Here Comes Athena

This week, the northeast United States is expecting a strong Nor'easter to come through right where hurricane Sandy came through.  The weather channel honored it with the name, "Athena."

Now you might not know that Nor'easters got names.  That is because they don't, officially.  The Weather Channel seems to be trying to change that, saying that named storms help people to better communicate.

The National Weather Service, however, refuses to acknowledge the name (boo!).  As for me, I like it.  I'm hoping for a string of mythologically named storms in the years to come.

Thor, Percy Jackson Style

According to a news article I saw today, it seems that Rick Riordan is satisfied with writing in the Greek, The Egyptian, and the Roman pantheons.  Evidently he plans to take on the Norse gods as well.  According to the article, he had planned to write this before he ever wrote Percy Jackson.

I think this is good news.  I enjoyed reading his Olympians series.  I'm having a hard time getting into the Kane series (the Egyptian ones), and my son is dying to go out and buy the new Son of Neptune book.  I also think that mythology teachers can expect a boon of students signing up for these classes when these kids reach high school.  All in all, these books are great for mythology.

Don't hold your breath, though.  While he has already signed a deal with Disney Publishing Worldwide, the books aren't expected to come out until 2015.

One quote from the article that was interesting was an answer to a kid who asked him if he had seen the Percy Jackson movie.  His response?  Classic teacher: Nope.  "The images from the book you make in your head are always going to be the best images."

You can read the whole article here: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9Q4R1180.htm

Aboriginal Google

I ran across this news article that you might find interesting.  It deals with Aboriginal mythology, something I know very little about.  Here is the article.

Google Earth Images Confirm Mythological Meteor Impact

by Stuart Fox

Australian Aborigine mythology begins in a period known as the "dream time", before the emergence of humanity. Many stories about the dream time include legends about stars, gods, or rocks falling from the sky. And new research utilizing Google Earth surveys of the outbackshow that many of those myths may actually be historically accurate.

Writing in the journals Archaeoastronomy and Meteoritics and Planetary Science, Duane Hamacher, an astrophysicist Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, describes how examination of Aborigine myths led him to discover previously unidentified blast crater about 81 miles south of the town of Alice Springs.

In the myth, a star falls to Earth at a site the Arrernte tribe call Puka. Hamacher located the Puka site on Google Maps, and sure enough, the image looked just like another blast crater, Gosse's Bluff, which is located just west of Alice Springs and part of another Aborigine myth about something falling from the sky (this time a giant baby). Analysis of the magnetism and geology of the Puka site confirm that it is indeed the remnant of a meteor impact.

However, the impact occurred long before humans evolved. So how could the impact be part of the Aborigine mythology? Hamacher believes that the Aborigines witnessed enough actual impacts to correctly identify the resultant craters, and accurately deduced that the older, similar, formations must have resulted from the same kind of event. Which is pretty much the same thing scientists do with Google Earth now.

You can find it here: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-01/google-map-images-confirm-aborigine-mythology

A Living God in the Hospital

Hey guys,


I've been terribly delinquent in posting for quite a while now.  I have several posts I would like to get to, but have just not seemed to have the time to do it.  You know what they say about life getting in the way.


I'll give you a post today and get to work on updating the blog some and finishing out the Ragnarök series soon (I think).  Thanks for your patience! 


I was looking at the news when a headline caught my attention: Living God in India in Critical Condition.  So I read it.  Here is the short version of the article.  You can get the whole version here: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.8fb83dbd49bee8cae7e88172dbbed82f.e1&show_article=1




One of India's best-known spiritual leaders, famous for his apparent miracles and long list of influential followers, is on life support in a southern hospital, officials said on Tuesday.

Satya Sai Baba, 85, who has devotees in more than 100 countries, was admitted to a hospital funded by his organisation in the town of Puttaparthi with lung and chest congestion on March 28.

His condition has since deteriorated and he is now on a ventilator and is receiving kidney dialysis, the most recent health bulletin from the hospital said on Tuesday.

