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Bonjour,
Je te propose un plan qui aborde la spécificité des mythes anglo-saxon. Complète l'introduction avec la définition du mythe et du héros. La problématique soulève la question suivante : en quoi les mythes anglo-saxons ont puisé leurs sources dans des mythes préexistants dans d'autres cultures.
Mots-clés : funding myths, pilgrim fathers, Oscar Wilde, Dorian Gray, Romeo and Juliet, Frankenstein, arthurian legends
INTRODUCTION
In order to start my presentation about the notion Myths and Heroes, I will, first, define those two notions. Myth comes from the Greek mythos (mûthos) which is "a story or set of stories having a significant truth or meaning for a particular culture, religion, society or a group of people" (wiktionary). Myths are popular belief or tradition which often relate phenomenons or situation to heroes, gods or magic. In the past, they were used to explain things which weren't understandable for people, for instance the creation of the world is a phenomenon that most of civilisations in the world explained by inventing myths.
We will focus on myths and heroes in the Anglo-saxon culture and we will try to answer the following questions: what are the characteristics of myths and heroes in the Anglo-saxons? Are they unique or did they draw inspiration from myths preexisting in other cultures?
To answer this question, we will highlight the relationships between Greek and Roman myths and the Anglo-saxon ones. Then, we will focus on the Funding myths of 3 different Anglo-saxon countries the UK, the USA and South Africa.
PLAN
I. Adaptations of Greek and Roman Myths in the Anglo-saxon culture
1) Frankenstein
This novel of Mary Shelley published in 1818 is based on the myth of Prometheus. Prometheus was a Titan who shaped men out of mud whereas Athena breathe life to them. He also gave fire to men and was punished by Zeus for this. Frankenstein is a romantic version of this myth: Victor, the hero, is the modern incarnation of Prometheus in that he succeeds in giving life - this time, with electricity - and has the feeling of being a God.
2) The Myth of Aphrodite / quest for eternal youth
Oscar Wilde revisited the myth of Aphrodite with his character Dorian Gray. This young and handsome man remains was portrayed by a painter to immortalize his beauty but years after years, Dorian keeps young whereas his face on the painting is getting older and older.
Other books illustrate the quest for eternal youth:
- the Oval Portait (Edgar A. Poe)
- Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (J. M. Barrie) and all movies related to this story
- popular characters illustrating the cult of the youth: Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, James Dean (actor), Lady Diana, The 27 Club (popular musicians who died at the age of 27 like Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain ...)
3) The Myth of the Eternal Love
Romeo and Juliette are the new version of Orpheus and Euryidice. Orpheus is a musician who came to the Underworld to bring his beloved Eurydice back to the Humans world. Unfortunately, he almost succeeded but Eurydice stayed among the Dead. Other books revisited this legend:
- Ligeia (Edgar A. Poe)
- Annabel Lee (idem)
4) The Journey of Initiation
Several germanic or Anglo-saxon myths or sagas were inspired by Ulysse's Odyssey:
- Beowulf
- The Pilgrim Progress (J. Bunyan)
- Lords of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
- Star Wars (G. Lucas)
II. The Founding Myths
Myths convey a cultural identity in which a nation can recognise itself. Societies which were built on immigration or colonisation gave birth to founding myths in order to legitimate their identity or to justify their political choice. However, sometimes it is hard to conciliate those myths with the indigenous ones.
1) The Arthurian legends
The Arthurian Legends has had a very important impact on the Anglo-saxon culture. Those legends were first described by Geoffroy de Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes and then English writers and poets adapted them in order to glorify the identity of their nation and to illustrate the value of an era.
- Sir Thomas Malory: (1415-1471): Le Morte D'Arthur
- Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892): Idylls of the King is a victorian adaptation of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
2) Founding myths in the USA
- The Pilgrim Father, Thanksgiving, The Shining Upon a Hill
- The Founding Fathers, The Constitution
- The Myth of the Frontier: Manifest Destiny
3) Founding Myths in South Africa
- The Great Trek: The Empty Land is a book written by Louis Lamour which regards the Boer Wars - which opposed the Transvaal Boer (the descendant of the Dutch immigrants who colonised South Africa) and the British Army. This book has been used to justify the Apartheid.
- The reconciliation around the figure of "the father" Mandela after the Springboks' victory during the Rugby world cup in 1995. Clint Eastwood depicted this story in his movie Invictus (2009)
- Myths allows colonised nations to keep track of their identity: The Dreaming of the Aborigenes.
Je te propose un plan qui aborde la spécificité des mythes anglo-saxon. Complète l'introduction avec la définition du mythe et du héros. La problématique soulève la question suivante : en quoi les mythes anglo-saxons ont puisé leurs sources dans des mythes préexistants dans d'autres cultures.
Mots-clés : funding myths, pilgrim fathers, Oscar Wilde, Dorian Gray, Romeo and Juliet, Frankenstein, arthurian legends
INTRODUCTION
In order to start my presentation about the notion Myths and Heroes, I will, first, define those two notions. Myth comes from the Greek mythos (mûthos) which is "a story or set of stories having a significant truth or meaning for a particular culture, religion, society or a group of people" (wiktionary). Myths are popular belief or tradition which often relate phenomenons or situation to heroes, gods or magic. In the past, they were used to explain things which weren't understandable for people, for instance the creation of the world is a phenomenon that most of civilisations in the world explained by inventing myths.
