Hundreds of years ago people did not have the technology to explain different forces of nature. They created gods, each with separate powers, to rule their domains. Some of the gods were merciful, some were wicked, and others were merely servants of more powerful gods. Looking at the gods, it is easy to tell what the civilization most valued.Myths are a way that humans can explain the impossible or the unexplainable. Myths also help people through life by giving them hope, something to believe in, or my inspiring them. An example of a doctor telling a very sick patient that it is possible to get better or that a cure will soon be found for their illness. Myths can be used to explain the origin of life and many other things. The bible for example explains how lives begin on Earth.
The word myth is often mistakenly understood to mean fiction-something that never happened, a made-up story or fanciful tale. Myth is really a way of thinking out the past.There are many different types of different creatures of Greek Mythology. There are Centaurs, Minotaur, Pegasus, Sirens, Medusa, and many more. These creatures can either be helpful to the Gods and Goddesses or they can work against them. Some of the creatures’ stories even intertwine with the stories of the Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology.
Most of us were familiar with Greek Mythology which presents a coherent set of gods and goddesses. However, other mythologies such as African did not present a consistent set of characters, although many of the tribes tell similar stories. This makes the material more difficult because the stories often crossover into what would be considered folk tales and fables. However, I still didn’t have a feel for how to incorporate the materials until I read some of the conversations of Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers from “The Power Of Myth.” I believe that Campbell offers a way to view folk tales and fables as related to mythology. Often Myths come from more than just fake tales and stories, the are base on real stories and traditions. Wendy Red Star works across disciplines to explore the intersections of Native American ideologies and colonialist structures.
He focus on the indigenous
the importance of family and and crow mythology, most people know about the natives Americans beliefs about crow and omens. It is interesting that this early African myth has man and woman emerging from the water which is now thought by most scientists to be the place of origin for the earliest life on earth. Mostly due to the importance of water in their lives it is not surprising that they incorporated this into myth.
During the background phase of the unit the objective is for students to understand where Africa is and how its geographical characteristics affect the people and the stories that were told. The most difficult thing for younger students to understand is that Africa is not one big country but is in fact one of the seven continents. Africa is not one culture or people, but a myriad of peoples and tribes that now live mostly in the modern world with isolated pockets of people living the old ways of generations long ago, still following the old traditions and keeping alive the old beliefs and myths.
The African people and culture have survived in very difficult geographical conditions. A lot of the land is dry desert and wilderness. Most of the inhabitants were nomadic tribes who wandered this hostile territory. The Sahara is the largest of the continent’s deserts. It covers over sixteen million square kilometers. Other deserts include the Kalahari, Namib, Tarkana and Somali. The central part of Africa has tropical forests. It is here that the myriad of exotic animals exists on the continent. From hippos to leopards, chimps and the numerous varieties of birds, reptiles, and fish, the central part of the continents is the picture most of us form in our mind when we think of Africa.
Most people believe that myths are fiction and folks tales but most of them are based on true stories and history.
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