Summary of "The Theft from the Sun" (Native American Mythology)

Summary of “The Theft from the Sun”

In Blackfoot mythology, there was a very foolish Old Man who tried to steal from the Sun. Old Man was traveling and the Sun asked him to stay at his lodge for a while. Together, Old Man and the Sun went hunting. Sun had a pair of leggings he wore while hunting that were decorated with porcupine quills and feathers. If you walked by brush when you wore them, they’d set fire to the brush scarring the deer out. Old Man wanted them, so at night, he stole the leggings. During his wandering at night, he fell asleep. When he woke up he realized that he was in Sun’s lodge again. The Sun asked Old Man why he had his leggings and Old Man told him that he was using them as a pillow. As soon as night fell, he stole the leggings again, however, he forgot that the whole world is the Sun’s lodge. When he awoke, Sun gave him the leggings. Immediately, when Old Man was out of food, he put the leggings on and went hunting. The fire Old Man started when he walked by the brush went out of control. He had to jump in water to take the leggings off and as a result of his foolishness the leggings were burnt up. Old Man realized it was for this reason, his foolishness for trying to steal from the Sun, that Sun may have did this.






“The Theft from the Sun.” Indian Mythology. 2006. 7 November 2008.
http://www.indianmythology.org/blackfoot/rock.htm#sun.

Hero Quest (application project)

The Hero Journey of Perseus.

Pitchford, Gareth. "Perseus and the Gorgon Myth Pack". CD-ROM. Primary Extra Online Store. 29 October 2008. http://www.primaryextra.co.uk/shop/index.php.

1. The Call to Adventure: The call to adventure is when the hero is given a task or job to do.

"He stood up before them all and did exactly what the King had hoped he would do, declared that he would give him a present better than any there. He would go off and kill Medusa and bring her head as his gift."

(Picture by me)

2. Companions and Super Natural Guides: Companions are the friends and sidekicks of the hero. Super natural guides are the aide that gives weapons, info, tools ect.

Companions: Danae- "... the winds and waves struck fear into her heart she put her arms, not without tears, 'round Perseus tenderly she said 'O Son, what grief is mine..."

(Photo by me)

Dictys- "... a fisherman named Dictys... They had no children and they cared for Danae and Perseus as if they were their own."

Guides: Athena- "But another great deity was at hand to help. Pallas Athena stood beside Perseus. She took off a shield of polished bronze... 'Look into this when you attack... You will be able to see here in it as in a mirror and so avoid her deadly power.'

Unknown Artist. "Athena" Unknown date of publication. Unknown medium. 29 October 2008. http://www.theoi.com/olympios/Athena.html.

Hermes- "... for he would know that this could be none other than Hermes... This radiant personage told him that before he attacked he must first be properlly equipped..."

hermes.mse.jhu.edu:8008/hermesdocs/

3. Initiation: Initiation is leaving behind the familiar and entering a world unknown.

"There were some fearsome monsters called Gorgons... Polydectes evidently talked to Perseus about them; he probably told him that he would rather have the head of one of them than anything else in the world."

(Photo by me)

4. Journey: The journey is the trials, tasks, or jobs of the hero.

-"To find the nymphs' abode, they must go to the Gray Women who alone could tell them the way."
- "He was bound, although he did not know it, to the blessed country of the Hyperboreans..."
- "Then he aimed a strike down at Medusa's throat and Athena guided his hand. With a single sweep he cut through her neck..."

http://www.clipartof.com/details/clipart/11314.html.

5. Ultimate Battle: The final battle, or test of the hero.

"He waited beside her untill the great snake came for it's prey; then he cut off it's head... Perseus took Andromeda to her parents and asked for her hand..."

(Photo by Me)

6. Boon: The Boon is a gift to be shared.

"Then before any could look away he held up the Gorgon's head; and at the sight one and all, the Cruel King and his servile courtiers, were turned into stone."