We will focus on myths and heroes in the Anglo-saxon culture and we will try to answer the following questions: what are the characteristics of myths and heroes in the Anglo-saxons? Are they unique or did they draw inspiration from myths preexisting in other cultures?
To answer this question, we will highlight the relationships between Greek and Roman myths and the Anglo-saxon ones. Then, we will focus on the Funding myths of 3 different Anglo-saxon countries the UK, the USA and South Africa.
PLAN
I. Adaptations of Greek and Roman Myths in the Anglo-saxon culture
1) Frankenstein
This novel of Mary Shelley published in 1818 is based on the myth of Prometheus. Prometheus was a Titan who shaped men out of mud whereas Athena breathe life to them. He also gave fire to men and was punished by Zeus for this. Frankenstein is a romantic version of this myth: Victor, the hero, is the modern incarnation of Prometheus in that he succeeds in giving life - this time, with electricity - and has the feeling of being a God.
2) The Myth of Aphrodite / quest for eternal youth
Oscar Wilde revisited the myth of Aphrodite with his character Dorian Gray. This young and handsome man remains was portrayed by a painter to immortalize his beauty but years after years, Dorian keeps young whereas his face on the painting is getting older and older.
Other books illustrate the quest for eternal youth:
- the Oval Portait (Edgar A. Poe)
- Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (J. M. Barrie) and all movies related to this story
- popular characters illustrating the cult of the youth: Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, James Dean (actor), Lady Diana, The 27 Club (popular musicians who died at the age of 27 like Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain ...)
3) The Myth of the Eternal Love
Romeo and Juliette are the new version of Orpheus and Euryidice. Orpheus is a musician who came to the Underworld to bring his beloved Eurydice back to the Humans world. Unfortunately, he almost succeeded but Eurydice stayed among the Dead. Other books revisited this legend:
- Ligeia (Edgar A. Poe)
- Annabel Lee (idem)
4) The Journey of Initiation
Several germanic or Anglo-saxon myths or sagas were inspired by Ulysse's Odyssey:
- Beowulf
- The Pilgrim Progress (J. Bunyan)
- Lords of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
- Star Wars (G. Lucas)
II. The Founding Myths
Myths convey a cultural identity in which a nation can recognise itself. Societies which were built on immigration or colonisation gave birth to founding myths in order to legitimate their identity or to justify their political choice. However, sometimes it is hard to conciliate those myths with the indigenous ones.
1) The Arthurian legends
The Arthurian Legends has had a very important impact on the Anglo-saxon culture. Those legends were first described by Geoffroy de Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes and then English writers and poets adapted them in order to glorify the identity of their nation and to illustrate the value of an era.
- Sir Thomas Malory: (1415-1471): Le Morte D'Arthur
- Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892): Idylls of the King is a victorian adaptation of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
2) Founding myths in the USA
- The Pilgrim Father, Thanksgiving, The Shining Upon a Hill
- The Founding Fathers, The Constitution
- The Myth of the Frontier: Manifest Destiny
3) Founding Myths in South Africa
- The Great Trek: The Empty Land is a book written by Louis Lamour which regards the Boer Wars - which opposed the Transvaal Boer (the descendant of the Dutch immigrants who colonised South Africa) and the British Army. This book has been used to justify the Apartheid.
- The reconciliation around the figure of "the father" Mandela after the Springboks' victory during the Rugby world cup in 1995. Clint Eastwood depicted this story in his movie Invictus (2009)
- Myths allows colonised nations to keep track of their identity: The Dreaming of the Aborigenes.
CONCLUSION
Myths and heroes embody the value of a nation.
They also enhance the social cohesion of societies built on immigration or
colonisation like in the USA or South Africa. Those societies are young
compared to Europeans ones and need myths and heroes to justify and build their
culture or identity. However, those myths are often based on preexisting
ones or they are adapted from other cultures' stories and legend. Thus, the
Anglo-saxon took a lot from the Greek and the Roman mythology in order to
build their own mythology.
RESSOURCES
- Lesson plans : www.webenglishteacher.com/kingarthur.html
- Arthur and his kingdom : www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/arthur/index.html
- The truth in pictures : http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/
- Man or legend ? Depiction of King Arthur in literature and the arts: http://artsedge.kennedycenter.org/
- Arthurian Science-fiction and Fantasy 1980-1989 : www.lib.rochester.edu/
- Filmographie : www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/
- L’évolution du récit : http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/
- The Making of King Arthur (documentaire BBC 2010) : www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail : Terry Gilliam (1975)
- Thanksgiving : http:/americanhistory.about.com
- Thanksgiving, Shining City Upon a Hill, Manifest Destiny : www.ushistory.org/us/
- The Constitution : www.archives.gov/
- The Great Trek : www.sahistory.org.za
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