Cilla: Eris The Goddess of Discord, Strife & Chaos

Eris has been said to be the daughter of Nyx, but she has also been called the sister of Ares and the nurse of War, since she helps her brother in arms to accomplish his bloody work. And enjoying the groans of dying men, she fills their hearts with hatred, so that they may slay each other. Being of such a deplorable nature, the gods have kept Eris apart, and as it is widely known, she was not in the list of guests who were invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the parents of Achilles. Nevertheless, Eris, being difficult to get rid of, carved an apple out of pure gold and inscribed it with the Greek word Kallisti, which means "For the most beautiful one", or "To the Fairest One".





Eris threw her golden apple into the banquet hall of a wedding she wasn't invited to and caused discord and dispute amongst the three goddess Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. They were therefore sent by Zeus to Mount Ida near Troy in order to be judged by the shepherd Paris, who chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful, accepting Helen's hand for a bribe.




Consequences of that trouble.
This is one cause of the Trojan War, for Paris, having come to fetch his bribe at Sparta, where Helen was queen, left the city as her lover and sailed with her to Troy. But her husband Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, against all odds—for war had never before broken up for the sake of a woman—sent a powerful army against Troy, and produced a conflagration that still today causes such an awe and amazement as if the flames of Troy were still burning.





Loved by no one, and yet possesses many.
The cruel works of Eris foster battles and wars, awake the minds and hearts of mortals, and set them in motion to exchange death for death, as did the Pelopides Atreus and Thyestes 1, or the sons of Oedipus. Although no one loves her, which is seen in that artists represent her as a most repulsive woman, many are possessed by her and mortals must pay Eris her due, following the will of the gods; yet it has been said that discord among mortals displeases Zeus.

Vanth - Sam

Vanth is an Etruscan Goddess of the Underworld, perhaps a psycho pomp, whose presence indicates recent or impending death.
Her character is a little ambiguous--for while She is present at these scenes She does not usually take an active role, and thus some authorities call Her an "angel", others a "demon". Aside from the occasional statue or other independent representation, Vanth is nearly always depicted in scenes with an Underworld or death-theme—funerary monuments are an especially popular setting for Her—and Her part appears to be mostly one of observation. She is quite frequently depicted as a partner to Kharun, the Etruscan version of the Greek Charon, the Underworld guardian whose job it was to ferry souls over the River Styx.
Despite Vanth's presence in some gruesome scenes—of battles or prisoner sacrifices—She seems to have had a distant, if not benevolent, role in things: though a harbinger of death, She does not appear to cause it. Her torch points to a possible role as a psycho pomp, a God or other being who guides or escorts the newly-dead on the dark paths to the Underworld; perhaps, then She calmly waits near battles or other scenes of death so that She may fulfill this function. She does appear, at least in one depiction, to have some influence in saving someone from death.

Hybris - Goddess of Reckless Pride _Sara W

was the goddess or spirit (daimon) of insolence, violence, wantonness, reckless pride, arrogance and outrageous behaviour in general.

Pindar, Fragment 2 (trans. Sandys) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) :
"Hybris (Insolence) is the ruin of cities . . . Never may shameless Hybris bring faction in her train and seize the company of citizens, when they have forgotten their courage."

Aesop, Fables 533 (from Babrius 70) (trans. Gibbs) (Greek fable C6th B.C.) :
"The gods were getting married. One after another, they all got hitched, until finally it was time for Polemos (War) to draw his lot, the last of the bachelors. Hybris (Reckless Pride) became his wife, since she was the only one left without a husband. They say Polemos loved Hybris with such abandon that he still follows her everywhere she goes. So do not ever allow Hybris to come upon the nations or cities of mankind, smiling fondly at the crowds, because Polemos (War) will be coming right behind her."

~PANDORA~

~PANDORAS BOX~

Pandora was the first woman created by the Olympian gods

Pandora was the first female person ever created by the Greek gods. Zeus, the King of the gods, ordered from Hephaestus, the blacksmith, to create a female human form out of earth and water and to make her look as beautiful as the gods.

