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Post by Silva on Jun 1, 2011 21:06:43 GMT -5
But anyway, Mythology: Does anyone know of any collections of Egyptian mythologies? I feel like everyone knows at least one Egyptian god, but even I myself lack any major knowledge regarding the lore surrounding them. Now that you speak of it, reading up on Egyptian mythology and mythology in general is going to be my personal mission, though I'm starting to get too many of those... :/ At least I got graduation money so I can buy what I need to learn. |
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Post by Wayfinder on Jun 2, 2011 13:51:51 GMT -5
I love Norse and Celtic mythology. I love how the Norse Gods know they cannot live forever, and that is something I appreciate. They know that Ragnarok, and they know it will be their end. As for Celtic, there is just something bout their traditions that I am drawn to. To me, it's a huge problem that most universities don't offer many, if any, mythology courses. I think that for English students, at the very least, it should be required to at LEAST take a classical mythology course, preferably one designed for English majors. My university has Classical Mythology and World Mythology. Unfortunately World Mythology focuses primarily on Christianity and Islam. That's not exactly what English Majors need. Also, the professor who teaches it wrote a book he makes you buy that compares mythology and Star Wars. One of my professors actually told me not to take the class because I would learn more on my own, and the professor who teaches it is a disgrace to the English Department. A basic myth course helps so much when it comes to understanding Shakespeare/Milton/hell, everyone later on. Not only that, but I've noticed a lot of young adult novels have been falling back on Norse mythology. Or so it seems lately. But anyway, Mythology: Does anyone know of any collections of Egyptian mythologies? I feel like everyone knows at least one Egyptian god, but even I myself lack any major knowledge regarding the lore surrounding them. This website has almost everything. www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/africa/egyptian/ |
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Epif
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Post by Epif on Jun 2, 2011 14:04:26 GMT -5
Uh, I don't really have a "favorite," but I have been studying Heathen mythologies (that is, Norse Mythology) and practices. It's still practiced to this day, actually...
Just so everybody knows: Calling a Norseman a viking is like calling an American a cowboy.
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pkip
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Post by pkip on Jun 2, 2011 14:15:18 GMT -5
And as a final note: I greatly enjoy the fact that my boss refers to me as Persephone. My actual name >< |
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Post by Olive on Jun 2, 2011 14:18:50 GMT -5
And as a final note: I greatly enjoy the fact that my boss refers to me as Persephone. My actual name >< I'm slightly jealous! It's a beautiful name and a good myth. |
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callmeishmael
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Post by callmeishmael on Jun 2, 2011 14:46:32 GMT -5
Just so everybody knows: Calling a Norseman a viking is like calling an American a cowboy. Yeah, but generally vikings are Norsemen. Sort of like all trucks are cars, but not all cars are trucks. If I refer to Norse mythology and dwell on the viking aspect, it's the viking aspect, not the overall population. |
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pkip
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Post by pkip on Jun 2, 2011 14:56:49 GMT -5
I'm slightly jealous! It's a beautiful name and a good myth. I like it. It's a good name to have. Unfortunately, though, my parents were all about Greek mythology and I never really got a taste for other myths as a kid. I'd love to find a good collection of Hindu stories, but I don't know where to start. Anyone have any suggestions?  |
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Epif
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Post by Epif on Jun 2, 2011 15:00:17 GMT -5
Yeah, but generally vikings are Norsemen. Sort of like all trucks are cars, but not all cars are trucks. "That's like saying, 'I breathe when I sleep, and I sleep when I breathe!'" Or in other words, just because vikings are/were Norsemen doesn't mean that Norsemen are/were vikings. Wait, I think we're agreeing, but you're defending your use of the word "vikings." It's just common for people to think that all the Norse were vikings, when vikings were people with specific ways (like cowboys and Americans). |
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Post by onlyaworkingtitle on Jun 2, 2011 15:40:02 GMT -5
Wait, not all Americans are cowboys?
/kidding
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Post by dido158 on Jun 2, 2011 16:12:10 GMT -5
Personally I love the classics, mostly since I am a complete Latin nerd. (I don't know if this will destroy my reputation as a potential English major, but when I hear "classics" I think Greece and Rome, not classic literature). I would recommend Ovid's Metamorphoses for any classic mythology, if you can find a good translation.
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Epif
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Post by Epif on Jun 2, 2011 18:16:12 GMT -5
Wait, not all Americans are cowboys? /kidding It's the best comparison that I can think of, really... |
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callmeishmael
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Post by callmeishmael on Jun 2, 2011 19:28:03 GMT -5
"That's like saying, 'I breathe when I sleep, and I sleep when I breathe!'" No, it's really not :/ You're offering two statements that are always true, just reversed. Explanation: A truck is most definitely considered a type of car, seeing as it's an automobile. But a sports car would not be considered a truck, because it lacks a truck bed. Both are still cars, but one of the cars is definitely not a truck. Does that make sense? We are agreeing, just in a round about way. I am an American, and I'm not a cowboy. However, there ARE cowboys that are American. Not all norsemen were vikings, but obviously there are vikings that are norsemen. Does it make sense where I'm coming from? |
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Post by ashleeoh on Jun 3, 2011 9:02:13 GMT -5
Personally I love the classics, mostly since I am a complete Latin nerd. (I don't know if this will destroy my reputation as a potential English major, but when I hear "classics" I think Greece and Rome, not classic literature). I would recommend Ovid's Metamorphoses for any classic mythology, if you can find a good translation. I immediately think Greco-Roman as well. Virgil's Aeneid is a good read, especially if you're interested in the Roman part of Greco-Roman. (Let's face it, who wouldn't be interested?) |
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Post by Josefine on Jun 3, 2011 13:33:14 GMT -5
I love the Greek myths, but my knowledge of them is so sketchy... I definitely need to brush up on it. (Thankfully?) I learned a lot about them in Latin class back at school, otherwise I'd know even less. Norse mythology is so fascinating, too, but I hardly know anything about it :/
I'm currently in a class that's called The Bible for Literary Scholars at university (it's a required class) and it's actually really interesting to see how the Old Testament has influenced literature. We got a collection of literary works (mostly poetry) about each biblical story we talk about in class & there are some really fascinating pieces in there (and at least one hilarious one called "Der wahre Noah").
The biblical myths are such an integral part of our western society that, even as an atheist, it's important to know those stories.
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Post by Marina on Jun 3, 2011 13:38:06 GMT -5
Josefine, that's really cool, I always wanted to take a class that studied the Biblical stories, but not necessarily from Biblical point of view.
Do you guys know of any modern books that have Mythical themes that are actually good. I've read a YA genre the Goddess Test, and I was a bit disappointed with how the Gods were handled. But something along the lines of Till We Have Faces, that was a wonderful book (he messed with the myths a little, but not enough to make me mad).
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