Ghanima Atreides (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
atreideslioness) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2010-01-03 10:45 pm
atreideslioness) wrote in fandomhigh2010-01-03 10:45 pm
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World Mythology -- Third Period -- Monday
Ghanima was sitting on her desk, absently eating lemon drops as she watched the students arrive. She was even slightly tanned, despite the fact it was January in Maryland. She'd spent most of the break with her family on the island, but there had been a handwavedomg trip to see Aly. And sunshine. But mostly Aly.
"Good morning," she said, her voice carrying effortlessly. "I am Lady Ghanima Atreides, and this is World Mythology. You may call me Lady Ghanima, Miss Ghanima, or Miss Atreides, whichever you are more comfortable with. The first person to call me Lady Atreides gets detention."
"This is a survey class, intended to give you a gentle introduction to various pantheons and mythologies around the world. We will not be covering any country in-depth, instead, consider this a whirlwind tour."
"During this class, I’m going to ask you to keep in mind that many stories we consider today to be folklore or myths were originally part of a religion. I’m going to ask that you keep an open mind, and try not to let any ethnocentric biases show too badly. Yes, you may consider tales of the Tuatha de Danan or the Morrigan to be nothing more than fairy stories, but to someone else it may be a fundamental truth."
"Today we will start with the definition of a myth. In the academic fields of mythology, mythography, or folkloristics, a myth, or mythos, is a sacred story concerning the origins of the world or how the world and the creatures in it came to be in their present form. The active beings in myths are generally gods and heroes. Myths often are said to take place before recorded history begins. In saying that a myth is a sacred narrative, what is meant is that a myth is believed to be true by people who attach religious or spiritual significance to it. Use of the term by scholars does not imply that the narrative is either true or false. For the purpose of this class, myths are stories that originate in the beliefs of nations and races and present episodes in which supernatural forces operate. Some myths try to make visible and concrete ways that humans see nature, like the division of the year into seasons. Many myths show the ways that humans see the forces that control them, and often explain creation, religion, and divinities; they guess at the meaning of life and death, or at the cause for good and evil."
[there is ocd, have fun!]
"Good morning," she said, her voice carrying effortlessly. "I am Lady Ghanima Atreides, and this is World Mythology. You may call me Lady Ghanima, Miss Ghanima, or Miss Atreides, whichever you are more comfortable with. The first person to call me Lady Atreides gets detention."
"This is a survey class, intended to give you a gentle introduction to various pantheons and mythologies around the world. We will not be covering any country in-depth, instead, consider this a whirlwind tour."
"During this class, I’m going to ask you to keep in mind that many stories we consider today to be folklore or myths were originally part of a religion. I’m going to ask that you keep an open mind, and try not to let any ethnocentric biases show too badly. Yes, you may consider tales of the Tuatha de Danan or the Morrigan to be nothing more than fairy stories, but to someone else it may be a fundamental truth."
"Today we will start with the definition of a myth. In the academic fields of mythology, mythography, or folkloristics, a myth, or mythos, is a sacred story concerning the origins of the world or how the world and the creatures in it came to be in their present form. The active beings in myths are generally gods and heroes. Myths often are said to take place before recorded history begins. In saying that a myth is a sacred narrative, what is meant is that a myth is believed to be true by people who attach religious or spiritual significance to it. Use of the term by scholars does not imply that the narrative is either true or false. For the purpose of this class, myths are stories that originate in the beliefs of nations and races and present episodes in which supernatural forces operate. Some myths try to make visible and concrete ways that humans see nature, like the division of the year into seasons. Many myths show the ways that humans see the forces that control them, and often explain creation, religion, and divinities; they guess at the meaning of life and death, or at the cause for good and evil."
"Now, it is important to separate myths from other types of stories. Mythology is frequently confused with fiction, legend, fairy tale, folklore, fable, and urban legend, each of which has a distinct meaning in academia. There is also epic poetry, which may retell a myth, but not every epic poem is a myth – many are legends or folklore. Instead of doing the typical introductions, I'd like to hear about the myths near and dear to your hearts."
"Now, I found myself in need of some assistants, and I took the liberty of selecting based on the class rooster." A list that, curiously, seemed to have been used for target practice with sharp objects. Alianne was a horrible influence. "Miss Solo, Miss Menolly, please see me after class."
[there is ocd, have fun!]