MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

MODULE 1

Nature of mythology and folklore

MYTHOLOGY

- It is the study of myths and the myths themselves, which are stories told as symbols of
fundamental truths within societies having a strong oral tradition.

FOLKLORE

- This includes the traditional elements of the way of life pf a group of people and creative
expressions developing naturally as part of this culture.

DEFINITION OF A MYTH

"Myth" from the Greek word mythos originally referred to an authoritative speech or a story.
More generally, a myth is a traditional story.
A story that is usually of unknown origin and a least partially traditional that ostensibly relates
historical events usually of such description as to serve to explain some particular event,
institution or natural phenomenon.
A myth is a story about gods, other supernatural beings, or heroes of a long past time.
Myths are certain products of the imagination of a people which take the form of stories.
Myth is a cognitive structure analogy to language through which primitive people organize their
experiences.
Myth is the symbolic form which is generated, shaped and transmitted by the creative
imagination of pre- and extra-logical people as they respond to and encapsulate the wealth of
experience.

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions briefly. (10 points each)

 Give at least five examples of a folklore?

 How does mythology relate to folklore?

The Nature of Myths

A myth is a traditional utterance (muthos) originating in the pre-literate periods, which is later
written down (almost always in the form of poetry), or conveyed through painting, song, drama,
or other art forms. Although some myths recount the story of gods and goddesses and their
 relations to humans, most myths are concerned rather with the interactions of human beings with
one another. A very small percentage of myths may have their roots in far-off historical events
(we tend rather to call these “sagas” or “legends,” which are especially common in the Roman
world), but most myths have no relation whatever to history—that is not their “purpose.” It is
difficult to explain the real “purpose” of any myth—much less myths as a whole—but I would
suggest that they are “art to think with.” What this means is that they present, in artistic format,
universal anxieties or concerns and, as such, contain a “truth” that may have nothing to do with
the “facts” of the world.

Characteristics of Myth

 Mythos – authoritative speech

- A story is narrative with plot
- It has beginning, middle and end.
- It contains character having certain mental imprints.
- It describes conflict, resolution and within

Three types of Myth

There are actually many different types of myth, not just three. In fact, there are several entire
theories of myth. Furthermore, the myths themselves are much more interesting than the theories.
For this reason, this textbook will not say very much about the theories of myth. But we don’t
want to ignore the theoretical study of myth entirely, so we will limit ourselves to discussing
only three types of myth.
 Aetiological Myths
- Aetiological myths (sometimes spelled etiological) explain the reason why something is the way
it is today. The word aetiological is from the Greek word aetion (αἴτιον) meaning “reason” or
“explanation”. Please note that the reasons given in an aetiological myth are NOT the real (or
scientific) reasons. They are explanations that have meaning for us as human beings. There are
three subtypes of aetiological myths: natural, etymological, and religious.
 A natural aetiological myth explains an aspect of nature. For example, you could
explain lightning and thunder by saying that Zeus is angry.
 An etymological aetiological myth explains the origin of a word. (Etymology is the
study of word origins.) For example, you could explain the name of the goddess,
Aphrodite, by saying that she was born in sea-foam, since aphros is the Greek word for
sea-foam.
 A religious aetiological myth explains the origin of a religious ritual. For example, you
could explain the Greek religious ritual of the Eleusinian Mysteries by saying that they
 originated when the Greek goddess, Demeter, came down to the city of Eleusis and
taught the people how to worship her.
 All three of these explanations are not true: Zeus’ anger is not the correct explanation for
lightning and thunder; Aphrodite’s name was not actually derived from the Greek
word aphros; and Demeter did not establish her own religious rituals in the town of Eleusis.
Rather, all of these explanations had meaning for the ancient Greeks, who told them in
order to help them understand their world.
 2. Historical Myths
 Historical myths are told about a historical event, and they help keep the memory of that event
alive. Ironically, in historical myths, the accuracy is lost but meaning is gained. The myths about
the Trojan War, including the Iliad and the Odyssey, could be classified as historical myths. The
Trojan War did occur, but the famous characters that we know from the Iliad and
the Odyssey (Agamemnon, Achilles, Hector, etc.) probably did not exist.
 3. Psychological Myths
 Psychological myths try to explain why we feel and act the way we do. A psychological myth is
different from an aetiological myth because a psychological myth does not try to explain one
thing by way of something else (such as lightning and thunder can be explained by Zeus’ anger).
In a psychological myth, the emotion itself is seen as a divine force, coming from the outside,
that can directly influence a person’s emotions. For example, the goddess, Aphrodite, is
sometimes seen as the power of erotic love. When someone said or did something that they did
not want to do, the ancient Greeks might say that Aphrodite “made them” do it.

