Retold by Shirley Climo. Illus. by Alexander Koshkin

· A mythology is a related body of stories which make up the official beliefs or explanations of a religious system; they attempt to explain the beginning of the world, the reasons for various natural phenomena (pourquoi tales), the relationships among the gods and among gods and men, the origins of civilization and religion, and the ultimate end of things.

o Once myths are written down, they tend to retain a fixed form, and do not develop further.

o Mythological systems in an early form of development are very much like folktales and include many stories which anthropomorphize (make human-like) animals and or give spirits to natural objects such as the sun, moon, and rivers; most American Indian and African myths are at this stage.

o Gradually these anthropomorphized animals and impersonal forces became gods, and complex groups of stories grew up about them. (The Greek and Roman myths and the Norse myths are at this stage; Roman and Greek gods are used as examples below).

o The gods had superhuman power but often were very human in form and in behavior; they came to personify abstract virtues and forces such as love (Venus or Aphrodite), the family (Juno or Hera), wisdom (Minerva or Athena), and war (Mars or Ares).

o The animals and natural objects which were once themselves worshipped became symbols of the gods: a thunderbolt (Zeus or Jupiter), the sun (Apollo), the owl (Minerva or Athena).

· Important mythological systems:

o Certain mythologies should be taught to children, because the stories, concepts, and even names are so important in understanding our cultural heritage and modern literature.

o Greek myths are the most important; they are basic to much of our literature (Ex: Daughter of Earth).

o The Romans adopted Greek myths, renamed the Greek gods with the names of Roman gods, and changed the stories very little; the names of the Roman gods are usually better known than the Greek ones, however.

o The Norse myths are basic to Germanic literatures, and very important in English literature also.