Thousands of followers have begun arriving in Puttaparthi, home to Sai Baba's ashram in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, with many agitated by conflicting information given out by local authorities.

The wild-haired leader has a following of millions in India and abroad, many of whom believe him to be a living god, and the reincarnation of the great spiritual guru, Sai Baba of Shirdi, who died in 1918.

The guru, who claims to have performed several miracles including bringing men back to life, counts former Indian prime ministers, top businessmen and even the country's cricketers among his devotees.

His organisation funds health and education projects in India, including a string of hospitals that claim to be able to cure ailments beyond the capabilities of mainstream medicine.

The swami's birth in Andhra Pradesh is shrouded in mystery.

One hagiographical account by a biographer claimed the mysterious sounding of drums signalled his impending birth.

In his teens he is said to have begun singing verses in Sanskrit, a language of which he had no prior knowledge, and then became able to materialise flowers and sweets to the astonishment of observers.

His devotees also credit him with an ability to remember his past lives, a frequent claim of Indian holy men, and he is believed to produce sacred ash every day.

I find this all very interesting.  Now, if he dies and brings himself back to life, we've got a real story.  If someone reading this knows more about it, I am curious - is he really seen as a god on earth or as a great man?  The article says god, but I am wondering if they are just trying to boost the story some.

~

Camp Half-Blood

My department chair sent me this article a week ago.  I thought you guys might be interested.  It tells about Camp Half-Blood, the camp from the Percy  Jackson series - only this is an actual camp kids can attend for $375 a week.  Now I've heard of this before from Rick Riordin's page.  My question here is is this the official camp or is it a home made version?  Sounds home made to me, especially the price.  I would love to hear from someone who has been to one of these and can let me know.

You can read the original here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/17/nyregion/17camp.html?_r=1

~

What's Your Sign?

Next post will continue the Ragnorak discussion (so be sure to vote), but this is breaking news and we here at Bubo's Blog had to bring it to you first (well, O.K., it is week old news, but maybe you haven't heard about it yet...)

As I'm sure that you know by now, it has been suggested to modify the zodiac to adjust for the movement of the earth.  As a result, all the dates slightly change and a new zodiac sign gets added.  Now I remember reading about this a few years ago in Sky and Telescope magazine.  In that case, it was an article about the constellation that makes up the new sign and the author of that article was saying that if astrologers wanted to be accurate, they would change the zodiac to add this guy in.  Nobody got in an uproar about that.  Recently a guy said the same thing and now everyone is upset.  No need to worry, however, as astrologers have said that the new classification system only applies to people born 2009 or later.  

The new sign is Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer.  It is the only sign that is based on a real person - Imhotep.  That's right, the same guy from The Mummy.  The Greeks didn't refer to him by that name.  They saw him as Aesclepius, the god of medicine and healing.   He carried the Caduceus that has become so well known for medicine.

O.K., so now we have a new sign.  people born between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17 are now classified as Ophiuchus.  What are their traits?  These people are 

• Seek out peace and wisdom
• Often the recipient of  both good luck and jealousy
• Can interpret of dreams
• Like to reach for the stars
• And they like to wear plaid

I got most of my information from: http://www.nowpublic.com/style/ophiuchus-personality-traits-13th-zodiac-sign-2747550.html so feel free to check them out for more info.

So what are the new dates?  Here they are.  Note, you may have changed signs:

• Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16
• Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11
• Pisces: March 11-April 18
• Aries: April 18-May 13
• Taurus: May 13-June 21
• Gemini: June 21-July 20
• Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10
• Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16
• Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30
• Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23
• Scorpio: Nov. 23-29
• Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17
• Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20

I went from Scorpio to Libra.  Funny, I don't really follow my horoscope, but I feel a bit disappointed in moving to Libra...  So what about you?  Did you change? 