Mythology serves many purposes.

 Myths grant continuity and stability to a culture.

 Myths presents guidelines for living.
 Myths justify a culture’s activities.
 Myths give meaning to life.
 Myths explain the unexplainable.
 Myths offer role models.

FOLKLORE

folklore is made of two words: folk, which means regional people, and lore, which
means stories. Therefore, folklore reflects stories told by people in a particular region.
Folklore can define a population’s values, beliefs, and preferred way of life with its
literary themes.

Coined in 1846 by William John Toms, it is simply the lore (stories and cultural
behaviors) shared by a particular folk (or group of people).
Folklore is the traditions, custom, and stories that are passed down within a culture
 There is still no universally definition of the word “folklore” but any bit of knowledge
handed down from generation to generation which describes or depicts the beliefs and
lifestyles of the ancestors of a chosen ethnic group, is render unique to that group, and is
respected as Folklore. ---Dr. DamianaEugenio

Types of folklore

Fables

 A brief story that teaches a lesson about human nature, which is called the moral of the
story.

Folktales

 Also known as fairy tales.

 They are stories that have been passed from generation to generation by word of mouth.
 It also displays a great deal of magic

Trickster tales

 These are folktales that reflect a respect for cleverness. There is always one character that plays a
trick on another.

Legend

 Are stories hand down from past about specific person- usually someone considered heroic.
 They are usually on a real person or event in history.

 Folklore and mythology as discipline focuses on the study of society, past or present, through its
cultural documents and artifacts- its folklore- and uses a variety of methodologies drawn from
the humanities and social sciences to understand them.

 mythology plays an important role is because it becomes a foundation for a lot of religions that
are practiced. These particular myths are stories that tell us about battles between good and
evil. Every religion has stories like that, both ancient and modern.

Exercise 2: Do what is asked.

1. What is the essence of studying mythology and folklore?

2. What do you think is the most important purpose of mythology and folklore?
 Module 2
MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

What is storytelling?

 It is the art to tell stories in order to angage an audience. The storyteller conveys a message,
information and knowledge, in an entertaining way. Literary techniques and non-verbal language
are his/her tools.

THE FUNDAMENTALS AND BASIC TECHNIQUE OF STORYTELLING

1. Include a beginning, middle and end.

 This occurs at every level. Just as a trilogy has three parts, so does an individual story have a
beginning, middle and end. The same goes each and every scene within that story. How can you
tell the difference between a beginning, middle and end? A beginning sets up the story. It’s a
blueprint or road map to the rest of the plot. In a good story it won’t be obvious.
The middle develops the story from the point of setup to the climax. It plays out the “promise of
the premise” and shows how the new status quo introduced at the end of act one affects the world
of the story. This takes us to the end. An ending centers around the obligatory confrontation
between protagonist and antagonist. It concludes by answering all the questions raised in the
story, even if the answers are new questions (aka, cliffhangers).

2. Show, don’t tell.

  Instead of telling the audience that something is happening, show them by devoting screen time
(or page time) to the illustration of these events. Telling (aka “summary”) is not very interesting
in comparison to the audience experiencing the same thing. You don’t need to state what is
going on directly. The audience will figure it out for themselves, and in so doing will create a
stronger bond with the story than if you simply told the audience that it happened.

3. One word: Conflict.

 Conflict is the natural result of one character’s desire intersecting an obstacle. Conflict increases
proportionally to the amount that each side pushes back. It drives the story forward and keeps the
audience interested. Without it, nothing in the plot would be worth mentioning because story
without conflict is not story, it’s summary.