All Olympian gods contributed to the creation of her appearance and personality, in both a positive and a negative way.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, blessed her with beauty and grace, but on the other side there was Apollo, the god of the music, who seeded lies into Pandora's soul...

Athena, with the help of the Graces , ornated her with golden jewellery, but Hermes, the gods' messenger, made her shameless and Hera, the wife of Zeus, blessed her with extreme curiosity...

Because of the many gifts she received, the woman became entitled with the name Pandora, the "all-endowed".

She is told to never open her jar, but the gods and goddesses have also made her curious. Eventually, she opens the jar, which in some versions was not given to her by Zeus, but was instead kept locked up by Epimetheus, who did not want humankind to suffer.

But in either case, the vessel is opened, and all the evils of the world were expelled. Pandora realizes what she has done, but cannot slam the lid back on fast enough. The only thing left in the jar is hope.

Persephone (Pur-SEP-uh-nee) by Kelly

Persephone was the Greek goddess of the Spring. The story of Persephone and her mother Demeter, goddess of the Harvest, served as an explanation of the seasons.

According to myth, Hades, the God of the Underworld, fell in love with Persephone’s beauty as she played in a lush field picking flowers.

He kidnapped her to be his bride and carried her off screaming to the underworld. Distraught at losing her daughter, Demeter withheld her nurturing touch and all plant life on earth shrivelled and died. There were no flowers, fruit, vegetables, or grain.

For a year mankind starved until the other Gods forced Hades to relinquish Persephone to her mother. Upon their reunion, the bleak fields immediately burst with life and colour; gardens again offered their bounty and man was saved.

However, before leaving the underworld, Persephone ate a few pomegranate seeds. The law of the land proscribed that if you eat food of the dead, you must return to the dead: so, for each seed she ate, she was required to return to Hades for one month each year. That annual departure from earth reignited her mother’s anguish, causing winter.

Persephone’s return to earth and reunion with Demeter each year ushered in spring. As long as Persephone was on earth, Demeter allowed flowers to bloom and crops to flourish. When she was gone, fields froze.

medusa-DEAN

modern interpretation

Psychoanalysis
In 1940, Sigmund Freud's Das Medusenhaupt (Medusa's Head) was published posthumously. This article laid the framework for his significant contribution to a body of criticism surrounding the monster. Medusa is presented as "the supreme talisman who provides the image of castration — associated in the child's mind with the discovery of maternal sexuality — and its denial." Psychoanalysts continue archetypal literary criticism to the present day: Beth Seelig analyzes Medusa's punishment from the aspect of the crime of having been "raped" rather than having willingly consented in Athena's temple as an outcome of the Goddess' unresolved conflicts with her own father, Zeus.

Nihilism
Medusa has sometimes appeared as representing notions of scientific determinism and nihilism, especially in contrast with romantic idealism.In this interpretation of Medusa, attempts to avoid looking into her eyes represent avoiding the ostensibly depressing reality that the universe is meaningless. Jack London uses Medusa in this way in his novel The Mutiny of the Elsinore.

