Myths of the Olympian gods: Male Deities

• Powell, Chapter 7
  • Key Names & Terms:
    • birth: Leto, Hera, Zeus, Delos, Apollo
    • oracle: Telephusa, Delphi, Pytho, Pythia
    • loves: Cassandra, Sibyl at Cumae, Daphnê, Coronis
    • son: Asclepius
  • Powell, Chapter 8 (also 7 in 4th-6th editions)
    • Key Names & Terms:
      • Hephaestus, Hera, Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite, Poseidon
      • Hermes, Zeus, Maia, Apollo, Argus, caduceus, psychopompos

  Myths of "The Male Divine" and One Trickster

  • Hindu: Arjuna, Krishna, Sanjaya, karma, dharma, yoga, bhakti, jnana (L & M, Ch 4, 208-220)
  • Yoruba: Olorun, Orunmila, Eshu, orishas, Agemo, Divining Bag (L & M, Ch 4, 227-231)
  • Norse: Odin, Thor, Hrungnir, Magni, Mjollnir, Groa, Golden Mane, Sleipnir, Mist Calf, Stone Fence House (L & M, Ch 4, 232-239)
  • Norse: Thor, Loki, Sif, the dwarfs Brokk & Eitr), Mjollnir, Sif's "hair", Gungnir, other gifts (L & M, Ch 5, 277-283)

  Myths of the Olympian gods: Female Deities

  • Powell, Chapter 9 (8 in 4th-6th editions):
    • Key Names & Terms:
      • Hestia, hearth, Dionysus
      • Aphrodite, Cypris, Hermaphroditus, Pygmalion, Cinyras, Myrrha, Anchises, Aeneas, Zeus, Hera, punishment
      • Artemis, Zeus, Leto, Potnia Therôn, Niobê, Actaeon, Callisto, Arcas, Hera(Juno), Zeus (Jupiter/Jove), Bear
      • Athena, Zeus, Arachne, Poseidon, aegis
  • Powell, Chapter 10 (9 in 4th-6th editions):
    • Demeter, Persephone, Hades, Pomegranate, Eleusis, Helios, Zeus, Demophoon, Well of the Maiden, Seasons
    • Eleusinian Mysteries (& class notes): Telesterion, Eleusis, Eleusinion, Agora, fish, pomegranate, kykeon
    • Inanna, Dumuzi, Enki, Ereshkigal, green rotting meat, Annunaki gods
    • Isis, Osiris, Typhon (i.e. Seth), Horus, coffin
    • Cybele (or Great Mother), Zeus, Agdestis, Liber (i.e. Dionysus), pomegranate, Nana, Attis, Midas, self-castration
    • Aphrodite, Adonis, anemone, Myrrha

Myths of "The Female Divine"

• Hawiian: Pe-le, Hi-i-aka, Lo-hi-au, incantation (L & M, Ch 3, 122-132)
• Sioux: wakan, Ptesan-Wi (White Buffalo Calf Woman), chanunpa, Lakota (L & M, Ch 3, 133-137)
• Vietnamese: Ivory Egg, Red Egg, Au Co, Nagaraja (Dragon Prince or Lac Dragon), jade stone (L & M, Ch 3, 147-154)

Possible Essay Questions:

• From among the following (Apollo, Hermes, Thor, Osiris, Typhon, Nagaraja), which deity would you most like to be and which would you least like to be? Answer the question based on the personality/character of the deity, not the power(s) or appearance of the deity. Make sure you give good examples from the actual myths which we have covered, not the summaries.


• From among the following (Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Demeter, Isis, Cybele, Sif, Au Co, Pe-le), which deity would you most like to be and which would you least like to be? Answer the question based on the personality/character of the deity, not the power(s) or appearance of the deity. Make sure you give good examples from the actual myths which we have covered, not the summaries.


• Compare and/or contrast the portrayal of love in 2-4 of the following (as always, detail the significance of your findings):
  1. The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite in Powell, Ch 9 (7th edit)
  2. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter in Powell, Ch 10 (7th edit)
  3. Ovid's account of Pygmalion in Powell, Ch 9 (7th edit)
  4. "The Fire Goddess" in Leonard, Ch 3
  5. "A Taste of Earth" in Leonard, Ch 3