If Anyone Has Any Objections, Let Him Speak Now or Forever Hold His Peace

Just saw this in the news.  Thought I'd pass it along.  I hope to get some real posts out soon.  I am thinking of starting a series of posts on Norse Death.  If you are interested in knowing where Vikings go after they kick the bucket, let me know.


'Magic Pythons' in Cambodia Begin Wedded Blissssss


BY SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press

SVAY ROLUM, Cambodia (AP) — Hundreds of villagers flocked to a wedding ceremony Monday between a 16-foot (4.8-meter), 200-pound (90-kilogram) female python and her slightly smaller mate — both believed to be magic snakes that bring prosperity and peace.

The two-hour ceremony in Svay Rolum village, 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of the capital Phnom Penh, ended with two Buddhist monks blessing the pair and villagers showering them with flowers as wedding music played.
Most Cambodians, almost all Buddhists, also subscribe to animism — a belief that spirits can inhabit all sorts of living and inanimate objects. Whenever an odd animal makes an appearance, it is cause for the superstitious to celebrate.
"We married these pythons to ask for health and prosperity in our village," said 41-year-old Neth Vy, owner of female python named Chamrouen.
"We were told (by fortunetellers) that the two pythons are husband and wife and they need to live together, and if we don't marry them we will meet bad luck," said Neth Vy, who found the then-tiny python while fishing 16 years ago.
He said since the snake became part of the household, the family's living conditions had steadily improved and no misfortune had befallen them.
The male python, named Kroung Pich, was caught 12 days ago by Hin Mao, a 44-year-old, childless woman who said she regarded it as her son.

Let Us Pray

The UN recently opened it's climate meeting with a prayer.  To whom?  God?  Allah? Zeus?  Nope.  Try Ixchel.  Here is a shortened  version of the article by Juliet Eilperin:

With United Nations climate negotiators facing an uphill battle to advance their goal of reducing emissions linked to global warming, it's no surprise that the woman steering the talks appealed to a Mayan goddess Monday.
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, invoked the ancient jaguar goddess Ixchel in her opening statement to delegates gathered in Cancun, Mexico, noting that Ixchel was not only goddess of the moon, but also "the goddess of reason, creativity and weaving. May she inspire you -- because today, you are gathered in Cancun to weave together the elements of a solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity as your tools."

U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres places a building block in a miniature Mayan pyramid at the site of climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. The "Pyramid of Hope" monument was erected by the TckTckTck climate awareness campaign to symbolize the many building blocks needed for a new climate agreement. (AP Photo/Karl Ritter)"Excellencies, the goddess Ixchel would probably tell you that a tapestry is the result of the skilful interlacing of many threads," said Figueres, who hails from Costa Rica and started her greetings in Spanish before switching to English. "I am convinced that 20 years from now, we will admire the policy tapestry that you have woven together and think back fondly to Cancun and the inspiration of Ixchel."

Two weeks from now, we'll have a sense of whether Ixchel -- and the delegates -- were listening to Figueres's appeal.

Here is the whole article.

We're Knights of the Round Table!

Round Table Found?????

That's what some researchers are claiming.  What a year for possible discoveries, huh?  Noah's Ark, King Arthur's Round Table, what's next?

You can read the news article below.  I got it from this source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7883874/Historians-locate-King-Arthurs-Round-Table.html

Researchers exploring the legend of Britain’s most famous Knight believe his stronghold of Camelot was built on the site of a recently discovered Roman amphitheatre in Chester.
Legend has it that his Knights would gather before battle at a round table where they would receive instructions from their King.

Barracks site is location for fresh battle royalBut rather than it being a piece of furniture, historians believe it would have been a vast wood and stone structure which would have allowed more than 1,000 of his followers to gather.

Historians believe regional noblemen would have sat in the front row of a circular meeting place, with lower ranked subjects on stone benches grouped around the outside.

They claim rather than Camelot being a purpose built castle, it would have been housed in a structure already built and left over by the Romans.

