Fable

Giraffe, a very kind and caring animal, was one day walking along the beach and he came to a penguin mother who was trying to get one of her children out of a big palm tree. “Hello their Mrs. Penguin, my neck is very big and long, I can reach your baby for you if you would like,” Giraffe said.

“Oh that would be marvelous Mr. Giraffe, thank you,” Mrs. Penguin replied.

So giraffe stretched out his neck and grabbed the baby penguin out of the tree. “Why thank you very much Giraffe,” Mrs. Penguin exclaimed.

Giraffe kept on walking and a while later came to a beaver who was trying to paint a beautiful portrait, but he did not have a model to paint. Giraffe walked up to him and said, “Mr. Beaver, I am very beautiful with my orange and white color, you may paint a picture of me.” Mr. Beaver gladly accepted his offer and began to paint. When the Beaver was finished painting, Giraffe went on his way.

A little while later, Giraffe ran into Kuala Bear, who was up in a tree.

“Hello Mr. Kuala, what are you doing up in that tree,” Giraffe asked.

“Well I am trying to make it home on time for dinner, but by the looks of things, I might be a few minutes late,” Kuala replied.

“Well where is your home.”

“It is about fifty more feet north.”

Giraffe kindly reached up the tree with his neck and lifted Kuala out of the tree and took four or five more steps north and placed him on the ground. Kuala was very grateful for what Giraffe had done.

After that Giraffe decided that it was getting late and he had better be getting home himself. When he finally made it home, he noticed that a pineapple had fallen from a tree above his house and caved in the roof.

“What in the world,” Giraffe said to himself.

Giraffe was very sad that this had happened to him so he went and sat down on a rock. While he was sitting their Badger came up to him and said, “Hey Giraffe, give me all of your money.”

Giraffe replied, “Why I am a Giraffe, I do not have any money to give.”

Being very angry, Badger scratched Giraffe and then ran away into the bushes. Again, Giraffe was very sad and did not know why only bad things came to him when all he does is nice things for everyone that he can. “Maybe I should just stop being so nice,” Giraffe thought.

A little while later, Beaver, who was going for his nightly jog, ran by Giraffe and noticed that he was sad.

“What is the matter Giraffe,” Beaver asked.

“I do not have a house to stay in tonight and I was scratched.”

“Well I am very good at making houses so why don’t you stay with me tonight, and in the morning I will fix you up a brand new house. Also, I hear that Penguin is very good at fixing up cuts and things, so we will get him to take care of that for you. After that, Giraffe was very delighted and he never thought badly about helping people again.

MORAL: Nice acts always come back to you.

Norse Mythology Definitions

MUSPELLHEIM


Yngling, Elenwe. "Muspellheim." 2007. Photograph. Muspellheim. 1 December 2008 http://www.ancientsites.com





1. Vikings are people that are from Norway, Finland and Sweden.
2. Ginnungagap is a dark void.
3. Nifleheim is the land of ice and fog.
4. Muspellheim is the land of fire.
5. Yggdrasil is the world ash tree that connects all 3 worlds.
6. Asgard is the home of the gods.
7. Midgard is the home of man.
8. Hel is the goddess of the underworld.
9. Bifrost Bridge is the bridge that connects Asgard to Midgard.
10. Ymir the first frost giant.
11. Odin is the god of gods and humans.
12. Frigg is Odin’s wife.
13. The Valkyries are Odin’s daughters.
14. The Norns are the fait maidens.
15. Thor is the strongest son of Odin.
16. Balder is the most beloved son of Odin.
17. Njord is the god of the wind and sea.
18. Frey the fertility god.
19. Freya the daughter of Odin and goddess of love.
20. Idunn has golden apples, and the gods have to eat them so they stay young.
21. Loki is evil and also a trouble maker to the gods.
22. Fenrir is the evil wolf and son of Loki.
23. Jormungandr is the world serpent and a child of Loki.
24. Ragnarok is the end of the past worlds and when a new one comes into being.
25. Runes are stones that can foreshadow the things in your life.






1.Why do the gods care when Idunn is kidnapped?

2.From reading the myths of Northern Europe, what do we learn about their culture and values. Be specific. Support your claims with examples.

3.Who is more like Prometheus, Loki or Odin? Support your decision.

4.Identify three other ways in which Norse mythology is like other myths that we have studied so far. Be specific.

5.Provide three reasons that Loki is such a popular figure?

