Characteristics+of+Myths

//How do we recognize a myth? Usually, there are several of the following characteristics://


 * Communication between human and divine beings ["divinity" or "divine being" = God or god(s)/goddess(es)]
 * Includes beasts
 * Explains the way the world is, or the relationship between human and divine beings
 * Includes divine being(s) with exceptional powers
 * Explains nature
 * Teaches a moral lesson, is concerned with right/wrong, or evil/good
 * Includes heroes, humans who perform amazing feats
 * Explains what happens after death

//Now choose one of the myths you have read and discuss which characteristics it demonstrates, as we did with the example below://

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples Ears … A West African tale



The West African fable traces a series of events that starts with a harmless fib, but leads to an owlet's death and the failure of the sun to rise.This story shows several characteristics of a myth. This story explains nature, as the mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears, asking if everyone is still angry with them. Many beasts are included in this story, such as the owl, the python, the iguana, and King Lion. Myths often explain the way the world is.In this folk tale,each character passes the blame to another. Perceived threats are often exaggerated to the point of a chain reaction. There is a moral lesson: a small comment intended as a joke may have unintended tragic consequences. This is one of many enjoyable animal legends of Africa.

==== Why Dogs Chase Cats   This folktale is about a relationship with a cat and a dog that starts to drift when they have to go their seperate for survival reasons and trusts are questioned when promises are broken.The tale has many characteristics of a myth. It explains the way the world is because friendships can easily be damaged if a promise is broken and it also explains the hardships of very scarce resources and hunger. This story includes beasts as well as harmless animals such as Dog, Cat, Wolf, and Gorilla. __Why Dogs Chase Cats__ also explains nature because, as stated in the title, it explains why dogs chase cats. The last but not least characteristic this fable includes the moral lesson, which is: Unless you are ready to lose a wonderful friendship you should never break a promise. ~Kinnley ==== This is really good!, but i think in the beginning you should start with some of the story, so we have a background of the fable- Kristen

Cullen- nice job! Jack comment- the lesson is really important. Great job!
Please add synopsis! That is a good way to explain how a story has certain characteristics. I am not sure on the part about broken friendships being part of the world. I see what you mean but it seems to be the weakest point in the paragraph. **//Samuel//**

Why **dose the sun and the moon live in the sky?**
====In this myth the It explanes why the sun and the moon live in the sky. It is a myth that explans how natcher works. I also think that this story teaches a moral leson. I think the leson is that don't take to many things in unless you have room. I saw this when The sun and the moon told water to keep coming in but they didn't have enuph room in there house. This led them to geting stuck in the sky. "The higher the water rose ,the higher sun and moon went into the sky. Finaly sun and moon rose so high they didn't know how to get down."====

Jack comment-It is a little short, but it was still good!
 * Add synopsis
 * Please do not end with a quote - conclusion is needed.*
 * Proofread and correct for spelling/caps

====This story tells why two things in nature occur, why mosquitoes buzz in peoples ears and why people swat them. " To this day the mosquitoe buzzes in peoples ears ,buzzz is everyone still angry at me? And she gets an honest answer . " This story includes many animals which to some people may be considered beasts. This means that some people may think it works with the second bullet. It does explain the way the world is as I stated in my first two sentences. This folk tale's moral lesson is, in my opinion , never tell a lye or it will come back to haunt you. If the mosquitoe had not lied the baby owl would not have died and mother owl would have woken the sun up at the right time. So this small creature with a small lye created a huge mess ! The lye created a chain reaction that kept going and going until it was traced back to its source. Samuel====

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Luciana comment- It's lie not lye. Other wise good job! Cullens-great!

=Athene and the Birth of the Spider = ==== This folktale has several characteristics of a myth. There is communication between gods and humans. (Athene makes contact with people of a village) Now I know some people consider spiders to be beasts ( The people who scream when the see them ) but they really are not. So there are no beasts in this fable .In this myth a girl challenges a powerful god to see who can weave better and pays the price. Athene can take color from the sun's rays, the stars, the ocean, and from the springs blossoms. I think that counts as an exceptional power. This story tells how spiders were created and why they spin webs of silk. The girl who challenges Athene knows she had lost so she slunk away and hung herself. And it just so happens that Athene was not going to hurt her. She takes pity on her and turns her into a spider so she can weave forever. I consider a spider a creature of nature, so I think it explains nature more than the world. This books moral lesson is to not to challenge your superiors, or you will be punished and feel bad about what you did. This story has no humans with amazing powers and it does not explain what happens after death. **//Samuel//** ==== Jack comment- The girl had great weaving powers, but other wise godd job. Kinnley- I think you should not have the examples in parenthesis but as actual sentences because it is important and should not be put as just side info but other thn that really good.

