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Mythology

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About Mythology

Introduction

About Egyptian Mythology

Introduction
Principal Egyptian Gods

Summary and Analysis for Egyptian Mythology

The Creation
Osiris

About Babylonian Mythology

Introduction
Major Babylonian Gods

Summary and Analysis for Babylonian Mythology

The Creation, the Flood, and Gilgamesh

About Indian Mythology

Introduction
Main Vedic Gods
Hindu Gods and Concepts

Summary and Analysis for Indian Mythology

Indra and the Dragon
Bhrigu and the Three Gods
Rama and Sita and Buddha

About Greek Mythology

Introduction
The Titans
Other Primordial Deities
The Olympian Gods
Other Gods
Mythical Greek Geography

Summary and Analysis for Greek Mythology

The Beginnings — Creation
The Beginnings — Prometheus and Man, and The Five Ages of Man and the Flood
The Beginnings — Loves of Zeus
The Beginnings — Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hermes, Demeter, and Dionysus
The Heroes — Perseus, Bellerophon, and Heracles
The Heroes — Jason and Theseus
The Heroes — Meleager and Orpheus
The Tragic Dynasties — Crete: The House Of Minos
The Tragic Dynasties — Mycenae: The House Of Atreus
The Tragic Dynasties — Thebes: The House of Cadmus
The Tragic Dynasties — Athens: The House of Erichthonius
The Trojan War — The Preliminaries, The Course of the War, The Fall of Troy, and The Returns
The Trojan War — Odysseus' Adventures
Other Myths

About Roman Mythology

Introduction
The Roman Gods

Summary and Analysis in Roman Mythology

Patriotic Legends — Aeneas and Romulus and Remus
Love Tales — Pyramus and Thisbe, Baucis and Philemon, Pygmalion, Vertumnus and Pomona, Hero and Leander, Cupid and Psyche

About Norse Mythology

Introduction
Supernatural Races in Norse Myth
The Major Norse Gods
Creation and Catastrophe

Summary and Analysis for Norse Mythology

The Norse Gods — Odin, Thor, Balder, Frey, Freya, and Loki
Beowulf, The Volsungs, and Sigurd

About Arthurian Legends

Introduction

Summary and Analysis for Arthurian Legends

Merlin, King Arthur, Gawain, Launcelot, Geraint, Tristram, Percivale, the Grail Quest, and the Passing of Arthur's Realm

Critical Essays

A Brief Look at Mythology

Study and Homework Help

Essay Questions

Cite this Literature Note

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About Greek Mythology

Other Primordial Deities

Eros, along with Gaea, was the child of Chaos in early Greek mythology. He represented the creative principle of attraction that brings beings together, establishes friendships and marriages, creates cities, and so on. In later myths he was the son of Aphrodite and represented lust.

The Cyclopes were one-eyed monsters, the children of Gaea and Uranus. There were at first three of these storm-demons, and they represented the thunder, lightning, and the thunderbolt. They helped Zeus against the Titans.

The Hecatoncheires were three more monsters produced by Gaea and Uranus. Each had fifty heads and a hundred arms of prodigious strength. These creatures represented the cataclysmic forces of nature. Briareus was distinguished by the fact that he once served as Zeus's bodyguard. Together they helped Zeus defeat the rebellious Titans.

The Giants were generated by Uranus' blood when Cronus mutilated him. Eventually they became powerful enough to attack the whole Olympian order and were vanquished only after an earth-shattering battle.

The Furies, who pursued and punished sinners, also sprang from the blood of Uranus. Specifically, they punished matricides.


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