Myths

True or false:

Myths in some form exist in many different cultures around the world.

• true

• false

True or false:

Only one type of myth exists for one genre. For example, there is only one creation myth shared by all cultures.

• true

• false

Myths have all of the following characteristics except

• Feature gods or other supernatural beings who often show human characteristics like love or anger.

• Reveal the consequences of human errors

• Explain how something came to be

• Were passed down by scribes who carefully translated each story

What is a creation myth?

• A nonfiction explanation about how the world began.

• A fictional story about how the world began.

• A story told by animals.

• A story told by mystical creatures.

What is a hero myth?

• A fictional tale explaining actions of gods, goddesses or heroes.

• A fictional tale about a larger than life hero.

• A true story about gods and goddesses.

• A story with only animal characters.

What types of questions are addressed by myths?

• What is the meaning of life?

• What do gods and heroes do?

• What are the origins of natural items?

• What happens on long quests or journeys?

What did the ancient Greeks value, based on their myths? (Hint: Pandora and Hercules).

• Physical attractiveness

• Being yourself

• Being brave

• Being strong, both mentally and physically

Creation myths tell how the world and human beings came to exist

• False

• True

Origin myths explain how...

• Phenomena such as earthquakes, mountains, and streams came to exist

• How the world came to be

The purpose of a myth is to

• scare the audience.

• give another perspective on life.

• teach humans to love another no matter what.

• entertain, inform, and/or explain.