Myths and Legends

1. Myths and Legends Nov. 3 SWBAT discuss why versions of the Cyclops story is a recurring myth within cultures.

2. Homework • Please hand in your homework. If you were not here on Friday, please go to my website to look at the assignment. Watch the Halloween documentary.

3. One eye for oneself • Narcissus was singularly focused on himself….blinded by his love for himself. He didn’t truly “see” the world outside of himself. …and who would when you’re too sexy for everything and everyone. • Discuss - What other characters from stories are singularly focused on getting one thing…whether it is for good or evil?

4. The Cyclops Today we will read the Cyclops Myth, originally told in Homer’s poem The Odyssey. (composed possibly near the end of the 8th century BC) In original myths about the Cyclops (before Homer), they were not always extreme bad guys. Cyclopes, giants with one eye in the middle of their foreheads. They were as big as mountains and immensely strong, “abrupt of emotion”, and stubborn. The three Cyclopes were • Brontes ("Thunderer") • Steropes ("Lightning Flash") • Arges ("Shining Guy") Eventually, these three would get jobs manufacturing the thunderbolts that Zeus (their nephew who hadn't been born yet) used to blow folks up with.

5. Cyclops • The new generation of Cyclops were bad. …lawless giants living in Sicily who were singularly focused on evil towards others. (They don’t get a sad backstory the way others appear to in our more modern day myths)

6. Where did we get this idea??? • Recent scholars have hypothesized about the origin of the Cyclopes' single eye. One possibility is that in ancient times, smiths could have worn an eye patch over one eye to prevent being blinded in both eyes from flying sparks. Also, smiths sometimes tattooed themselves with concentric circles which could have been in honor of the sun which provided the fire for their furnaces. Concentric rings were also part of the pattern for making bowls, helmets, masks, and other metal objects. Notice that the first generation Cyclopes were associated with metal-working while the second generation was not. Apparently, the lawless band of Cyclopes is a later addition to the myths. The incidence with Polyphemus seems to have had an independent existence from the Odyssey before Homer added it to his epic adventure. It was probably told as a separate myth at certain functions.

7. Other theories • …or it may have been a birth defect in babies which we now know of as cyclopia…. • ….or it may have been inspired from the skulls found of dwarf elephants.

8. Cyclops • It is uncertain why the Cyclopes were demoted from the smiths of the gods to a lawless group of monsters with no reverence for the gods. When the universe came into being, there were many monsters and vague forms that were gradually replaced with beings with more human forms. Order was replacing chaos. The monsters were phased out, and this could have lead to the transformation of the "good" Cyclopes to the "evil" Cyclopes that were destined to be fought and defeated by the divine human form.

9. Fun Facts • The poet Homer was blind. …but he could see what makes for good and evil, while the Cyclops with one eye can’t. It appears people with functioning eyes can’t see very well philosophically speaking. • …and we may all be blinded by who really wrote it…because even the Greeks before Christ questioned if Homer was indeed the author.

10. Cast of Characters • Narrator • Odysseus (King of Ithaca) • Shipmate One • Shipmate Two • Shipmate Three • Shipmate Four • Polyphemus (The evil Cyclops) • Cyclops One • Cyclops Two

11. Exit ticket • Free-write – • Part 1 - Why do you believe humans are interested in myths where one has a single eye (or singular vision)? What could this represent about humanity? • Part 2 – When you pair this with the character of Odysseus, what does this show about the stories humanity likes to hear?