Harry Potter Vs Classical Mythology

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.

Greek Mythology has been known to be one of the footprints left by the civilization of ancient Greece to our history and these mythology somehow shed a light to the culture, life style, religion and history of ancient Greece since the mythology were the primary basis of the origin of the ancient Greeks and they believed that these mythologies explained the origin of why things turned out to be like that.

Mythology serves to create an explanation for why the world is the way it is. All religions have mythology in them and myths help people understand history. Myth can mean so many different things to different people. Some myths are total fiction, while others may have a hint of truth in them. But most myths are more of a symbolic and metaphoric truth, rather than a literal truth, because most of the time myths cannot be proven and people are not trying to prove that they are true. Myths become true to the people who believe in them and they use them as a sort of lens through which they see the world. They use myths to create explanations for themselves as to why the world is the way it is and they use them to help cope with the difficulties of life. Myths are a natural outgrowth of our imagination and our passions.

The influence of Greek mythology does not stop here, it continues into the stars and galaxies – many of which are named after characters in Greek mythology and this is how Greek mythology has continually influenced western society over time.

One of the most important aspects of a mythological story are the magical and mysterious events.

Most definitions of the word myth define it as a story that deals with supernatural beings like gods that explain natural and social phenomena. But the word myth originally comes from the Greek word muthos, meaning story or word. In their purest form, myths are simply narratives about characters undergoing a certain sequence of events. According to Richard Martin, ‘myths are stories that continue to engage the imagination of a society over a long period of time.’ This definition can easily be applied to the Greek myths of antiquity as seen in their allusions in Shakespeare’s plays or in modern retellings such as Disney’s Hercules. And logically when considering the impact of Harry Potter or Disney on our society, would it not make sense

Greek mythology and Roman mythology both have an importance in both ancient history and the modern world. People often confuse the two and mistake them for each other. They may be similar on paper but they are very different. Greek mythology is more original, had a bigger influence on the ancient people, and has a bigger influence on the modern world.

     Mythology is a way that the ancient societies explained why things are the way they are and how they came to being. Two ancient societies are infamous for their mythology. These societies are Greece and Rome. Great authors were made be the mythological works they wrote. Homer was a famous author who is best known for his epics. It is from these epics that most of the gods and actual myths well known. I am writing of two of these gods in particular, Saturn and Dionsysus.

The Minotaur, meaning Minos bull, was “a monster of dire appearance, having the body of a powerful man and the head of a bull” (Seltman 98). Against his newfound father’s request, Theseus leaves Athens in hopes of returning victorious against the bull-headed beast. In a heroic fashion, Theseus leaps over the next step in Campbell’s hero journey and never refuses his call to adventure. The next step to any hero’s journey is an encounter with a super natural aid, but Theseus’ story takes a moral mentor to gather resources needed for the rest of his journey (Robertson 269). Theseus encounters his unlikely mentor upon arriving to Crete; Minos daughter, Ariadne, instructs Theseus to take a ball of linen with him into the labyrinth in order to trace back his steps after defeating the Minotaur (Martin 129). Crossing the threshold, Theseus ties one end of his ball of linen to the front door and journeys into the unconquerable maze and towards the beast (129). Theseus passes through his first trial of navigating the labyrinth inwards with ease straight into danger. Walking

     The theme is, I think, that J.K. Rowling wanted to show was that good things can

Greek mythology, as in past ways humans detailed lives, was used as a way to explain the environment in which everything around us happened and lived. The natural wonders they witnessed and the passing of time through the days, months, and seasons. Myths were also in a way connected to religion and explained where they came from and what are the lives of the gods. Also stated where humanity had come from and what it they should expect after death. It gave almost a rule on the best way to be in a happy life.(History Staff) Myths were used to tell historical events so that people could maintain contact with their ancestors, the wars they fought, and the places they explored. (Cartwright)

Mythology was very huge in Ancient Greece. There are so many different folktales and myths

Mount Olympus was the home of the Greek gods. It was chosen as their home because of its altitude, for Zeus, the king of the gods, was associated with the sky. Within the mythology, Mt. Olympus was large, foreboding

Probably, you have heard before the name, 'Harry Potter' and 'The Lord of the Rings' at least once. These two movies are considered as one of the most successful movies in the world. In this essay, the similarities between 'Harry Potter' and 'The Lord Of The Rings' will be discussed in the point of view such as the genre, the original work of movies, and the unique creatures that appear in both of those films.

As of 2013, there were 450 million Harry Potter books printed globally, meaning there was one Harry Potter book per ever 15 people. This book to person ratio is comparable to Grecian citizens who heard Homer’s prominent myth the Odyssey. In modern times fantastical novels, such as those in the Harry Potter series, have acquired the same prestige as ancient myths and serve some of the same purposes through their entertainment of the general populous. These novels have come to captivate a generation and that popularity is in part due to the appropriation of key concepts in the tried-and-true myths of ancient times. The influence of ancient myth is clearly evident in the presence of characters such as Minerva McGonagall and her function as a teacher, protector, and mentor to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling, a single mom at the time, wrote these stories in order to create another world, similar to how Homer wrote fantastical myths in ancient times. Throughout the Harry Potter series Minerva is brave and strong, yet with certain human characteristics that are simply not found in the ancient myths, making her a perfect example of the modern blending of classical ideology with the modern fascination of the strange and reality.