Pandora's box

In this story, Zeus is angy with a Titan who gave mankind the knowledge of fire. So he imprisons the Titan and devises a plan to take care of men. He makes a girl out of clay and names her Pandora. He brings her before the gods and tells them to give her gifts, including a box of "wonders" that was never to be opened, and curiosity. Zeus sent Pandora down with the Titan's brother as a husband. When her husband left, Pandora's cuiosity got the better of her. She opened her box and evils flew out, famine, war, ect. 'What have I done!?" she yelled. She closed it before forebobing, the feeling of evil in the future, got out. If that got out, humanity would be destroyed. Then Zeus arrives, and Pandora asks him to destroy her. 'Very well, you have served your purpose.' he said, and turned her into a pile of clay. This myth has many charicteristics of myths.It contains divine beings, who were the Olympians. Pandora was a human with powers, being the gifts of the gods, so it contains that trait. This tale also has commnicatoins between humans and divine beings, when Pandora talked with the gods. Lastly, the myth had some moral lessons. One was that if you know what you are doing is wrong, dont let curiosity get the better of you. Also, when Zeus had Pandora open the box, he was not being fair to her. So that lesson is do not get an inocent person involved in your plans. Jack Jason comment-This is a important lesson. Good job. Luciana comment- A bit short, but still good.
 * Add synopsis
 * Proofread & correct spelling

=__**The Midas Touch**__- Kristen Ahman= In the myth, The Midas Touch, there is a very wealthy, but greedy king called Midas. Even though his life is plentiful and good, his still wishes for more and more wealth. In the short fable, it says he fills his entire castle with gold, and his excuse is he wants it for Marygold's (his daughter) future, but the truth is he just likes the thought of gold. One day he ran out of places to buy gold, frustrated he shouted to the heavens, "I NEED MORE GOLD!!!!" . The god Dionysus answered his call with a sweet smile, and asked him if he needed more gold. The king greedily agreed to the sly god's plans, everything Midas touched would turn to gold. The plan seemed to be wonderful, until many horrible events took place. He accidentally turned Marygold to gold! The king regretted everything, but was still not answered by the gods. Another sorrowful day, Dionysus appeared, and decided to help Midas, he took away the gold touch, and gave Midas directions for Marygold's revival. Midas, was so relieved, and never wanted anymore gold, he couldn't even stand it! This fable shows characteristics of a myth because it has contact between humans and divine beings, Midas and Dionysus, shows moral nature, right and wrong, Midas' exceptional greed, and how unfathomable it was, and it includes humans who perform amazing feats. I think the lesson of this story is be careful what you wish for, never to not content with what you have, don't be overwhelmed by wealth, ext. Jason comment- You forgot to mention he turned everything he turned into gold back to normal. Otherwise good summeray. Kinnley- good job! really good choice of words. He was not really greedy for wealth but he just liked gold. That was really all I could see that was wrong except for the fact that you did not say he turned everything back and how he did it. Those pieces of info. are pretty big. Samuel

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The story begins when three daughters are suppose to marry very rich and handsome men, two of the three do so, but the third daughter fell in love with a poor and ugly man but who is rich in kindness and is beautiful in purity. The king tells the daughter to reconsider or be banished. She is banished. Later the King losses his eyesight, and the only way to regain them is to get the magic healing leaves from Land of No Return. The two princes volunteer to get the leaves. If they bring it back successfully they get one-third of the kingdom, but there is one condition. If they come back without the leaves they will be hanged. The princes go but after going they learn the leaves are protected, they become scared and go to a inn. Later the third sister goes to visit the queen who brings up the situtation. The third daughter tells her husband and he goes to get the leaves. He is brave enough to confront the giant about the leaves. The giant respects his bravery and tells him what he needs to know. He is able to get the leaves from the witch and switches rings with the witch as the giant said. He goes to the inn, tells them most of the story, then goes to sleep, and then at night they steal the leaves. When the man wakes up he finds he cannot see and move. He evauntually breaks throught the ropes and uses the leaves in his pocket to restore his eyesight. The princes give the king the leaves and gets one third of the kingdom each. When the witch wakes up she finds that her ring had been switched and all the leaves from her tree had disappeared. When she heres a king had been cured of his blindness she rushes over there. She asks the king how he got his sight back. He answers by showing the bag of magic leaves.The witch can tell that they are lieing and threats to destroy they kingdom if they dont tell the truth. They say they took them a man. The queen says that the man is youngest daughter's husband. They call for him. When he arrives he tells the story. When she saw the ring on his finger she knew he was telling the truth. Then he tells the rest of the story. The king then banishes the two sisters for stealing the leaves and trying to harm the third daughter's husband.===== This myth has beasts like dragons. Also it includeds a witch.(divine being) This teaches two lessons. They are not to steal or you will be punished and not to lie or something bad may happen.-Jason
 * great story - some excellent phrases!
 * reduce retell - aim at synopsis
 * ADD specific myth characteristics

=Aphrodite and Her Beloved Adonis = In " Aphrodite and Her Beloved Adonis", it tells the story of a human that pops out of a wound in Aphrodite's chest. Aphrodite thinks that the human, Adonis, is so amazing that she follows him everywhere. She can't bear to loose him. One day, she goes on a hunting trip with Adonis and leaves early. She warns Adonis not to fight any large creatures. But of course, he does and ends up dying. Aphrodite gets very upset and decides to ask the Fates if they will tribute to her grief forver. So the Fates create a flower in place of Adonis, called the wind flower. ====This myth has many characteristics that match the list above. It includes goddesses and interaction between these goddesses and human beings. Beasts are mentioned in the story. It also explains a little bit of nature, because a flower is named for Adonis. And lastly, it teaches a moral lesson. I think it has two moral lessons. One: Do not disobey your leaders. Two: Do not become too obsessed with something so that when you loose it, it does not have such an impact on your life because of it.==== Luciana Soares
 * great story - some excellent phrases!
 * reduce retell - aim at synopsis