Greek mythology was a way of defining the nature where humankind lived, the phenomena they saw and experienced, with the non-stop running of time throughout days, months and seasons. These stories were interconnected with religion in the Greek culture, and also for educational purposes. Mainly, they were told through art, like painting, sculptures, statues, and not through the written word until very late after the start of Greek mythology. Along with these writings came the better understanding of how astrology works throughout each of the myths. The constellations, which is the main concept, are god-favored heroes, beasts, or any type of being that was placed among the stars to honor their deeds. Although most of the bigger, more well known constellations are gods or goddesses, some are far from the depiction of a god, but still received stars in the sky. For example, my own zodiac, Cancer (Karnikos), was a crab who simply aided in a battle. This shows an important aspect of Greek mythology, in which any being, god or not, can be a hero.
All of this information I have learned is from the article source "Star Myths" by Aaron J. Atsma. It covers most of what you need to know about Greek mythology, the constellations, their relationships, all the way to the gods and olympians. I have only read most of the astronomy part of the article, but just from that one section, I have gained tons of information. It explains details on all of the zodiacs, and how each god is involved with each of their constellations. As I soon look into reading deeper into these amazing myths, I can not help but be excited to research more on this topic!
As someone who's always had an interest in Greek Mythology, I really like that you're looking at them in connection to astrology and constellations. I've always thought that constellations were so cool but I've never really thought of their connection to Greek Mythology until I read this post. Through your research have you found any specific constellations or myths that interest you more than others? It's really great that even the smallest figures in Greek myths end up with a star. I think it just reminds us that we have to appreciate the little things just as much as the big ones in life. I can't wait to read your paper!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katherine! I hadn't really thought about the use of constellations to connect mythology with nature before. I love that you seem so invested in your topic; I think it'll make your paper really interesting and exciting to read. How do you think that the constellations influenced daily life for the Greeks? How did it connect them to their gods and their environment? I'm really excited to read your paper, it's going to be fascinating!!
ReplyDeleteI remember adoring learning about Ancient Greece and Greek mythology when I was in middle school, but until reading your post, I hadn't realized the extent of the connection between astronomy and mythology. I have always wondered where zodiac theories originated, and now I know more about the gods/goddesses and their stars from reading about your research. I would be interested to know, did the creators of Greek mythology also create and follow zodiac horoscopes? Your topic sounds so interesting and I really like how you focused on a specific subtopic of mythology; your research helps me understand some of the mysteriousness of zodiac/the signs. I look forward to seeing how your reading all comes together in your paper. Good luck with the rest of your research!!!
ReplyDeleteAlong with the other wonderful ladies comments above, I had no idea that Greek mythology was connected to astrology. Thats so interesting, and if you find more information on this, I'd love to know why and how this came to be. I really find it interesting how their stories were conveyed through their art and culture, that seems so beautiful to me! It is something I feel like Americans should do more often. I'd love to know more about my zodiac sign (Taurus) as well! Keep me updated!
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ReplyDeleteWithout reading your blog post, I probably would have never guessed that Greek mythology, let alone mythology at all, would be connected to astrology! I find it interesting how you were able to find this connections and construct an in depth research on such. I remember being a little kid and looking up at the stars trying to see a shape or figure in the sky...and now we have to write research papers on them... What influenced you to write about the connection between Greek mythology and astronomy?
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I find your topic and how you were able to really narrow down your ideas as a whole really interesting and I am excited to see where it takes you in the process of writing your research paper.