Mythology:
Midterm Review and Preparation

Exam Overview 

• The exam consists of two parts: a multiple choice section drawn from your terms, names and ideas, worth 40%, and an essay, worth 60%.  Some of these are identifying gods, goddesses or scenes from visual images (which will only be ones we have gone over in class and which are available to you in the power points).
• In the Midterm Essay Pool below are 6 essay questions.  On the actual midterm, I will offer you a choice of two of these questions, and you will write an essay on ONE.
• You may use any materials you like in preparing, including study groups, internet or book research, etc.
• BUT when writing the exam you may not use books or notes and you must complete the exam within the class period.
• On exam day, you'll receive both parts of the exam at once, to work on as you choose.  Bring your own paper.  No books or notes allowed.

Midterm Essay Pool

1. Establishing divine order  Zeus had to establish order in the universe with a series of conflicts that began at his birth.  Other deities too had to establish their identities at birth, in a way that also established the nature of their provinces and powers, and their nature as a deity.  Choose 2-3 deities whose early exploits define them and their powers.  For each, consider the specific elements of myth that predict or illustrate the deity and his/her relationships with humans – to the extent that they do.

2. Fertility Fertility is a key concept of religion in any agricultural community.  Choose three or four gods and/or goddesses, and compare their fertility functions.  Address such questions as, what specific sort of fertility do they represent?  How does this fertility align with their other characteristics or provinces?  How specifically is it related to their gender?  Does it explain or justify social practices?  Does it have metaphorical meanings (about the nature of the world, the soul, the gods, etc.) in addition to more obvious “fertility” connotations?

3. Gods and Mortals   We talk about the relationship between gods and humans as if it were a single thing, but in fact, different gods (in myth and in cult) have different types of relationships with mortals.  Choose 3-4 deities and discuss their relationships to mortals, both in mythic narratives that portray such relationships, or in the worship that reveals that relationships.  Be alert to internal inconsistencies (i.e. whether there is a contrast between myth and cult, or whether the same deity is shown in different qualities of relationship) and include them in your discussion.

4. Cross-gender relationships: Among the Olympian gods, the relationships  between married couples are not especially harmonious.  Discuss the marital relationships of Zeus and Hera, and Hephaestus and Aphrodite, both where they are not successful, and where they are.  Then, discuss other male/female relationships among the Olympian gods, sexual or not, and discuss the ways in which they function successfully (or not) as cross-gender relationships.

5. Monsters:In this course, we have encountered many monsters, from the Cyclopes and Typhoeus to the Gorgons and Harpies; in addition we have found Giants, Titans (which can be a lot of things), and personifications of scary things.  Choose several of these monstrous beings and discuss their role in Greek mythology, addressing such questions as:  Do their monstrous powers by nature oppose them to order?  Are their monstrous forms inherently frightening?  Are their comic or “adventure story” or other functions in their stories?  What sorts of feelings might stories featuring monsters engender in their audiences?  Do monsters share some key factor in Greek myth, or all they all different; either way, what are the dynamics of monsters’ roles in Greek myth as a whole?

6. Creation MythThe myth below is a creation myth from outside the Greek & Roman worlds.  Describe its similarities and differences to Greek creation myths (focusing on Hesiod but including others if you like) and the significance of these changes to the different cultures' views of how the universe is formed, the nature of god/the gods, the role of humans, and other significant issues.

'Before the world came into being there existed only the Cosmic Egg that floated unchanging in the Void for untold ages. Yin and Yang was the Egg, opposites perfectly mingled. And it was because they were perfectly mingled that the world could not yet be.

'Then within the Egg was born P'an Ku, the primordial man who slowly grew and grew until the Egg felt too cramped for him. Impatiently he stretched out his limbs and his hand closed about an axe, coming from whence no one knows. Striking with all his might, P'an Ku split the shell of the Egg and burst free.

'He then began to fashion the material of Chaos, separating Yin and Yang into sky and earth, in which he was aided by the four most fortunate creatures who had emerged from the Egg with him: the Unicorn, the Dragon, the Phoenix and the Tortoise. They were engaged in this labour for 18,000 years and each day P'an Ku grew ten feet, using his own body as a pillar to force heaven and earth apart.

'When the separation was complete and they had settled in their places, P'an Ku died. His breath became the wind and clouds, his eyes became the sun and moon. His stomach, head and limbs became the principal mountains of the world, watered by the rivers of his sweat and tears; his flesh became the fertile soil and his hair the plants and trees which took root in it. The fleas on his body became the human race.

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Rubric:

General comments

• Avoid long retellings of myths; stick to references to the main points.
• Assume that your reader has the level of knowledge that everyone in the class does -- for example, you don't need to explain hubris (your classmates know what it is), but you will want to demonstrate how it applies to the situation it describes.
• You might also consult Arguing A Point.  The examples refer to research papers and go into a level of detail your exam essay probably won't, but the principle holds true.

Terms, Names and Ideas for the Midterm Multiple Choice