4. Make your protagonist proactive, not reactive.

 The more proactive your protagonist is, the more invested in him/her your audience will be.
They will want what (s)he wants. A protagonist is proactive when (s)he is the one to take charge
and initiate events that advance the plot. The opposite of this is a reactive protagonist who
responds to events forced on him/her by the plot. A reactive protagonist will not only make the
audience feel like something is missing in your story, but they will fail to build a personal
connection with the protagonist as well.

5. Have a central core to your story.

 Your story ultimately needs to be about something, and that something is the central through-line
(also called the “spine”) around which everything in your story is based, especially the theme.
The central core brings unity and order to all the elements of your story.

6. Know what your story is about.

 It doesn’t matter if your story is based around a character, plot or theme. At some point you will
need to know what your story is about—not just at its core, but at every level—in order to weave
a story around it. For example, on the surface your story may be about a father-son road trip and
the hilarity that ensues, but underneath that veneer it’s actually about father-son relationships and
an estranged parent bonding with his troublesome child while also exploring other related
thematic material, such as what it means to be male in today’s society.
7. It is better to be simple and clear than complicated and ambiguous.

 Simplicity creates clear understanding in the minds of the audience. They won’t view it as overly
simplistic if it smoothly and adequately conveys your story. A common mistake storytellers use
is to try and tell too much without spending enough “screen time” on each segment. Set aside the
big picture to work on the simple steps needed to get there..

8. Say as much as possible with as little as possible.

 Convey maximum information using minimal text (story) to do it. Implicit over explicit. This
requires the use of subtext: whereas text is what is said, subtext is what is not said. Without
subtext, your story will be dull and shallow. Some subtext occurs naturally but very often you
have to work at it. For examples, a brother and sister talking about their lives at college
but not talking about the recent death of their father colors the scene very differently than if they
were just catching up like old friends. It also tells us their emotional state—that they aren’t ready
to confront the truth about their father’s death.

9. Get in late, get out early.

 Start as late as possible in your scene or story to provide both audience interest and optimal
conflict, and then end the scene as soon the conflict has run its course. This doesn’t mean
truncating valuable exposition or foregoing a beginning, but it does mean opening where the
vital information starts. And once the scene or story has said all there is that needs to be said, get
out! Don’t hang around and dawdle or you will be diluting your story’s final punch. For
example, the audience doesn’t need to witness an entire 4-hour board meeting. They only need to
see the handful of minutes that that count. In short: focus on where the action is happening.

10. Characters, characters, characters.

 Even if you have a plot-driven story, your characters are what make a story really shine. A bland
or passive protagonist makes for a boring story. Interesting and unique characters are
memorable, if not timeless, even when relegated to smaller roles. Go the extra mile to give each
character distinction, depth, and history. Consider writing character bios for each member of
your cast and see if it gives you further insight into how to portray them.

Exercise 1:

 How dos storytelling relates to mythology and folklore?

 What is the importance of developing the fundamentals skills of a good storyteller?

What is Graphic organizer?

A graphic organizer, also known as a knowledge map, concept map, story map, cognitive
organizer, advance organizer, or concept diagram is a pedagogical tool that uses visual symbols to
express knowledge and concepts through relationships between them. [1] The main purpose of a graphic
organizer is to provide a visual aid to facilitate learning and instruction

Types of organizers[edit]
Graphic organizers take many forms:

 Relational organizers
o Storyboard
o Fishbone - Ishikawa diagram
o Cause and effect web
o Chart
 Category/classification organizers
o Concept mapping
o KWL tables
o Mind mapping
 Sequence organizers
o Chain
o Ladder
o Cycle
 Compare contrast organizers
o Dashboard
o Venn diagrams
 Concept development organizers
o Story web
o Word web
o Circle chart
o Flow chart
 Options and control device organizers
o Mechanical control panel
o Graphical user interface

REASONS OF USING GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

  Improves Comprehension
When students write about the text that they are reading, comprehension improves. Graphic organizers
can be a key component in students organizing their thoughts and writing about the text. Rather than
assigning students an essay about a text that they have read, a graphic organizer can enable students to
break apart and write about the main elements of a story. Graphic organizers also help guide a young
learner to organize his/her thinking. By having this visual guide, learners are less likely to become
overwhelmed and are more likely to communicate their thoughts ideas.
 Students Enjoy Using Graphic Organizers
My students love using graphic organizers. There are several reasons for this. First, they know what to
do. I always take time to model how to use a graphic organizer before I assign it to my students. This is
a vital step that should never be skipped. Often, I simply model using the graphic organizer on the
digital projector or even simply draw the graphic organizer on the board and complete it with the class.
As a result, when I assign a graphic organizer to my students, they know and understand what is
expected; therefore, students are engaged and learning.

