Mythology Flashcards
(60 cards)
Myth
a story about gods or supernatural creatures that people once believed was true
Legend
a story about national heroes
Culture
the beliefs and ways of life of a group of people
Mythologist
someone who studies myths
god
a superhuman or supernatural being who may have powers
Supernatural/ Superhuman
outside the usual laws of nature such as magic
mythology
a collection of related myths from one culture
religion
a set of beliefs about reality and a god or gods
literature
the written stories and history of a culture, language or group of people
Hero
a man, woman, or child who has the strength, wisdom, bravery or beauty to do tasks that seem impossible.
Creation Myth
tell how the universe formed. They describe how plants, animals, and gods came into being.
Nature Myth
explain how the natural world works, such as why there is day and night and why there are seasons. Some nature myths explain why plants and animals look or behave the way they do.
Hero Tales
focus on the adventures of mortals. Gods and other supernatural creatures often appear in these stories too.
Trickster Tales
involve divine or mortal characters knows as tricksters who play cruel jokes or try to outsmart those around them. They may be looking for revenge, or just doing it for fun.
Divine
to be a god or relating to a god
Death/ Afterlife Myths
describe the death of gods or where humans go after they die
End of the world myths
explore how the universe is destroyed, and what happens afterwards
mortal
an ordinary human, someone who does not live forever and will die.
trickster
a person, animal or god who tries to outsmart other characters for fun, greed or revenge
pastoral
relating to the countryside or rural life
rural
in the country, outside the city
oral tradition
a way of passing along important knowledge through spoken storytelling of song instead of writing.
epic poem
a long poem about the adventures of a hero told on a grand scale.
old English
an early version of English used until about 1150 CE
