Bres and Óengus: Changing and Unchanging Mythological Attributes

Greek mythology is one of the coolest things anyone could think of. The ideas of gods and goddesses coming down to earth to interact with the human race, is quite an amazing thing. In many cultures, gods are very important. The ancient greek culture is an example where mythology is very important to the people, the gods are everywhere in daily life. Yet with the made up mythology, they needed a place to begin with and the greeks are no exception, but the story of the gods beginning is very interesting.

Set in an era long before the customs of contemporary western civilization, Heaney’s translation of Beowulf follows the courageous hero through an epic journey that solidifies his figurative immortality. Much like the Greek’s great Odysseus or the Roman’s devout Aeneus, Beowulf serves as an impressive and almost godlike warrior for the Anglo-Saxons, providing insight into the constituents of greatness for that society. Confident in his abilities and committed to his task, Beowulf voluntarily embarks on a mission to defeat Grendel, the treacherous enemy of the Danish kingdom. Beowulf solidifies his classification as an epic hero as he satisfies his quest for glory, saves a kingdom from destruction, and reveals the values of an era.

Temperance is defined as moderation or self restraint which means how one controls himself. Wantonness is the exact opposite as it expresses recklessness and malice towards another being. These two words can be expressed as polar opposites or they can be seen as being the unity of opposites as suggested by Heraclitus. The unity of opposites states that the existence of one thing depends on the existence of two or more opposite conditions. When there is temperance then there will be wantonness which often causes a struggle. The Odyssey shows the struggle of temperance and wantonness through the main character Odysseus, and the Gods of Mount Olympus. Throughout the epic several examples are given that show this struggle amongst Odysseus and the Gods.

According to the article “What Really Is A Hery, Anyway”, Arhur Ashe stated, “Heroes are people who transform compassion into heroic actions.” Heroes can be an ordinary person who helps you throughout life and can lead you on the best path of life. They can also be a special person who is there for you in the time of need. Odysseus is king of Ithaca and a man of honor to the Ithaca people . Odysseus goes on an journey but on his journey he tries to get back home , but on his journey home he cheated on his wife and didn’t care about any of his crew members that came with him. In result of the things Odysseus does he is not a modern day hero.

Odysseus is an epic hero who has been on a home journey for twenty years. During his trip home he has visited many lands and been through many trials and challenges. Odysseus boast characteristics of both an epic hero and a thrill seeker.

An epic hero is a larger-than-life central character in an epic. Odysseus portrays the key traits that an epic hero has while he is on a journey to save his wife from the corrupt suitors and return home. In the Odyssey by Homer translated by Robert Fagles , the protagonist, is on his way home and he goes through many hardships and obstacles but the traits that he has keeps him going and make him a great epic hero. Odysseus portrays an epic hero because he is brave, resourceful, and deceptive. To begin with, Odysseus demonstrates immense bravery as a leader through the poem and in dangerous situations.

During the course of his journey home, Odysseus cunningly tricks the cyclops Polyphemus into believing he has no name. Moreover, he manifests his god-like strength, stringing his bow and killing the suitors who plague his kingdom. And lastly, Odysseus deals with the outcomes of his unrestrainable pride, tackling on Poseidon’s rage and learning to plead to the gods. So, even when Odysseus faces struggles and numerous obstacles, Odysseus induces an “extraordinary quality from within himself”, which is, in fact, the definition of an epic

Odysseus is a hero that uses modern day standards. Odysseus has done many things on his trip going to and from Ithaca. He has traveled oceans and fought in a war and fought his way back home. He was away for 20 years from his family in Ithaca. Odysseus he is known by many people for being a hero.

In the history of literature, there is likely no hero more famous than Odysseus. He is the archetype of the traditional epic hero, a character who’s story in The Odyssey matches Joseph Campbell's hero’s journey structure beat for beat. However, the addition of a modern perspective into the events featured in The Odyssey causes us to have to answer a new set of questions about its hero. Is Odysseus a good leader? Reading the Odyssey shows us that he is not.

What is a value? A value is a person’s principles or standards of behaviour; ones judgment of what is important in life. An epic hero is a larger-than life main character who embodies values of his society. In The Odyssey, Odysseus uses his Greek values, traits, and smarts to overcome his battles. These values/traits are vengeance, Family, and Strength.

Composed circa the end of the eighth century BCE by Greek poet Homer, The Odyssey retells the story of Ithaca’s king Odysseus and his journey home to Ithaca after the fall of Troy. The ten-year voyage is a classic example of the Hero’s Journey, for it contains within it not only all the necessary plot requirements, but more importantly the archetypes: heroes, heralds, mentors, threshold guardians, tricksters, shapeshifters, shadows, allies, and temptresses are present throughout the poem in both Odysseus’ journey and his son Telemachos’ as well. Although the epic presents each archetype differently and with their own characteristics, never are they described to deviate from the basic definition of their role.

     A comparison between Virgil's hero, Aeneas, and the Homeric heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, brings up the question concerning the relevance of the difference between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas. The differences in the poets' concerns are explained by the fact that Virgil lived many years after Homer, giving Virgil the advantage of a more developed literary and philosophical society than Homer had at his disposal. But the question remains: how are the differences between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas relevant to the epic at large? This question will be answered by first pointing out the differences between Greek and Roman society, then explaining

A hero is something everyone wants to be. A hero back in the Greek times meant that they were brave, loyal to their allies and their family, and respectful of Gods. Odysseus is an epic hero in the poem “The Odyssey”. “The Odyssey” focused on one soldier(Odysseus) who fought in the trojan war returning home after 19 years, it is about his adventures going home and visiting different people and islands while returning home. Odysseus portrayed both traits of being a hero and not a hero because he helped his men during hard times but sometimes risked their lives. He was also unloyal to his wife Penelope who stayed loyal to him for 19 years.

Anyone who is familiar with Greek mythology has heard a story about tyrannous Zeus, throwing thunderbolts, turning people into animals, or causing other supernatural events while releasing his wrath. He proves time and time again that he is more powerful than any mortal who tries to compete with him. Though Zeus is the mightiest, there are stories about many other gods demonstrating their power over mortals. Two such gods are Apollo and Dionysus. In the stories "Oedipus Rex" and "The Bacchae", these gods conflict with men that are not just average mortals, but respected kings. Although the political position of these kings makes them feel superior to all, the gods in the two stories show them that immortals are far superior to any

"A myth is a collective term denoting a symbolic narrative in religion, as distinguished from symbolic behavior (cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (temples, icons)". (The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Vol. 24)Mythology is a collection of myths meant to explain the universe. Mythological stories were told in many different cultures and civilizations. The existence of myths is known in every society. Many different myths were conceived to explain occurrences that happened in nature.