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Mythology & Folklore > Vocabulary > Flashcards

Vocabulary Flashcards

(75 cards)

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1
Q

Aesops fables

A

A collection of short stories first told by a Greek slave named Aesop in the 6th century BC. He uses animals with human characteristics to teach a moral.

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2
Q

Amazonomachy

A

A genre of art that depicts the mythical Amazons.

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3
Q

Amazons of dahomey

A

An all-female military troop that originated as a group of elephant herders, but became a fierce militia.

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4
Q

Anecdotal stories

A

Stories told based on personal experiences. They are not supported by facts.

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5
Q

Antagonist

A

A term used in literature to refer to the main character’s opponent or nemesis.

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6
Q

Archetype

A

A universal symbolic pattern.

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7
Q

Aurora borealis

A

The Northern lights; said to be created by the armor of Freya and the Valkyries as they rode on their missions.

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8
Q

Bernard Heuvelmans

A

One of the pioneers of cryptozoology. He coined the word cryptozoology in his book, “On the Track of Unknown Animals”.

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9
Q

Boudica

A

Celtic queen of the Iceni tribe in ancient Britain, she led a rebellion against the Romans who occupied Britain during the first century A.D.

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10
Q

Campbell Joseph

A

The mythologist who coined the term monomyth after analyzing myths and lore from around the world and finding a universal storyline.

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11
Q

Chinese zodiac

A

Based on a twelve year cycle calculated using the Chinese Lunar calendar. Each year is symbolized by an animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

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12
Q

Comparative mythology

A

The study of myths and legends of different cultures in an effort to find commonalities.

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13
Q

Comparative religion

A

The study of different sacred myths in an attempt to find similarities.

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14
Q

Cosmic myths

A

Creation stories of the world.

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15
Q

Creation myths

A

Stories that seek to explain how the universe was formed.

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16
Q

Cryptid

A

A creature that has not been identified by scientists. Its existence is based completely on anecdotal records and is most likely mythical in nature.

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17
Q

Cryptozoology

A

The study of creatures whose existence has not been verified by the scientific community.

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18
Q

Dualistic nature

A

In literature this refers to a character who fluctuates between two opposites like good and evil.

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19
Q

Duality

A

The state of having two natures.

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20
Q

Embodiment

A

The physical form of a spirit.

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21
Q

Enuma elish

A

The Babylonian creation myth written in the form of an epic.

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22
Q

Epic

A

A poem, sometimes in the form of a song, that tells the story of a hero’s adventures.

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23
Q

Erik the red

A

The Norseman associated with the exploration of North America.

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24
Q

Ethnogenesis

A

The process by which a cultural group of people explains their origins as related to a common ancestor, often known as a founding father.

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25
Ethnologue
The world’s most comprehensive catalog of languages.
26
Fairy tale
A story that takes place "long ago and far away," usually involves royalty, and contains a conflict between good and evil in which good triumphs.
27
Folk tales
A simpler story that is regional in nature. The characteristics of folk heroes are exaggerated as are their deeds.
28
Folklore
A term that encompasses a culture's oral traditions.
29
Folktale
A story that reflects the culture from which it comes, and contains common, universal themes; this story does not have an identifiable author, but was passed down orally, then put into written form.
30
Founding myth
A myth that explains the beginnings of a city.
31
Hero
In literature, a person marked for greatness with exceptional qualities like bravery. The hero has often been given special powers or skills.
31
Historic linguists
Linguists that specialize in tracing languages back to their common ancestor language.
31
Heros journey
The quest a hero must take. It is circular in nature, and he begins and ends his journey in his own world. There are twelve distinct stages.
32
Historical astrologers
Study the astrological myths of ancient civilizations and then use them to identify when specific celestial events will next occur.
33
Jung Carl
Psychiatrist who believed that humans possess a universal collective unconscious revealed in the commonalities, or similarities, of our myths.
34
Kennings
Anglo-Saxon literary technique that uses a compound word to describe something figuratively. An example would be the term battle-sweat in place of blood.
35
Langue
Underlying structures in plot.
36
Legend
A story about a human being that may be based in truth; a narrative that describes the actions of a person and usually teaches a lesson.
37
Lost cities
Cities of myth and legend that are searched for based on the belief that they really existed.
38
Mediators
A character that acts as a go-between for gods and humans.
39
Monomyth
The universal hero myth that speaks to humankind.
40
Monotheism
The worship of one god who is usually omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
41
Morality tale
A type of folktale whose purpose is to caution the reader about dangerous situations, or to teach the reader about a cultural taboo.
42
Myth
A story shared by a group of people that is part of the cultural identity of the group.
43
Mythemes
The pieces that make up a plot. They can be ‘packaged’ in different ways but are essentially the same. For example, a hero slaying a beast could be portrayed in many ways.
44
Mythology
The collection of such stories that form a system based in a particular culture or society.
45
Narrative
A story told from the perspective of the main character.
46
Nature myths
Stories that seek to explain natural phenomena that occur.
47
Old wives tales
A type of superstition passed on by word of mouth and thought to impart wisdom.
48
Pagan myths
Stories of the interactions between humans and deities.
49
Pantheon
All the gods of a specific religion.
50
Polytheism
The worship of more than one god.
51
Predetermined fate
The belief that a person's fate or course is laid out for them before birth and they cannot alter it.
52
Primitive myths
Explanations of things in nature, such as volcanoes and lightning.
53
Prose edda
Old Norse collection of poetry containing many mythological stories.
54
Pyre
A pile of combustibles for burning a corpse as a funeral rite.
55
Sacred myths
The main Eastern and Western religions: Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam.
56
Sacrifice
The offering of food, objects, or lives as an act of worship.
57
Scientific myths
Scientific hypotheses. The theory that the world was flat was once a scientific myth.
58
Shapeshifting
A mythical figure that has the ability to change forms. For example, from god to animal.
59
Superstitions
The belief that a specific unrelated act or behavior can influence an unrelated circumstance.
60
Tablets of destinies
In Mesopotamian culture, the possessor of the tablets became the head deity.
61
Theogenic myth
A story that attempts to explain the relationships between gods and creatures in a system of mythology.
62
Theogony
A poem written by Hesiod that describes the origin of the Greek gods.
63
Totems
An emblem that represents the origin of a clan or family. It is often representative of an animal.
64
Ullamaliztli
A sacred ball game played by the Aztec that symbolized a battle between their sun god and their moon god.
65
Urban legends
A story told as if true that often acts as a precautionary tale.
66
Valhalla
The Norse hall that housed the souls of those who had died in battle.
67
Valkyries
Warrior goddesses in Norse legend.
68
Volger christopher
Expanded on Campbell’s idea of a monomyth. He identified seven common archetypes and twelve distinct stages in the hero’s journey.
69
Vile vortices
Twelve geographic areas thought to have mysterious qualities, such as the Bermuda Triangle.
69
Warrior
A literary archetype who protects and defends against all enemies.
70
Western zodiac
Twelve symbols that make a celestial coordinate system, or stat map. Each represents a Greek legend.
71
Wheel of time
Also known as the Kalachakra; it is a sacred keeper of time in Buddhist legend. It is said to be guarded in the mythological city of Shambhala.
72
World tree
A universal mythological symbol. It often represents life and connects spiritual realms to the Earth.

Mythology & Folklore (1 decks)

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