| Discussion-- Most of us have some experience with mythology, whether through reading a book, watching television, or having a mythology class in school. Mythology consists of fantastic stories of gods, mortals, and supernatural events. Much of the popular mythology of today came from the ancient Greeks. The Greeks used mythology to try to explain pheneomena in nature that were at that time unexplainable, such as sunrises, earthquakes, and lightening bolts.
Many of us are familiar with the concept of Zeus and his thunderbolts. Zeus was said to be the King of the Gods. He had at his disposal powerful thunderbolts that he could throw at those that were not obeying him. The ancient Greeks believed that a thunderstorm indicated that Zeus was unhappy about something. Similarly, rough seas meant that Poseidon, the God of the Sea, was upset. In this way, the ancient Greeks used mythology as a substitute for science.
One of my all-time favorite movies is "Clash of the Titans." It is the story of Perseus, who is the son of Zeus, and his mythological adventures. Other popular mythological characters in the movie are Pegasus, the winged horse, and Medusa, a
hideous creature with snakes on her head. If you look at Medusa straight in the eyes, you are turned to stone. If that isn't a reason to avoid eye-contact, I don't know what is!
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