DIY Myths
Preface: This scene from the Percy Jackson movie (disappointing... bad adaptation of the book but still kind of iconic) where they eat the Lotus flowers while Poker Face plays lives rent free in my mind.
Mythology has always been something that has interested me, I don't know someone my age who wasn't obsessed with Percy Jackson as a kid. Reading mythology is so fun, but I never thought to attempt to write my own myth until this class assigned exactly that to me. I thought that writing a myth actually had me really reflecting on the myths that I was interested in as a child, and thinking about the fundamental questions those myths potentially answered. I also normally do not really write creatively, so this was a fun way for me to try something new. Writing a myth about Nerds Gummy Clusters as a source of human happiness is pretty unserious. I could definitely see myself assigning a similar assignment to future students, a whole unit on reading a myth and then writing one I think would be a full circle way for students to understand mythology as a genre and also engage them in the subject. I feel like mythology is pretty universally enjoyed by young people, it is mystical and often funny or ironic, but can also be quite tragic. This combination of traits and then including forms like satyrs, griffins, sirens or cyclops, finds its way interesting to a lot of children for the most part. I also remember being in middle school and doing projects on Greek Gods and Goddesses, it was one of my favorite units I remember ever doing, but I also remember how much everyone in my class enjoyed what they were doing. I think that is the point of mythology, it has universal appeal because they often explore humanity.
Hello McKenna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post and you sharing your personal associations and experience reading myths. I agree with what you have to say about myths being universally appealing, even if it doesn’t match our tastes. I think that’s due to the wide range of myths there actually exist across a span of cultures. There are explanations for things in nature that couldn’t be explained, and simply wonderful stories built on human emotion that take on a grand scale. You mention Percy Jackson, and that reminds me of how myths are such an inspiration for future stories. We have a wealth of myths and we provide our own meanings to them in our present age. The way that myths can be everything on the spectrum, from tragic to humorous, truly represents the great expanse that is the human imagination. Great post! And I’m glad this assignment allowed you to tap into your creative side.
-Mousho Tekeian
Hi McKenna,
ReplyDeleteLike you, I truly enjoyed creating my own myth because I don’t get to write creatively very often. I need to read the Percy Jackson series immediately. I always say I'll get it but never do. However, I have seen the movie and the TV series, but I know that the books are always better. Anyway, back to the myth assignment, I appreciated how it was scaffolded because the professor had us read about myths and then assigned us one to analyze with a group. I believe that exploring the assigned myth prepared me to write my own creatively because it made me think about the structure and how it could be outlandish. I would like to do this assignment with my students because it would allow them to think critically and consider the reasons behind certain topics. In other words, it would teach students about universal values and struggles.
– Melissa Catalan
Hello McKenna! I can relate to your love of mythology and greek mythology was also my favorite unit back in 6th grade Ancient History class. Even when I watch any movie or show, I love researching the "lore" of characters or the history of the plot. I unfortunately haven't read the Percy Jackson books yet but I did watch the Disney Plus series for a bit. I was too focused on being a Potterhead as a kid. It's great that this assignment allowed you to do something perhaps out of your comfort zone in a fun way with creative writing and that you were able to write about the glorious candy known as Nerds Gummy Clusters. Mythology is definitely universally loved by everyone even if it comes in different forms as I do not know a single person who loves movies and shows but does not care about there being explanations of how someone got powers or why the setting is how it is. As humans, we are naturally curious and drawn to the unknown or the seemingly unexplainable (at least when we rely on our own understanding oif things) and mythology definitely scratches the itch of the desire for explanations and love of fantasy.
ReplyDelete-Eunice McIlhenny
Not entirely sure why you would call Nerds Gummy Clusters unserious. To my knowledge, they are indeed the source of all human happiness. Jokes aside, I also had an absolute blast with this assignment. It's a great opportunity to get to flex some creative muscles while still learning something. I feel like by creating a myth, it forces you to pay attention to the mechanics of actual real world mythology.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you brought up Percy Jackson. I remember being in fifth grade and begging my mom to get me a book on Greek mythology after I finished the series. Now, here I am studying and preparing to potentially teach it. How time flies.