 3 Graphic Organizers Help Build Vocabulary

Graphic organizers are an excellent way to help students develop vocabulary skills. Vocabulary graphic
organizers can help learners visualize the connections between words and their meanings. Students are
able to better understand the meaning of words as well as make connections to the vocabulary word.

 Graphic Organizers Help Students Understand Text Structure

Graphic organizers are a great benefit when teaching text structure. Graphic organizers that focus on text
structures such as cause and effect, compare and contrast, sequence, and problem and solution, help
students understand how authors organize the text. Students are able to visually see the organizational
pattern of the text which enables them to better understand text structure.

 Graphic Organizers Help Students Analyze Characters

Graphic organizers can help students write about characters. Character traits, comparing characters,
explaining how characters respond to problems, and writing about how a character changes throughout a
story are just a few of the skills that are perfect to teach using graphic organizers.

Exercise 2:

 What is the main purpose of graphic organizer?

 What is the function of graphic organizer in a story?
 Draw the different kinds of graphic organizer and indicate its purpose.
 Module 3 MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

Introduction to Classical and Greek mythology

The mythology of the Greeks has had a profound influence on Western thought and literature.
The term “myth” is derived from the Greek mythos, which means “a spoken story,” “speech,” or simply
“the plot.” The fifth/fourth-century Athenian philosopher Plato contrasted mythos with the term logos,
meaning “account.” The teller of a logos takes personal responsibility for what they say, whereas the
speaker of a mythos relates a traditional story, one that is “handed down”; hence the Latin term trado—
to “hand over.” Aristotle came to equate mythos with fiction and see it as acting like the plot of a Greek
tragedy, capable of producing catharsis or “healing” through the shared experience of the audience.

Greek and Roman mythology is quite generally supposed to show us the way the human race
thought and felt untold ages ago. Through it, according to this view, we can retrace the path from
civilized man who lives so far from nature, to man who lived in close companionship with nature; and
the real interest of the myths is that they lead us back to a time when the world was young and people
had a connection with the earth, with trees and seas and flowers and hills, unlike any-thing we ourselves
can feel. When the stories were being shaped, we are given to understand, little distinction had as yet
been made between the real and the unreal.

Historical Periods of Ancient Greece

Early to Middle Bronze Age

(3000 to 1600 BCE)

• Beginning of Minoan Palace culture on Crete/Thera

• Cycladic culture in the Aegean

Late Bronze Age

(1600 to 1100 BCE)

• Mycenaean culture on Greek mainland

• Height of Minoan culture - 1400 BCE

• Destruction of Troy in 1250 BCE

Dark Age
(1100 to 800 BCE)

• Collapse of palace culture

Archaic Period

(800 to 480 BCE)

• Foundation of the polis city-state

• Colonization by Greeks

• Development of Greek writing

Classical Period

(480 to 323 BCE)

• Defeat of Persian forces led by Athens at Salamis in 480

• Development of democracy in Athens

• Emergence of history, philosophy, rhetoric, drama

Hellenistic Period

(323 to 31 BCE)

• Death of Alexander in 323 BCE

• Spread of Hellenic culture throughout Alexander’s former empire

• Conquest of Hellenic world by Rome—fall of Alexandria in 31 BCE

Exercise 1.

 Make a timeline outline about Historical Periods of Ancient Greece

Religion and Society

Much of Greek mythology deals with the actions of the gods, their involvement with mortals, and the
deeds of humans with divine ancestors.

How did the Greeks view their gods and in what way did religious practice, ritual, and sacrificial
cult interact with mythology? In this lecture we will examine these questions and take a look at the
changing face of Greek society as it developed through the ages and what effect this had on the telling of
myths.