Camelot historian Chris Gidlow said: “The first accounts of the Round Table show that it was nothing like a dining table but was a venue for upwards of 1,000 people at a time.

“We know that one of Arthur’s two main battles was fought at a town referred to as the City of Legions. There were only two places with this title. One was St Albans but the location of the other has remained a mystery.”

The recent discovery of an amphitheatre with an execution stone and wooden memorial to Christian martyrs, has led researchers to conclude that the other location is Chester.

Mr Gidlow said: “In the 6th Century, a monk named Gildas, who wrote the earliest account of Arthur’s life, referred to both the City of Legions and to a martyr’s shrine within it. That is the clincher. The discovery of the shrine within the amphitheatre means that Chester was the site of Arthur’s court and his legendary Round Table.”

Missing 1 large ship, slightly used

Almost every culture has some story of a great flood.  Some have people survive in a chest, some in a boat, I read one where a guy survived in a large fish.  There is an account where a guy went up a mountain and the mountain grew until the floods were over.  All over the world, similar stories.  This is not too uncommon, since most cultures share the same basic myths.  That's what Joseph Campbell was all about.

Interesting article I ran across today.  Mt. Ararat is the supposed resting place of Noah's Ark.  It is the highest place in the area and the story goes that the ark settled on a very tall mountain.  Noah and his family still waited several days before disembarking to allow the waters to receded completely. 

Recently, a group of archaeologists discovered what appears to be the remains of a large wooden ship on the top of one of the mountains in that area.  The carbon dating puts it in what is believed to be the time period Noah would have lived.  The news article is short and has a little video clip attached as well.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/7639853/Noahs-Ark-remains-discovered.html

Just a curious thought.  If you are someone who does not believe one of the big three (Judaism, Christianity, or Islam), if this find were verified as being the ark, would this make you reconsider your beliefs or not?  Mind you, I'm not asking if you would all of the sudden be Johnny Churchman, just asking if it would make you consider the idea of Noah and the flood?

Go down the hall and it's the third door on the right. You can't miss it.

When I saw the picture, my first thought was that it was a Port-O-Potty.  However, I actually read the article and learned better.  This is the door to the afterlife.  It doesn't open until you are dead and need it.  If you were rich in Egypt back in the day, you had nice things like this to keep your soul from getting lost.  That reminds me, I've been meaning to do a series on Egyptian death...

Here is the entire article:

CAIRO (AFP) – A large red granite false door from the tomb of an ancient queen's powerful vizier has been discovered in Luxor, Egypt's culture minister said on Monday.
The carved stone door -- which ancient Egyptians believed was the threshold to the afterlife -- was unearthed near the Karnak Temple in Luxor and belongs to the tomb of User, a powerful advisor to the 18th dynasty Queen Hatshepsut, Faruk Hosni said in a statement.
The door, 1.75 metres (5.7 feet) high and 50 cm (19 inches) thick, is engraved with religious texts and various titles used by User, including mayor of the city, vizier and prince, antiquities chief Zahi Hawass was quoted as saying.
"The newly discovered door was reused during the Roman period. It was removed from the tomb of User and used in the wall of a Roman structure," said Mansur Boraik, who headed the excavation mission.
Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt between 1479 BC and 1458 BC, was the longest reigning female pharaoh.

I found this on: Yahoo News. 

FFBP

Not exactly an obscure allusion, but this news article will have to do:

3.5 percent tax hike still won’t cut it 

EAST PROVIDENCE - “In Greek Mythology, Sisyphus is condemned to an eternity of rolling a boulder uphill and then watching it roll back down again. This, it seems, is a fitting metaphor for budget and financial management in Rhode Island as we developed this budget.”

The rest of the article was sadly enough not about Sisyphus.  It is about some boring budget that I'm sure I would care about if I lived in Rhode Island.  But since I don't... (no offense at all meant toward Rhode Islanders, I'm sure it is a great place to live)

While we're here, let's discuss Sisyphus.  Most of us know the name and are familiar with the rock pushing guy.  But why is he doing this?

