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What
are legends? What are myths? What are the differences between a
legend and a myth? These are questions which some may wonder about.
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a legend
refers to an old story about great deeds and men of ancient
times having slight possible base in truth, while a myth
refers to an ancient story, usually containing religious or
magical ideas, which may explain natural or historical events.
In addition, Myths try to answer several questions such as Where
did the world come from? What are the gods? Where did they come
from? How did men come about? Myths also try to account for a society's
customs and rituals.
Some
of the common myths and legends that we hear of more often are probably
the ones from ancient Greece and Rome. Below is a table of the major
figures in the myths of the Greeks and the Romans, adapted from
Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia Copyright (c) 1994, 1995 Compton's
NewMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Major
Figures in Greek and Roman Mythology
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Greek
Name
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Roman
Name
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Realm
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Also
Called
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Apollo
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Apollo
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Light,
youth, music
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Phoebus
Apollo, Apollon
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Ares
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Mars
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War
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Hades
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Pluto
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Underworld
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Orcus,
Dis
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Hephaestus
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Vulcan
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Fire
and the forge, blacksmith to the gods
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Hermes
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Mercury
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Messenger
to the Gods
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Posidon
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Neptune
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The
Waters
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Zeus
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Jupiter
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Supreme
Ruler
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Jove,
Jupiter Fulgur, Fulminator, Jupiter Tonans, Jupiter
Pluvius, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Jupiter Fidius
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|
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Goddesses
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Aphrodite
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Venus
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Love
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Artemis
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Diana
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The
hunt, the moon
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Atherna
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Minerva
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Wisdom
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Pallas
Athena
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Hera
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Juno
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Wife
and sister of Zeus, queen of the gods
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Hestia
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Vesta
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Hearth
and home
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Titans
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Atlas
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Carried
the world on his shoulders
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Cronus
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Saturn
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Ruled
the other Titans until son, Zeus, dethroned him
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Hyperion
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Father
of sun, moon, and dawn
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Iapetus
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Father
of Atlas and Prometheus
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Ocean
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River
that encircled the Earth
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Prometheus
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Savior
of humankind
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Tethys
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Wife
of Ocean
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Themis
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Justice
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Lesser
Deities
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Aeolus
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The
Winds
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Aristaeus
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Keeper
of bees; son of Apollo and water nymph Cyrene
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|
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Asclepius
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Aesculapius
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Medicine
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Castor
and Pollux
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Boxing,
wrestling, equestrian sports
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Demeter
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Ceres
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Corn
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Dionysus
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Bacchus
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The
vine
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Eos
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Aurora
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Dawn
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Hemera
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Eros
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Cupid
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Love
and Friendship
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Amor
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Ganymede
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Hebe's
successor as cupbearer
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Hebe
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Youth;
cupbearer of the gods
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Hecate
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Dark
of the moon; the crossways
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Hygieia
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Health
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Pan
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Flocks,
pastures, fields, and forests
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Persephone
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Proserpine
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Death
and spring
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Phaėthon
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Son
of Helios, the sun-god
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Proteus
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Shepherd
of the deep
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Tyche
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Fortuna
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Fortune
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Some
of these Gods are perhaps familiar to some of us as we have probably
come across them in stories or T.V. shows such as the "Hercules"
and "Zena, the Warrior Princess". Why do you think the ancient Greeks
and Romans have so many Gods who are in charge of various aspects
in life?
Some
of these Gods are perhaps familiar to some of us as we have probably
come across them in stories or T.V. shows such as the "Hercules"
and "Zena, the Warrior Princess". Why do you think the ancient Greeks
and Romans have so many Gods who are in charge of various aspects
in life?
Legends
can be about humans or animals. An example of an animal legend would
be "How the Hummingbird got its Hum", which talked about how a prince
who loved to sing, was killed and turned into a hummingbird. Other
examples of animal legends can be found at the following
site.
Indeed,
it is interesting to learn about the various myths and legends of
the past. These myths and legends are not only favourite bedtime
stories for the children, but also prove to be equally interesting
for the adults. What other myths and legends have you read/heard
about?
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Part
of the east frieze of the Parthenon shows Zeus, chief of the gods,
seated facing his consort Hera, who holds a bridal veil. The sculpture
is from between 447 and 432 BC.
Classical
myth Dionysos
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