The Greeks and Their Gods

Originally, the Greeks seemed to have viewed their gods as elemental forces. Zeus is a sky god
and Hera represents the earth. As Greek culture develops and human individuality becomes more
important, the gods are seen as anthropomorphic and take on human form. The gods come to take on
attributes of human traits and emotions, such as Athena, who stands for wisdom and moderation. Greek
gods were not held to any moral standard, and ancient mythology is full of the sexual, duplicitous,
mischievous, and downright malevolent antics of the gods. Mortals observed the gods more out of a fear
of divine retribution. They believed they had to avoid displeasing them and to not incur their terrible
wrath. The Greek gods were worshipped via rituals and sacrificial cult. Their temples were built on
hilltops and adorned externally in order that all members of the community could see them at all times
and be mindful of that particular deity. Different gods were worshipped in a variety of temples and
shrines—some cities placed more importance in certain “patron” gods. In Athens, for example, Athena
and Poseidon were held in special reverence. Communion via sacrifice was controlled by the clan chief,
the king, or a state representative. This important ceremony distributed meat to the community, disposed
of animal remains, and nourished the gods with the smoke of the burnt offering. Mythology was a part
of Greek religion and cult practice. Certain rituals “performed” mythological stories, and the
performance of myth in lyric poetry, epic, and tragedy was dedicated to the gods.

Exercise 2: Do what is asked

 What does cult ritual mean?

 Make a graphic organizer about the different gods mentioned above.
 What is the relationship between Hera and Zeus?
 Module 4 MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

A Brief Glossary of Greek Religion

Olympian

 The divine dynasty that rules from “above,” led by Zeus.

Chthonic

 The opposite of the Olympians. These are the spirits that are said to inhabit the earth or the
nether regions. Hecate and the Furies are both chthonic forces.

Libation

 A liquid offering to the gods or the dead. This could be water, wine or honey, olive oil and milk,
or a combination. A sponde was offered for heavenly protection, a choe to appease the dead or
chthonic forces.

Miasma Pollution

 A religious virus that could infect a whole community if not treated with ritual purification.
Oedipus is a prime example of a man with Miasma.

Oracles

 A cult shrine where mortals could receive divine guidance on the future. Apollo’s shrine at
Delphi was one of the most important oracles.

Divination

 In addition to consulting oracles, Greeks read signs, usually of birds in the sky, such as the omen
of the eagles in Aeschylus’ Agamemnon. They also examined the entrails of birds to seek to
understand divine will.

Sanctuaries

 Cult sites for worship and reverence, often sacred spaces clearly defined by strict rules of entry.

Hades

 The god of the underworld but also the place mortals went when they died, where they wandered
as shades. There were different beliefs of the afterlife, including reincarnation, a blessed
existence in Elysian, a transformation into a star, and diffusing into the ether.

Mystery Cults

 Cults of initiation that offered degrees of enlightenment. The most famous mystery cult was at
Eleusis near Athens.

Prayers
  The invocation of a particular deity, usually a reciprocal offer in which the person praying would
offer to perform a service or make an offering in return for a divine favor. Curses also operated
in similar fashion

Exercise 2.

 Pass a reflection paper about Greek religion

Greek Society

Greek mythology contains explanations of the divine and a collective memory of an earlier
human existence. These stories were handed down through the dark ages and many of them seem to
articulate moments from the Greek’s own historic past. These stories include the myth of the Trojan War
and myths of the city of Thebes.

As Greek society evolves, so does its mythology. As Greece emerges from the dark ages, there is
a reorganization of Greek society into the city-state, the development of new forms of warfare, and the
rise of novel systems of government.

Exercise 2.

 How did Greek religion differ from the main religions of today?
 How did the Greeks seek to learn the will of their gods?
 MODULE 1(1ST Week)

MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

MARIA FE C. SALISIG
INSTRUCTOR
 MODULE 2
2(2ND Week)

MYTHOLOGY AND
FOLKLORE

MARIA FE C. SALISIG
INSTRUCTOR
MODULE 3(3rd Week)

MYTHOLOGY AND
FOLKLORE

MARIA FE C. SALISIG
INSTRUCTOR
MODULE 4(4rth Week)

MYTHOLOGY AND
FOLKLORE

MARIA FE C. SALISIG
INSTRUCTOR