Well, this Sisyphus was a king.  Not just a king, mind you, but the king and founder of the city of Corinth (the same Corinth that has a book of the Bible written to it).  He was well known for being clever and tricky.  He was also the grandfather of Bellerophon.

When he died, he was so important that Hades himself came to collect him.  Now, Sisyphus was not quite ready (who is, right?) and must have been on good terms with the gods because he began to talk to Hades.  The conversation went a little like this:

Sis "Hey!  Good to see you, I've been meaning to call and all, but you know how things get."

Hades "Let's go." (Hades has never been one for small talk)

Sis "You know, I've always been interested in how you make people come with you.  Let's say that I don't want to go and wish to put up a fight, I wouldn't, you know, but let's just pretend for argument's sake.  What would you do about it?"

Hades (reaching into his back pocket) "Well, that's why I have these handy dandy handcuffs."

Sis "Man those sure are nice, but what would you use against a big guy?"

Hades "These things are stronger than they look.  They could hold Hercules himself."

Sis "Strong?  Those things?  No way."

Hades "I'm serious.  Why I bet they could even hold me they're so strong."

Sis "Now you're just teasing me.  I bet ten (whatever would be an ancient Greek dollar) that they couldn't hold someone as big and strong as you are.  Why I bet you couldn't even get them over your wrists."

Hades "You're on!"

Well, after Hades locked himself up, Sisyphus pushed him into a conveniently located closet and went on with his life.  While Hades was gone, nobody could die (which reminds me of a Piers Anthony book I read a long time ago called A Pale Horse which was about Death.  Not a bad book if I remember, but I read it in high school or jr. high, so it has been a while).  That might sound col and all, but think about the poor sap that gets trapped underwater and can't drown - lungs still scream for air and all, or the poor sap that drives his chariot over a cliff and lies in a mangled mess at the bottom, still alive.

Eventually Hades gets free and immediately sends for Sisyphus.  Sisyphus, however, was having great fun and decided that Hades was a push over.  He told his wife not to bury him when he died.  So, here he stands before Hades, ready to receive his punishment for making Hades look like a fool in front all of his god buddies and he complains to Persephone that he wasn't properly buried.  Plus, he had no coin to pay for his spot in the underworld.  Persephone, feeling sorry for him, lets him go back up to tell his wife to bury him properly.  Letting him go back up for a few moments is akin to me letting some of my students leave to go use the bathroom.  They may or may not come back.

Finally, (after another good several days) they get him back.  He is charged with various crimes (one being that he snitched on Zeus for having an affair with Aegina and another for using magic) and receives one of the most famous punishments in the world - pushing the rock up a hill for all eternity.  I bet when he gets near the top he can even see Tantalus, one of the other FFBP (Famous For Being Punished).  You know, he may even be able to see Rhode Island.

This picture below is titled, "Sisyphus Resigns!"

Beware of Kids Bearing Gifts

I ran across this while looking for allusions to Greek mythology (nerd that I am).  I thought this was pretty neat that these kids were having so much fun learning about mythology. Look at that horse prop and their costumes!  Pretty cool!  No school around here has done any of this.  How about you?  Anything like this where you're from?

Trojan horse is no myth at Tate Street Primary School

September 18th, 2009

A GIGANTIC wooden horse was the centrepiece of Tate Street Primary School's latest stage show.

The play, put on by years 5 and 6 students, was The Legend of Troy and was the culmination of weeks of studying Greek mythology.

"The kids have learned enthusiasm, teamwork, persistence and personal growth because of the huge amount of work that has been put into it," acting principal Debra Stavenuiter said of the play.

Students had worked with artistic director Dave Kelman for three hours every Friday for the last 20 weeks to get ready for the play.

The Trojan horse was created by local artists Glen Romanis and Stuart Guthrie.

A $36,000 grant from Arts Victoria helped make the horse and the play possible.

