Week 3 Time Travel to Ancient Greece Day 3 of 3We are now taking a spiritual journey into the world of the Greek Pantheon. We will learning about what makes this pantheon different and the ways they are the same as other pantheons. We will be discussing which Deities we feel the most connected to and why. Then for homework each kid will be writing a blessing to their chosen Deity. What is Paganism? Paganism is a religion that predates every religion. Over time the definition of Paganism has changed. At first the definition of Paganism was considered as the religion of the first people. Once Christianity took over it became define as any religion that is not Christianity. The problem with this definition is that it can cover many different religions that are not Pagan; like Buddhism, and Hinduism. Many think the definition of Paganism is any religion that believes in more than one God, but that is not the case that is actually polytheism which is a part of Paganism. What I am trying to get at is that however you define Paganism whether it be the first belief or any belief that is not Christianity. Paganism is very old and was spread through out many different countries. What is the difference between Greek Pagans and other Pagans? By definition their is no difference, but under careful analysis there is large difference. Every region has a slight difference in their pantheon of Paganism. Although the names are different for example the Greek Goddess of love is Aphrodite so you would call to her if you follow that pantheon, but if you follow the Roman pantheon you would call to Venus who like Aphrodite is the Goddess of love. The names are different, and so are the myths and legends that they have. Each of the stories about the Gods or Goddess help the people connect to the different aspects of the Deity on a deeper level. Can you name a Greek Goddesses you know? Some of the most well known Greek Goddesses are: Aphrodite - Goddess of beauty, love, and sexuality. Although she is known for her beauty she is married to less than attractive God, Hephaestus. She is also the mother of Eros, the God of love who is often dedicated as a cherub. Artemis - Goddess of the hunt, helps with pregnancy, guardian of the moon. She is the daughter of te God Zeus and his lover the Goddess Leto. Artemis is the sister of the God Leto Athena - Goddess of wisdom, a Goddess of craftsman's, and as a war Goddess. She is the daughter of Zeus she sprang from Zeus’s head, full-grown and clothed in armor. Demeter - Goddess of grain, fertility, and agriculture. She is the goddess who taught mankind about agriculture, and for creating winter. Hera - Goddess of marriage and childbirth. She is married to the God Zeus, although her relationship was far from perfect many can view her as the Goddess of scorned women, because of her husbands frequent infidelities. Hera is the Queen of the Gods and Goddesses and she is the mother of the Gods Ares and Hephaestus. Hestia - Goddess of the home, and family. She is the daughter of Titans Cronus and Rhea along with her brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon and sisters Hera and Demeter. Can you name a Greek Gods you know? Some of the lesser known Greek Gods are: Aeolus- God of the winds and air. He is the son of a human king and an immortal nymph. Aeolus married the Goddess Enarete, and had children; Sisyphus, Athamas, Cretheus, and Salmoneus. Aristaeus-God of cheese-making, bee-keeping, and medicinal herbs. He was a son of Apollo and a huntress named Cyrene. He married Autonoe, daughter of King Cadmus of Thebes and had two children, Actaeon and Macris. Atlas- God of astronomy and endurance. He was the son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Asia or Clymene. Atlas had many wives and many children with each; With the first wife Pleione he had Goddess-nymph Calypso and the seven Pleiades; Alcyone, Asterope, Electra, Caleano, Taygete, Merope and Maia. Another wife Aethra, had daughters, the Hyades, and his only son, Hyas. Another wife Hesperis had another daughter Hesperides. Chaos- God of creation. The union of the Darkness or Mist with him gave birth to Chronos God of time and Ananke Goddess of necessity. Charon- Guardian of Hades. He is the son of the Titan Erebus and Nyx. Charon takes the newly dead people across the rivers Styx and Acheron to the Greek underworld. Helios- God of the Sun. He was the son of Hyperion and Thea. Helios had a few wives; Aegle, Rhode, Perseis, and Clymene. He had many children; the Three Graces, Phaethon, Pasiphae, Electryone, Aeetes and Circe. The Heliadae and the Heliades. What are some of the religious structure that still remain today in Greece? The ancient people of Greece built many different structures to honor the Pagan deities some of them still remain today. The Acropolis of Athens it was constructed in the mid 5th century BC. This is actually several buildings each with their own purposes. The Parthenon was first dedicated to Goddess Athena along with the Temple of Athena Nike. The site of the ancient Delphi is located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The oracle of Delphi was filled with the spirit of the God Apollo and people would travel to hear to hear their prophecies. Ancient Epidaurus is a theatre that was constructed in the late 4th century AD. It was the site of many reproductions of other famous plays. It was built right next to the Sanctuary of Asklepius, built to honor the healing God. The Sanctuary of Dion was built on the top of Mount Olympus to honor the God Zeus. Mount Olympus being the believed ancestral home to Gods they would offer sacrifices to the Gods there. Ancient Dodona this is another site where the oracles would deliver the messages from the Goddess Rhea, the Goddess of the Mother Earth. Later over time they rededicated the site to the God Zeus. Ancient Olympia is where the first ancient Olympic Games took place in 776 BC. The games were to honor God Zeus and it is believed that his son the hero Hercules started the games. On Olympia you can see the Temple of Zeus which has a 40 foot tall statue of the King of Gods. HOMEWORK: RESEARCH A GREEK GOD OR GODDESS AND CREATE A COMIC STRIP OUT OF A MYTH ABOUT THEM.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
As a mom of three boys who go to public school I started to notice that some things were not being taught in detail so I decided to create lessons for them. Many of these lessons cover science, history and of information about Paganism. I share crafts for the all different holidays and cultures as ways that they can learn and have fun at the same time.
Archives
November 2023
Categories |