babylonian creation story.
Be prepared to complete the creation story note sheet for this story in class tomorrow.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

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02.24 - Grade Reports / Creation Stories (Greece and Rome)

At the beginning of class today, we had a quick check in around what people did for break. Everyone had four minutes to chat with a partner. We then went around and each group shared out one of the things they had learned about their partners vacation (the instruction slide from class is below).

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I handed out grade report sheets for the assignments completed so far for quarter 3 and returned work that was handed in just before vacation.

Our work with the creation stories for Greece and Rome had been disrupted before break so everyone had the period to finish reading and completing the note sheet for this creation story. People who finished this work with time left in the period could work on completing or revising assignments from their grade report sheet as necessary.

Handouts:
Greece/Rome Creation Story
Creation story note sheet
Creation story note sheet instructions


Homework:

If you did not finish reading the Greek/Roman creation story in class and completing the note sheet, do so for class.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

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2/12 - Origin Myths: Rome and Greece

We started today's class by finishing the discussion we started yesterday from the jigsaw questions that people were sharing out on from the Parallel Myths reading.

From here, we transitioned to looking at the first of the origin myths which we will be looking at as part of a series of origin myths. In looking at these myths/legends we will break the story into its significant parts using the creation stories note sheet. This sheet is designed to be sort of like one of those butcher diagrams for livestock that help you identify (and then actually get into) the important meaty parts of a story/cow.

The creation story note sheet is like this, except for stories and not cows

Everyone had the rest of the period to read the Greek/Roman creation story and complete the creation stories note sheet. While people read the stories, I handed out copies of our myth book that people can keep at home for the duration of the course (we have other copies of the book that we can keep in class so that people don't have to bring them back and forth from home and school).

Handouts:
Greece/Rome Creation Story
Creation story note sheet
Creation story note sheet instructions


Homework:

If you did not finish reading the Greek/Roman creation story in class and completing the note sheet, do so for class.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

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02.11 - Paralell Myths

In class today, we were looking at the introduction to the book Parallel Myths which discusses the significance and importance of myths in our everyday lives. We read the first part of this introduction together as a class.

Next, people worked individually or with a partner to read the other sections of the introduction with an eye towards answering some guiding questions that were posed through the jigsaw sheet handed out in class.

We then came back together as a group and people shared out what their section was about and what they came up with for answers to the questions. We will complete the last two sections of this jigsaw tomorrow. Everyone will receive credit as a speaking and listening grade for their sharing out in this activity.

Handouts:
Parallel Myths reading
Parallel Myths jigsaw questions


Homework:

If you were not in class today, look at the Parallel Myths jigsaw questions read the Parallel Myths reading.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

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02.10 - Revisions and Snow White Archetypes

Today in class, we were focused on revising and completing assignments that we have worked on so far this quarter.

I handed out grade report sheets and then returned assignments. We reviewed class performance on the assignment (see below) and then everyone had about ten minutes to revise, complete, and/or aim for the 100 level on the assignment.

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Next, we returned to working with the archetypes practice in the Snow White story. We came together as a group and discussed what people came up with for responses regarding the colors red, white, and black as well as the idea of cannibalism.

Handouts:
Introduction to Archetypes and Jung 
Snow White Archetype Practice

Homework:

If you were not finished with the Snow White archetypes practice sheet or want to revise your responses, do so for homework.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

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02.04 - Jung's Archetypes

We started today's class with a review of yesterdays discussion. Then we discussed the examples that people had written down for the "anima" and "mother" archetypes covered yesterday.

Next, we finished reading about Jung's archetypes and then looked at the list of archetypes on the last page and went through the list identifying and discussing different examples of these archetypes from stories that people knew (i.e. Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, "The Legend of Zelda," comic books, etc).

Next, we read a version of the Snow White story paying particular attention to specific aspects of the story and noting what their symbolic value was. We will then focus on how the symbolism of these aspects advance the plot of the story.

Handouts:
Introduction to Archetypes and Jung 
Snow White Archetype Practice


Homework:

Re-read the Snow White story and take note of what you think the different archetypes represent.

If you have not done so already, finish your one page response regarding the message in Regina Spektor's song "Samson".

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

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02.03 - Jung's Archetypes

At the beginning of class today, we reviewed the material we covered last class with respect to the Samson stories. This lead us back to the prompt for the Regina Spektor song. In class, we discussed some of the significant differences between the song and the traditional telling found in The Bible and even the song version by Reverend Gary Davis.

I explained the role of the song as having the following significance:

1 - It is an interesting reflection of how cultural stories/myths/legends are told and re-told over time by different people. Being aware of the deeper stories enhances our appreciation of the newer works (like Spektor's song "Samson").

2 - In this version of the song, Spektor has changed the story and is claiming that somewhere deeper in the story "lies [the] truth" (3). As we progress through our study of mythology, it's worth thinking that while some of these stories may seem too fanciful to have ever been true, others may have real truth buried within them. Over time, people have heaped other details into the story that might not be true. We can think of this as "poetic truth" or what feels real or important even if it is not factually true. These sorts of truth are what compel people to tell these stories over and over again.

As an example of this poetic truth, we could imagine that maybe, just maybe, there was once a guy named "Samson" and he was really tough, like a linebacker, and maybe a great warrior. Maybe this guy got interested in a woman named Delilah and he stopped fighting or lost a few fights because his mind was elsewhere. Over time the story got added to and changed until it became just this fantastic story to tell that felt right and that people identified with even if it didn't hold with things as they really happened. That's the poetic truth that we will be looking at across cultures.

Today, we also started with a packet that outlines Carl Jung's work around archetypes. We read a packet that explains how his philosophy works. In class, we read through the "anima" and "the mother." For homework, people were identifying examples of the "anima" and "the mother" from stories with which they are familiar and then discussing how those types fit Jung's model. We'll finish working with this material tomorrow.

Handouts:
Introduction to Archetypes and Jung


Homework:

Identify examples of the "anima" and "the mother" from stories with which you are familiar and then discussing how those types fit Jung's model.

Complete your one page response to yesterday's prompt for Spektor's song "Samson".

1.31 - Samson and Delilah

At the beginning of class today, we reviewed the correct answers for the world mythology/legend sorting activity to see which ones people got correct and which partner grouping got the most correct.

Next, we reviewed yesterday's reading of the Samson stories from The Bible by looking at more modern tellings of the story. First, we looked at the blues song "Samson and Delilah" as performed by Reverend Gary Davis (see song/video below). This discussion lead us to looking at the song "Samson" by Regina Spektor which further reinterprets the story (see song/video below). Discussion questions associated with each song helped us to focus our discussion which lead to the following one page essay prompt:

What message do you feel Spektor intends to communicate to her audience through her adaptation of the Samson and Delilah story?

Explain your response by referring to specific words, phrases, and images in the song.

Your response should be a minimum of 1 page.

Handouts:

"Samson and Delilah" by Reverend Gary Davis w/ processing questions

"Samson" by Regina Spektor w/ processing questions

Homework:

Respond to the one page response prompt looking at the song "Samson" by Regina Spektor.