Asatru

I found this on Rick Riordin's  blog and found it so interesting, I had to pass it on.  It is a news article about Asatru, the current name for belief in the Norse gods.  Seems that they are still worshipped in places - and I don't mean cold places.  Try Virgina, for instance.  Looks like I'm going to have to redefine my definition of mythology as a religion no longer worshipped.

Paganism gaining popularity in prison

By KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press Writer Sun Jul 23, 2:39 PM ET 

STAUNTON, Va. - A pagan religion that some experts say can be interpreted as encouraging violence is gaining popularity among prison inmates, one of whom is scheduled to be executed this week for killing a fellow prisoner at the foot of an altar. 

Michael Lenz is scheduled to die Thursday for the death of Brent Parker, who was stabbed dozens of times at Augusta Correctional Center during a gathering of inmates devoted to Asatru, whose followers worship Norse gods. At his trial, Lenz testified that Parker had not been taking the religion seriously and had to die to protect the honor of the gods.

Other followers call the religion misunderstood and say most adherent inmates do not use it to further violent agendas.

Asatru has been gaining popularity among inmates, say religious leaders and prison experts who believe its roots in Viking mythology attract prisoners seeking power, protection and unity.

The gang culture in prison also contributes, said theologian Britt Minshall, a former police officer and Baltimore pastor who ministers to inmates. Some white inmates who felt threatened by black prison gangs formed their own gangs and sought out a belief system they felt would provide additional security, he said.
"It's a way of grouping together for safety," he said. "And you have to have a god in the middle of that to really keep you safe."

Asatru is often referred to as Odinism, although some followers believe the two are separate religions. It is a polytheistic, pre-Christian faith native to Scandinavia whose adherents worship gods including Thor and Odin.

It emphasizes a connection with one's ancestors and values honor, loyalty, generosity and truth.

An estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people in the United States consider themselves Asatruars or Odinists, said Stephen McNallen, director of the Asatru Folk Assembly, a leading Asatru group.

No national statistics are kept on how many inmates follow Asatru. But experts say its popularity enjoyed a boost from the Supreme Court, which last year sided with an Asatru inmate by upholding a federal law requiring state prisons to accommodate prisoners' religious affiliations.

Asatru is often associated with white supremacy, although most Asatru leaders bristle at suggestions of such a relationship.

A 1999 FBI report on domestic terrorism described Odinism as a "white supremacist ideology that lends itself to violence."

"What makes Odinists dangerous is the fact that many believe in the necessity of becoming martyrs for their cause," the report said.

Such comments are typical of those who don't understand Asatru, said Jane Ruck, who runs the National Prison Kindred Alliance and ministers to Asatru inmates. White supremacists make up only a small portion of Asatruars, and most inmates who follow the religion do not use it to push hate-filled, violent agendas, she said.
"There might be some white supremacists who consider themselves Asatruars, but they're not (Asatruars) because they're not following our beliefs," Ruck said. "We don't hate anybody; we just want to take pride in our heritage."

Lenz and another inmate, fellow Asatruar Jeffrey Remington, stabbed Parker a combined 68 times with makeshift knives. Remington was also sentenced to death but committed suicide in 2004.

According to Art Jipson, who studies white racial extremism and directs the University of Dayton's criminal justice studies program, Lenz's belief that fatal force was warranted is not surprising.

"If he believes the fight was necessary, whether or not it was legal is the least of his concerns," Jipson said. "If he's a truly devout practicing Odinist or Asatruist, he's doing what he must do. And it would be a shame — it would be a black mark on his soul, his spirit ... for him to be cowardly and not to fight." 

That kind of warrior mentality can exacerbate the tense environment behind bars, said Mark Potok, a leader at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., which monitors hate groups. 

"It's a theology that celebrates raw physical power and domination, and that is why I think it is so popular among prison inmates," Potok said. "The kind of inmate who might be attracted to this is a white man who is looking for justification for extreme violence, who is looking for an ideology which explains why he should be the boss."

