Out of all the mythologies of the world, Greek mythology has had the most influence on Western culture, according to mythologyteacher.com.The site goes on to explain that literally thousands of artists and writers have used Greek mythology as their muse--bringing the ancient stories to life through sculpture, painting, poetry, and song:
"Achilles Heel and Oedipus Complex and stand-alone words like labyrinth and mentor proliferate our language. Media other than high art use mythological references too. Businesses and advertising firms use mythology as a selling tool. Arethusa Plumbing references Arethusa (a nymph transformed into a spring), a diamond necklace is titled aPandorafor its irresistibility, and towering billboards bear the name Olympus. All these examples show how culturally ingrained Greek mythology has become. Together with the Bible and Shakespeare, Greek mythology rounds out the Big Three of Allusions. Any serious student of literature must have a healthy background in these three areas in order to spot the numerous references authors make to them."
Great literature transcends time and space. Many young readers do not realize this. However, once they are introduced to discussing its themes, they will find it is worth their time. The universal, classical truths explored will reach even the most reluctant reader.
As I spoke about in a previous interview, around 2003, I was researching mythological monsters, beings and folklore. My intent was to write a children's book with such characters. My husband suggested I put a griffin in it. So I started pouring over books, looking for new information on griffins and other beings. I wanted to find something unique. The creatures could have been old or new. I was also looking for ones that could either be used in their current state, or updated and recreated.
I learned a few very interesting things about griffins. For example, they like to hoard gold and are watchful over others' gold and valuables. They have an arch enemy: a group of one-eyed humanoids called Arimaspians. I liked that. It was from a little known book by a writer from the fifth century named Aeschylus, in a book called Prometheus Bound. As I reviewed my findings, it became clear that they are of normal size. Unlike the Cyclops, Arimaspians are not giants. Nonetheless, I made them giants for my first book, (which is now off the market). I created an Arimaspian who was blinded by his love for gold and riches to the exclusion of all other life. I gave him a daughter. She was born with a birth defect, a second eye, that would give her supernatural oracle abilities. This gave him a reason to be afraid of her.
Teachers, envision your class full of adolescent minds. Now take a look at the plot summary for Indigo Traveler:
War was brewing in the world of Curá. The Arimaspian King Titus wanted the humans under his leadership. He wanted the wealth and the control of the dragon. King Titus disregarded the legends of the two hearts that the dragons gave to his ancestor, another given to a prince of the human kingdom. He also did not believe the Crow Judges would punish him. Connor, the crow judge assigned to Curá, shook his head as he observed the thoughts of the king. He flew to the crow court to join the hearing of the case to determine what to do. The verdict was to take the all-white griffin, to a small town in the world called Nampa and give him to the Indigo Traveler, Alexander Veh. Nampa was in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Indigo Traveler, when he would return to Curá with the griffin, would be given the three blades of the dragon blood.
Imagine how you could engage your secondary students with these complex twists among multiple characters. Below are some other resources that can be used along with the book:
- Resources for Teachers of Greek Mythology A new collection of introductory materials assembled by the Classics department at UVa. Includes maps of Greece, a genealogy and images of the Olympian gods.
- Online Greek Mythology Reference Tool This searchable site of key words (characters, places, events) associated with Greek mythology and Greek heroic legend is a helpful reference tool.
- Bulfinch’s Mythology
Full annotated text online.
So don't forget about mythology. Students these days love video games and many of them originate from classic mythology. High school students really enjoying such stories. You can begin with Indigo Traveler, then move on to Roman, then to world mythology.