Demeter-

In Greek Mythology Demeter was known for her service to mankind in providing them with the gift of harvest, the reward for nurturing of the soil. Demeter was thought to be responsible for the fertility of the land. However Demeter was best known for her fierce defense of her daughter, Persephone. Persephone’s youthful beauty drew the attention of Hades, the God of the underworld, and he could not help falling on love with Persephone. One day as Persephone reached over to pick a flower, the earth opened and the arm of Hades reached up from the underworld. Hearing Persephone's screams, the goddess Demeter rushes to the meadow, but cannot find Persephone only the flower. Demeter traveled the world day and night searching for her daughter. Demeter soon encountered Hecate, goddess of the crossroads, who advised her to speak with Helio, goddess of the sun she had surely seen what had happened to Persephone. Helio told the goddess Demeter what she had seen and that Persephone was now ensconced as Hades' wife and Queen of the Underworld. She also gave her the shocking news that Zeus himself had sanctioned the marriage, giving Hades permission to abduct Persephone. Renouncing her divine duties that included bringing fertility to the land, Demeter left Mount Olympus swearing that the earth would remain barren until her daughter was returned to her. All this time, with the goddess Demeter refusing to function, the land grew barren and the harvests ceased the earth saw a winter that did not end. Zeus finally opens his eyes to what was happening and sent messengers to apologize and convince the goddess Demeter to return. Persephone, upon hearing the news, rejoiced for she had missed her mother sorely. As she was leaving, Hades offered her a pomegranate to eat. Although she undoubtedly knew that those who ate anything in the underworld were not allowed to return to the earth, Persephone accepted Hades' gift, eating only the seeds. Demeter was not pleased that Persephone had eaten the pomegranate seeds and would have to return to the underworld for four months during each year. Demeter resumed her divine duties and restored the fertility of the earth. Each year the goddess Demeter longs for her absent daughter and withdraws her favors from the earth for a period we know as winter, but Persephone returns each spring to end her desolation.

Arachne

Arachne was the daughter of Idmon of Colophon, who was a famous wool dyer in Tyrian purple. She was a fine weaver in Hypaepa of Lydia.[4] She was as skillful as the finest artist of the day and much praise was given to her in Hypaepa, where she had her workshop.
This all went to her head and eventually Arachne became so conceited of her skill as a weaver that she began claiming that her skill was greater than that of Athena,[5] the goddess of wisdom and war as well as the weaving arts. Athena was angered, but gave Arachne a chance to redeem herself. Assuming the form of an old woman, she warned Arachne not to offend the gods. Arachne scoffed and wished for a weaving contest, so she could prove her skill. Athena dropped her disguise and the contest began.
Athena wove the scene of her victory over Poseidon that had inspired the people of Athens to name their city for her. According to Ovid's Latin narrative, Arachne's tapestry featured twenty-one episodes of the infidelity of the gods, disguised as animals: Zeus being unfaithful with Leda, with Europa, with Danaë.
Even Athena admitted that Arachne's work was immaculate. Her envy at such human competition drove her into uncontrolled fury and violence. Perhaps she was as well outraged at Arachne's disrespectful choice of subjects that displayed the failings and transgressions of the gods (this takes for granted a late, moralizing view of Greek myth). Losing her temper, she destroyed Arachne's tapestry and loom, striking it with her shuttle, and struck Arachne on the head as well, slashing her face. Arachne, refusing to bow to Athena, hanged herself: “Nor could Arachne take such punishment: She'd rather hang herself than bow her head.” (The moralizing perspective suggests that she "realized her folly and was crushed with shame.").
In Ovid's telling, Athena took pity or spite on Arachne. Sprinkling her with the juices of aconite, Athena loosened the rope, which became a spider web, causing Arachne to lose her hair, her ears and nose, metamorphosing into a spider. "So you shall live to swing, to live now and forever, Even to the last hanging creature of your kind." The story suggests that the origin of weaving lay in imitation of spiders and that it was considered to have been perfected first in Asia Minor

Artemis - Veronica

The myth I have selected is about Artemis, the great Olympian Goddess of hunt, wilderness, childbirth, fertility and young girls, bringing and relieving disease in women.

She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows and also known with a crescent of a moon above her head.

She would roam mountain forests and uncultivated land with her nymphs in attendance, hunting lions, panthers, hinds and stags, wearing girlish knee length tunic. Sometimes a stag or hunting dog was represented with her.

Artemis was very possessive and would show her wrath on anyone who disobeyed her wishes, especially against her sacred animals.