It's Not easy Being Green

The following is taken from The Sun newspaper of England:

A FROG that constantly changes colour is being worshipped as a GOD in India.

Hundreds of curious followers flock to Reji Kumar’s home every day to pray and ask for miracles.

Now one of the country’s top zoologists plans to study the rainbow frog. But Reji, 35, who keeps the creature in a glass bottle after finding it while out watering plants, is afraid it might CROAK first.

He said: “My one problem is that this frog does not appear to eat. I keep trying to feed it but it doesn’t eat anything. I don’t know what else to give it.”

The frog was a dazzling WHITE colour when Reji, from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, first spotted it.

Then it changed to YELLOW and had gone GREY by the time he got it home.

Lift worker Reji added: “By night the frog was dark yellow, and then it became transparent so you could see its internal organs.

"It seemed like a miracle to me that this frog had so many different coats. So now people come to see him and pray to him.”

Professor Oommen V. Oommen from India’s Kerala University, said it was not uncommon for animals to change colour.

He explained: “Frogs do change colour to scare away predators.

“But from what I have heard, the frog at Kumar’s place changes colour so frequently it is a bit unusual. I will collect it for study.”

A Mythological Newsworthy Question

Here it is between the 2nd and 3rd period of the third game in the Carolina Hurricanes and I'm needing something to get my mind off the fact that my Canes are down 2 points.  So, I do what any hockey fan would do and that is surf the net for mythology.  

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette had a little quiz on obscure knowledge. You can get the whole thing here, but I was only interested in this question:

7. In Greek mythology, Eos was goddess of the dawn. By what name was she known in Roman mythology?

I got five questions right, I'm ashamed to say, but I did get the mythology question.   Not sure of the answer?  Just check the comment section to make sure you're right.  I'll give you a hint - it is the name of my dog (yeah, I know...I need help).

Oh, and GO CANES!!!!!!!!

Mythology Bee

No, not talking about the god of honey (which would be the Mayan god of bees and honey, Ah-Muzen-Cab by the way).  No, bee as in spelling bee.  We've covered national mythology exams before here.  This one was inspired by the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which I have already told you to read, despite the fact that they are kids books.  

I found an article about this contest and thought I'd present it here in case you were wanting to get it at your school next year:

From - http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090217-NEWS-902170362

By Joshua Clark

hamptonunion@seacoastonline.com

February 17, 2009 6:00 AM

HAMPTON — Those not familiar with satyrs, centaurs or Gorgons may have felt a bit out of place at the Percy Jackson Mythology Bee, but for the young mythology buffs who took place in the contest it was familiar territory.

The contest, held at Lane Memorial Library on Feb. 12, was open to students ages 10-15. The eight contestants who participated were faced with a barrage of multiple-choice questions focusing on Greek and Roman mythology.

Designed to celebrate students' knowledge of the subject, the bee capitalizes on the success of the Percy Jackson & The Olympians book series. Authored by Rick Riordan, the series follows the adventures of 12 year-old Percy who discovers that not only is he the son of Poseidon, god of the Sea, but that Greek monsters and mythological figures still roam the Earth.

Sixth-grader Hunter McKenzie, 11, ended the day standing alone atop Mount Olympus as the first-place winner. As the winner from Hampton Academy, Hunter will be entered into a sweepstakes with a chance to win the grand prize of a trip for four to Greece, which will include a tour of ancient ruins with Riordan.

Hunter, who first became enthralled by the series when he was ten, said that he was fascinated by mythology, and had done many projects and written stories on the subject.

After he took first place, he said he was feeling both amazing and lucky. On the prospect of meeting Riordan and getting to travel to Greece, he said it would be "a dream come true."

Even if he is not chosen for the grand prize, Hunter may end up winning a chance to Austin, Texas, to attend Camp Half-Blood. In the novels, the camp is a secret training ground and camp for those who are descendants of the mythological gods.

