CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
VERY IMPORTANT: Read and follow instructions carefully!
TOPIC: Create your own creation story
Length: 500-600 words (= ca. 2 pages double space).
PLEASE INCLUDE WORD COUNT.
NO SEPARTE REFERENCE SHEET needed.
– Read the “Introduction” (pp. 2-6) to Part 1 (“So It Begun: Cosmogonies and Theogonies”) of Gods, Heroes, and Monsters, in order to review what kinds of creation narratives we have and what are their main characteristics and differences.
– In the first half, write your own (original) creation narrative, which can focus on cosmogony (creation of the cosmos), theogony (creation and succession of gods), or anthropogony (creation of humans), or all of the above. Your narrative has to be original: it can contain elements that are present in ancient stories but cannot be a copy of any one of them. You can write it in the form of a prose narrative or in verse or as a song, however you choose.
– In the second half, explain what kind of decision making went into your writing. You may consider, for instance, whether you went for a monotheistic or polytheistic world; how you imagined that the world/gods/humans came about; whether you were using any particular text or tradition as a point of reference; or if your own beliefs or experiences affected how you wrote your creation story – or any other relevant questions.
– Citations/References: make sure to cite (i.e., reference) two or more ancient works (e.g., “… I was inspired by the creation narrative in Hesiod’s Theogony, GHM 1.5”). NO SEPARTE REFERENCE SHEET needed.
Late submission will affect your grade.
Goals and expectations. We will evaluate your essay according to how well you
– follow the instructions for the essay given in the prompt below
– cite sources correctly (again, see instructions)
– show ability to navigate the Textbook (GHM) and your familiarity with ancient texts we studied
– apply the types of ideas, motifs, and analysis we have been resorting to in class
– write in grammatical and logical English and present your ideas clearly
AGAIN: Make sure you have read and followed the instructions carefully!