The story I am basing my Tableau Vivant on his about the hunter Aktaion who came across the goddess bathing in a stream. Angered by the encounter she turned him into a stag. His hunting dogs tore him into pieces.

hera story nick

Hera was also a very jealous wife because Zeus always ran around cheating on her. He had lots of mistresses and Hera always got her revenge on them or their children. One very popular story of Hera's revenge is the story of Hercules. Zeus was very attracted to a mortal woman named Alcmene. He went down to earth, transformed himself into Alcmene's husband and seduced her. They had a child named Hercules and he was half human, half god. When Hercules was still a baby, Hera sent two serpents to his crib to strangle him. Since Hercules was half god he took the two serpents and strangled them instead. After, when Hercules got older, he married and had three sons. Hera sent down a madness on him, making him kill his own family.

hera brainstorm nick

Hades Synopsis - Ryan

In Greek mythology, Hades (the "unseen"), the god of the underworld, was a son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea. He had three sisters, Demeter, Hestia, and Hera, as well as two brothers, Zeus, the youngest of the three, and Poseidon, collectively comprising the original six Olympian gods.
Upon reaching adulthood, Zeus managed to force his father to disgorge his siblings. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades received weapons from the three Cyclopes to help in the war: Zeus the thunderbolt, Hades the Helm of Darkness, and Poseidon the trident.
Hades and his two brothers, Poseidon and Zeus, drew lots for realms to rule.
Zeus got the sky, Poseidon got the seas, and Hades received the underworld, the unseen realm to which the dead go upon leaving the world as well as any and all things beneath the earth.
The Underworld was the less desirable of the three realms and Hades was not overjoyed to get this realm. Staying in the “Unseen” world made Hades very envious towards his brothers and sisters, and the other Olympians did not see him in good light and did not consider him one of them.

The snapshot or “Tableau Vivant” will be of Hades in his own realm sitting on his throne.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades

http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hades/hades.html

http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html

http://hunter.apana.org.au/~gallae/pantheon/myth/hades.htm

http://gogreece.about.com/cs/mythology/a/mythhades.htm

Zeus Nari

Zeus is one of several children, all born of CRONOS, who was the ruler of Olympus at the time.
Crono’s was an evil ruler who previously dethroned his father in order for himself to be king.
In fear of the same thing happening to him, as did his father he immediately swallowed up all of his offspring.
Except for Zeus who was saved by his mother Rhea who tricked Crono’s into swallowing a rock wrapped in a blanket instead of baby Zeus.

When Zeus finally grew to maturity he decided to wage war against Crono’s and the Titans
Prisoners released
The titans fought from mount Othrys and the gods from mount Olympus. After ten years of war it still hung evenly balanced.

It was then that Gaia prophesied victory to Zeus if he had allies of those who had been thrown to tartarus by crono’s.
Also imprisoned beneath the earth by crono’s wrath was the cyclop’s and the hecatoncheires of whom crono’s was jealous of.
Zeus and his brothers decided to bring them up again at gaia’a advising and in return the Cyclops gave Zeus thunder and lightning and thunderbolt.
Two titans that sided with Zeus.
The titaness Themis sided with Zeus because she knew that nor the violent nor the brute would prevail, but the clever.
Prometheus 1 listened to her words, and sided with Zeus too. However, after the war, when Zeus had Prometheus 1 chained for having given fire to mortals, he lamented his choice.

So it was how Gaia had prophesised, Zeus would be triumphant when allied with two titans of whom were thrown into tartarus. (Themis & Prometheus.)

Synopsis of myth

Write 50 -100 words describing the myth you have selected to create your 'tableau vivant'

arachne

persephone

Brainstorming.

Candice

Term 3 is shaping up to be pretty interesting with Betty as Spider woman and Dean as the meanest gorgan of them all Medusa. Candice is taking on Pandora with Ryan as Hades. Bubbl.us was used to brainstorm possibilities for myths. Try brainstorming the personality from your selected myth  and making a post. Everyone feel free to comment.
More to come... Sandy as Pegasus, Nick as Hera,Jen as Midas, Cilla as Io,  Sarah as  Demeter, Sara as Hybris and  Sam as Vanth

Dean

nari

nick

Betty