The camp was started in 2006 as a way to keep children interested in reading by bringing elements of the books to life.

Runner-up and fellow sixth-grader Daniel Katalichenko, 11, reiterated Hunter's love of fantasy and myth and said that he had also started reading the books about a year ago.

Daniel did not leave empty handed, however, as he got to take home The Battle of the Labyrinth, the only book in the series he did not own.

Kirsten Rundquist-Corbett, the teen librarian at the library, said the contest allowed her to branch out to the home-schooled and high school students she encounters in the library.

Stef Metalious, a librarian at Hampton Academy, said those who entered the contest were excited to compete and enthusiastic about the subject matter.

She went on to say that if the bee was offered next year, she would hold it again.

 

Out of Touch

O.K., I've been a bit out of touch lately, but I'm back now (I hope) and will be a bit better staying up to date on this blog.    

Speaking of being out of touch, I found this in the news today:  "Menasha Schools to Review Film Policy After Parent Complaint About Nudity"

Now, this caught my eye, not because of the word nudity (believe it or not), but because it dealt with schools and I found it by searching mythology in the news.  Here is the complaint:

"Eric Hjortness told the board this week the high school’s World Mythology course requires students to watch eight films, three of which he says include inappropriate sexual and violent content."

Wait!  Back that up - did it say that the parent is upset over nudity in a World Mythology class?????  Obviously this parent is not in touch with what world mythology is all about.  Let's face it, nudity is the rather tame part of all of this.  If you are getting a story without (insert any type of socially amoral activity that I do not wish to type so that every web filter in the US will shut my site out), then you're pretty lucky.  The gods will, um, "hold hands" with anyone (and anything for that matter).

Back to the story.  It seems that one of the movies in question was the latest cartoon of Beowulf.  Yep, a PG-13 cartoon.  Now, I might would object to this one, not for the immoral nudity scenes, but for the plain inaccuracies this cartoon has.  

One more article quote for you:

"They are also concerned about the social repercussions for a student whose parents refuse to give permission to watch a film in class."

Apparently we're not too concerned with the social repercussions for a student whose parent gets in the news for going to the school board to complain about watching a movie in school.  I bet this kid doesn't get invited to the movies by his/her friends anymore...

Now, don't get me wrong, I do appreciate any parent's concern.  If this were an English class, history class, science class - O.K.  I just find it hard to believe that they didn't see this coming in a mythology class...

It didn't mention the other movies.  I'm trying to think of the other two.  I would say Troy, but the article seemed to imply that they were all PG-13 movies and lower.  Any guesses from you guys?

Read the article at: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090210/APC0101/90210137/1979/APC0404

Now You See Me...

O.K., longer posts are coming soon - just let me get all my grades turned in.  I guess students should be more important than blogging...

There is a news article out about a cloak of invisibility.  It is pretty cool in that they are close to developing an actual material that when wrapped around something it becomes essentially invisible.  This is different from the inivisible British tank which uses little camera to reflect the scene on the other side of the tank (supposedly battle ready in a few years).  No this is a material using fiberglass that bends the light rays around it.

I say BIG DEAL!  Pluto has been doing it for centuries and he only uses a helmet.  

Name the Mars Land Rover

I got this e-mail, but alas!  I'm no longer teaching a mythology course.  So maybe some of you would like to participate.  I'm sure that we could find a good mythology name for it:

NASA is inviting students in grades K-12 to help name the rover for the Mars Science Laboratory mission:  http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov.  K-12 students can write a short essay suggesting a name, and may even win a trip to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to meet the engineers who built it.  The winner will also have the chance to sign his or her name on the rover prior to its launch.

Students 13 and younger must submit a mail-in form with a parent/guardian signature.  Students 14-18 years old may submit by mail or online. The contest ends January 25, 2009.  http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov 

Now, for those of us without students to rope into this, let's throw out our ideas.  What mythological name suits the beast that roams the face of the god of war?