One of my favourite things to talk about with my students each year are ancient myths. Myths shape culture and have become so deeply woven into the way that we think and speak today that they become essential to understanding much of the literature we read and even the various traditions that have developed in our own society. One of the books I use in teaching writing second semester spends some time focusing on myths. In the first chapter of this book, they set about defining myth. When we get to this part, I always ask my students to think of the different myths they have heard and tell me what a myth is. Most of them end up giving examples from greek mythology, and I usually get the same basic list of criteria for a myth: heroes, creation of the world, origin of cities and people, wars, invention of technology, explanations of events using supernatural means, etc. I then ask them, “Are the stories that the ancient greeks told about Zeus, and Hermes, and Poseidon myths?” To whic...
From the song of Umare the stars were born. And from these stars seven were placed apart to govern and serve the Earth. Here were built the dwellings of the dosciumae, and on each of these stars, which are the planets, Umare placed a ruler entrusted to govern and protect the Earth. These seven rulers the men call the Æteslae. The first of the Æteslae is Atestalume. He was appointed by Umare as the king of the Æteslae. His dwelling is the Sun, and the dwelling of Nesaluma, his queen, is the Moon. Together they watch over the day and night. Atestalume is counted the wisest of the dosciumae, yet he is not proud. He perceives all the doings of men and judges between them. He is benevolent, and deals kindly with them. Nesaluma is queen of the night, and she cares for all creatures that wander under her pale light. She nurtures the plants that grow. As the rest she feeds the soil and coats them with her blanket of dew. Uthlome is the strongest of the dosciumae. It was he w...