Photo from http://www.gods-heros-myth.com/graphics.perseus. (edited by me)

7. Transformation: Transformation is when the hero is altered someway in the final battle.

8. Death/Rebirth: Death and Rebirth is out with the old and in with the new.

9. Boon: Founder of Something New: The gift is shared with other people.

"He made Dictys king of the island... "

(Photo by Me)

Non-Verbal Representation of Pyramus and Thisbe

Myth Volcabulary

1. Myth is the tales of gods and goddesses, a symbolization of human experiences and a way of explaining why things are the way they are. An example would be the Demeter Persephone and Hades myth.
2. A hero is the founder of something new who models human behavior, fears death, is universal and helps the community. An example of a hero is Hercules
3. A hero journey cyclical, the hero goes through a transformation, a final battle, has companions and gives a boon or a gift to the community. An example of a hero journey is the Egyptian myth about the Sun God.
4. Universal applies to all. An example of universal is duality.
5. Archetype is the structure or original model of a myth. Examples of archetype are the creation myths.
6. Cyclical goes in a cycle. An example of cyclical is the Egyptian myth about the Sun God.
7. Duality is opposites existing as one. An example of duality is order from chaos, like in the creation myths.
8. Creation is the starting, beginning or origin. An example of creation is the Chinese creation myth about Pan Gu.
9. Cosmology is the study of the world or universe. An example of cosmology is the creation myth of Genesis.
10. Life from death is when death creates life. An example of life from death is the Chinese creation myth about Pan Gu.
11. Matriarchal is the foundation of female power, the mother rules. An example of matriarchal figure would be Tiamat from the Mesopotamia creation myth.
12. Patriarchal is the foundation of male power, father rules. An example of a patriarchal figure is Zeus in Greek mythology.
13. Sacrifice is the tribute to a god, giving up something for the benefit of others, something for something greater, an offering or a gift. An example of sacrifice is the Christian belief of when Jesus died on the cross.

Pyramus and Thisbe Interpretation Essay

Kayla Harding
Interpretation Essay
Myth 2
26 September 2008

Pyramus and Thisbe

We are all familiar with perhaps one of the greatest love stories ever written, Romeo and Juliet. That story is so similar to the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe. In both stories, there are two people who love each other, but their parents would not let them be together. So they decide to go off together, unfortunately everything goes wrong. The guy thinks that his girl is dead, so he kills himself, and the girl comes back to find him dead and kills herself to be with him. It is all so sad. The story of Pyramus and Thisbe sort of tells us why the berries of the mulberry bush are red. Our Pyramus is Romeo, and Thisbe is Juliet.

Thisbe on a natural level is human. She is very lovely, the most lovely maiden in Babylon. We can also easily figure out that she is in love. That’s a big fat “Duh!” On a deeper level of interpreting Thisbe as a symbol, on the Social level, we go back to our dear “Juliet” being in love. She is also an explanation of why the berries are red. Her blood splattered on the berries turning them red. To go even deeper, the Psychological level, Thisbe is rebellious and love struck. She cannot actually be with her love her parents are against it. She goes off to secretly talk to him through a wall, for that is the only way she can talk to Pyramus. Then she agrees to run away with him. Thisbe also longs and desires to be with her love. There is also secrecy if you noticed. Nobody knows she talks to her beloved Pyramus or that she plans on sneaking out.

Another symbol to interpret is Pyramus. On the Natural level, he is beautiful, and yes, guys can be beautiful. He, like Thisbe, is also human and in love. He is quite a bit like Thisbe on every level. On the Social level, he too is an explanation of the red berries of the mulberry bush. In fact, since he was the first to stab himself, his blood was the first to splatter on the snow-white berries. He did it out of love. Pyramus on the Psychological level is pretty much the exact same as Thisbe, he is in love, he is rebellious, he too longs and desires his love, and he is secret about it.
The last symbol to interpret is the mulberry bush. On the Natural level, it is a plan with berries on it. Interpreting the plant on the Social level, it is a meeting point. What makes it really funny is that it is next to a tomb, the Tomb of Ninus. In Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers die in a tomb. To finish this interpretation, the mulberry bush on the Psychological level represents fear, for Pyramus and Thisbe feared that they lost each other there. The mulberry bush also stands for separation because they were separated by death. It also represents togetherness. Pyramus and Thisbe planned to be together, and they were going to meet by this bush and run away together. Then things went wrong and Pyramus stabbed himself, and Thisbe did too, to be with her love again.

Is this the story where Shakespeare got his idea for Romeo and Juliet? The two stories are so much a like! In both Romeo and Juliet and the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, the two lovers fall in love, they are not allowed to be with each other, they decide to be together anyway, and then they end up committing suicide to be together. The things one does for love.