The Interpretation of Greek Mythology - Essay Example

The Interpretation of Greek Mythology Introduction Ancient Greeks had a body of legends and myths concerning their heroes, gods and the world. Myths also existed on the significance and origin of rituals and cults. Myths served a religious, social and philosophical aspect of life for the Greeks. They played a part in traditional and modern day religion worldwide. They were crucial in developing and understanding civilization, and the nature and process of making myths. Greek myths are embodied in a collection of arts and narratives. They attempt to give details on the origin of the universe and life, and the lives of various mythical creatures, goddesses, heroines and heroes (Alhadari, p. 3). Greek myths related to philosophical, cultural, religious and social ideas. Greek mythology exerted extensive power on the arts, culture and literature of societies worldwide. They remain an integral aspect of Western language and heritage. Artists gained tremendous influence for their work from ancient Greek mythology. This led to the discovery of relevance and contemporary significance of Greek mythology (Bremmer, p. 5). Mythology occupied the heart of daily life and given a historical regard by the Ancient Greeks. Myths explained cultural differences, natural incidents, friendship and traditional enmities. People took pride when tracing their descent from a legendary god or hero. Genuine mythical elements exist in stories, and the most illuminating or complete version is not given by a single author. However, while searching for the most complete version, the most ancient written or oral source is not always accurate or authoritative (Graves, p. 3). Myths served the purpose of binding people within the society. For instance, in early Europe their existed no god and the Greek gods and goddesses took center stage. People regarded the Greek supernatural beings as changeless, omnipotent and immortal. The ideologies of fatherhood did not exist in ancient Europe. Greek goddesses according to the myths took lovers for their own pleasure; not for fatherly reasons (Alhadari, p. 4). Men and society in general adored, obeyed and feared the matriarch; the goddesses’ motherhood was reserved with prime mystery. The Greek gods and goddesses received human sacrifices, and their image preserved in a dignified manner (Bremmer, p. 8). The three phases of the moon (fresh, filled, and elderly) according to the myths represented the maiden, nymph and late life stages. The sun’s yearly courses similarly represented ascend and decline of the gods and goddesses physical abilities. They united people because of their association with seasonal changes in both human, plant and animal life. As a result of the seasonal changes, Earth appeared to produce leaves, then bud, flowers and fruit, and die. People united in ensuring that Earth remained productive all year round (Bremmer, p. 12). Early Greek ancient gods manifested in animal form and closely connected with plants, trees, earth and water. They dwelt in earth unlike the Olympian gods who dwelt in heaven. Feminine essence dominated prehistoric religion, and women held high divine ranks. Myths portrayed an impression of suppression of male deities by other deities. The rise of prose, history and philosophy led to an uncertain fate of myths. History replaced mythological genealogies on conceptions that excluded supernatural beings (Alhadari, p. 4). The rise of this knowledge led to the distortion of myths as each historian or narrator sought to give a version that suited their interests. This led to few philosophers dismissing the interpretations as blasphemous lies (Alhadari, p. 2). The Hellenistic age saw mythology take a prestigious and elitist dimension. The possessors of the knowledge of mythology belonged to a prestigious and elitist class. The Classical age came with skepticism with myth studiers such as Euhemerus seeking to establish the historical basis of mythical events and beings. Deities in ancient Greece were distinguished as either the gods of nature, poet and gods of the city. The god of nature personified phenomena such as fire and rain. The god of poets stirred passions while the god of the cities enlightened and soothed the population (Alhadari, p. 4). Ancient Roman mythology emerged from copying many Greek gods. Romans had modest mythology, and they inherited Greek mythologies. This shows the importance of Greek myths both to the Greeks and to the neighboring societies. Therefore, the Roman deities adopted the characters of their Greek equivalent. The Roman gods Zeus and Jupiter exemplify this overlap. However, further Roman association with the religion led to more overlapping of the gods (Graves, p. 2). Influences of Greek Mythology Men activities included art, craft, politics, agriculture, trade, manufacturing and construction. Agriculture was the chief economic activity for the male folk in the society. The rich and well off in the society did not do the actual farming but oversaw the cultivation of their vast tracts of land (Graves, p. 5). Another important theme for men was warfare. Greek women lacked political rights and men controlled almost all their life stages. Women duties included child-bearing and maintenance of the household. Women in rural areas took part in farming activities. The women raised the children, weaved, sew and spin, and supervised household chores (Bremmer, p. 9). Religion played a crucial part in Ancient Greek. People worshipped and believed deities to appear in human form. They possessed superhuman strengths and capabilities, and endless beauty. A deity protected each of the Greek cities and worshipped specially. Though most sanctuaries honored many deities, one god dominated the worship place. They interacted with humans, and a range of other minor gods and legendary characters (Bremmer, p. 9). Deities received gifts from the worshippers. The gods received gifts for things that had happened, or for the anticipated happening. Gifts were also given for crimes involving impiety, breach of religion and blood guilt. People gave gifts in response to cult demands or voluntarily. This implied that the donor fulfilled an honor and religious vow for their custom. The gifts were displayed and latter discarded. Such gifts included bronze, figurines, prize cauldrons, vases and lamps (Alhadari, p. 3). People went to the extreme of donating body parts as a gesture of thanks. In Pan-Hellenic sanctuaries, Delphi and Olympia, people gave private body parts, structural monuments and costly materials. Ancient Greeks believed that whenever an individual dies their psyche, and breath left the body, and went to the Hades palace. They believed the psyche existed in a phantom image (Bremmer, p. 9). Conclusion Mythological beliefs dictated ancient Greek life. These beliefs influenced the society’s cultural, religious and economic activities. Ancient Greek deities were instrumental in fostering cohesiveness and peace in the society. Through myths, people took pride of association with influential religious figures and heroes. People also went to the same sanctuaries for worship. They also gathered together to hear and listen to mythical stories creating a binding force. References Alhadari, Ali. Meaning, Origin and Function of Myth: A Brief Survey. International Journal of Social Science. (2012). Page 1-6. Bremmer, Jan. Interpretation of Greek Mythology. Routledge. (2005). Page 1-13. Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths. The International Journal of Religion and Social Science. (1960, Revised 2007). Page 1-5. Read More