Gabcast! Assiniboine Frog Myth #1

FROG
The Assiniboine frog myth explains to us how the Frog came to living in the water. You see, Frog’s children were very ugly and Man’s were beautiful. So one day Frog decided to take the youngest good-looking child during play time, when it was first learning to walk. Frog raised him. When Frog was out with the pretty child, one of Frog’s children came up to him and asked, “Why is he hot and why am I super ugly?” Frog replied, “I washed him in red water, therefore, he is beautiful.” As soon as the father knew of his child’s kidnapping, he came and recaptured his child. The father was very angry at frog, frog was very afraid of the father and as a result he immediately went into the water. For this reason, Frog continues to live in the water.

“Frog.” Indian Mythology. 2006. 6th November 2008. http://www.indianmythology.org

Jeff B. “Kermit The Frog.” 2007. Kermit the frog picture. Flickr. 11 November 2008.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96525092@N00/415211280

Melo, Fred. “Angry Man.” 2006. Photo of a angry guy. Flickr. 11 November 2008. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredereco/131052944

HERO QUEST

The hero is the founder of something new. Atalanta was the first women who was better than men at something; “Some… felt it beneath them to go hunting with a woman”

Universal is the representative of every man with a special characteristic that sets him apart. Atalanta had a father and had given birth; “Atalanta’s father… a daughter… was born to him.” “Atalanta had borne a son.”

The major flaw in the hero is where the hero is special but defiantly not perfect. Atalanta did not like men unless they were hunting with her; “She had no liking for men except as the hunt and she was determined never to marry.”

The call to adventure on a hero’s journey would be that the hero is given a goal or assigned a quest. Atalanta’s call to adventure was that she was a great hunter and knew that that was what she had to do; “She became in the end more than their equal in all the arduous feats of a hunters life.”

Initiation in a hero’s quest is when the hero enters a strange world and leaves behind the familiar. In Atlanta’s case her initiation was her first big kill of two centaurs that were stalking her when she was alone; “Centaurs, swifter and stronger by far than any mortal, caught sight of her… she stood still and fitted an arrow to her bow and shot… both centaurs fell, mortally wounded.”

The hero’s journey is the road of trials, battles and obstacles they go through. Atalanta’s first big journey was the killing of the Calydonian boar; “Then came the famous hunt of the Calydonian boar.”

Companions and friends of a hero journey are the sidekicks, partners and support for the hero. Atalanta had a friend who secretly loved her; “Meleager fell in love with her… Atalanta treated him as a good comrade.”

Supernatural guides in a hero’s journey provide information, magic, weapons or charms for the hero. Atalanta had help from Aphrodite; “Aphrodite, always on the lookout to subdue wild young maidens who despised love.”

The ultimate battle in the hero quest is the final test the hero has to go through. Atalanta’s final battle was the race between her and her future husband; “she had caught up with him and the goal was now very near… she saw the gleam through the green, she could not resist if… her lover panting and winded touched the goal.”

The transformation the hero goes through alters them in some way in the final battle. Atalanta’s transformation was that she no longer free with the forest; “Her free days alone in the forest and her athletic victories were over.”

The death and rebirth in the quest is out with the old and in with the new. Atananta’s death and rebirth was that she was turned into a lion with her husband; “The two are said to have been turned into lions.”

Finally the boon in the quest is the gift that is to be shared. Atalanta’s gift was her son; “Atalanta had borne a son, Parthenopaeus, who was one of the seven against Thebes.”

Mythology Academic Vocabulary

A myth is an explanation that helps us understand natural events, tell us stories and how the earth was created. An example is the Babylonian creation myth.

A hero is a human who is universal and who goes through a series of events that in the end has a gift for us all. An example is Hercules who was a hero because he went through a journey and had to do tasks that brought us all something at the end.

A hero journey is the several events that the hero goes through to strengthen him and to help him overcome fears. An example is when Hercules had to go down to the underworld to bring Cerberus back up to earth.

Something that is universal is something that applies to everyone. An example would be that Hercules is universal because he is bad tempered and is not very smart.

Something archetype is the original or first. An example is the Yin and Yang myth.

Cyclical is something that is Circular, recurring or continuous. An example is the Egyptian sun god Ra who has a very cyclical life.

Duality is two things that are Opposites or a state of two. A boy and a girl would be duality.

Creation is the origin or beginning of someone or thing. The myth of Osiris, Isis, and Horus is one myth that explains the earths creation.

Life from Death is when something is killed to help give life to something living. An example is when Marduk killed Tiamet, her remains created the earth and all living things.

Non-Verbal Representation