Mythology Notes by Teddy David Mills May 2002 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- AEGIS ----- My pseduonym on the internet is AEGIS2007. If you want to find me goto games.yahoo.com and look in in the Chess rooms. I would have taken AEGIS but of course it was taken. I chose AEGIS since it was the shield of Zeus made by the god Vulcan. The AEGIS shield was covered with a goatskin, and since Im a Capricorn, it seemed a logical choice. AEGIS was also the name chosen by the United States Navy for its close in weapons systems for all US military ships. It is like a 20 billion dollar defensive system. This thing can like fire almost a continous stream of uranium rounds thousands of rounds a minute. It has to shoot down anti-ship missles coming in at hundreds of miles per hour. So AEGIS has to fire as many rounds as fast as possible to save the ship. I'll try to find some pictures of this system on the web again. To see AEGIS fire live rounds, would be awesome! Its awesome firepower. AEGIS could cut your house and car in half in like 3 seconds... Achilles -------- I hated Archilles. I guess mostly cause he killed Hector. Was educated by Chiron, a centaur. Paris avenged Hector and waxed that punk Achilles. Acropolis --------- The citadel of any ancient Greek city. AENEID ------ Poem by Virgil about Aeneas's travels from Troy to Italy. Alexander the Great ------------------- Lived only 32 years from 356 to 323 BC. Imagine conquering all the known world in only 32 years. Alexander unravelled the Gordian Knot. The Gordian Knot was a rope tied the wagon of Gordius to the temple. The rope was so tangled up that no one could unravel it. Alexander cut the Gordian Knot with his sword. I like that kind of logical direct action. Apparently Alexander the Great died of pancreatitis. I also have this but fortunately we live in the modern world and have better medical. Amazons ------- I love the amazon jungle, but have little interest in the race of Amazon women. Amazon means 'without breast'. I think Amazon women cut their left breast off in order to make better archers. Talk about do it yourself masectomy. Ambrosia -------- is the food of the gods... Anubis ------ Son of Osiris Egyptian god of the dead, taking souls of men to Purgatory. Arachne ------- A maiden so skilled at weaving she challenged Minerva, a goddess. The maiden won the weaving contest, but the goddess changed into a spider anyways, so the maiden kept her weaving skills. Argo ---- The name of the ship that Jason and the Argonauts used to find the Golden Fleece. Argo in greek means 'swift'. Atlantis -------- A mythical island apparently in the Atlantic ocean. Later an earthquake apparently destroyed and sank the island. Atlas ----- Was one of the mighty Titans. The titans were gods even greater than the Olympians. Anyways Atlas had to hold up the whole earth on his shoulders forever. Augean Stables ------------- The toughest of Hercules 12 tasks. The kings stables had not beened cleaned in like 30 years and there were hundreds of animals in there. Hercules had to clean the stables in one day. Hercules diverted a nearby river and that was that. Actually Hercules was an idiot. Hercules is the working mans hero. Theseus is the intellectuals hero. Avalon ------ Celtic word meaning 'island of the apples' Resting place of King Arthur. Ba'al ----- Generic name for any Semite devil. Bac'chus -------- Roman god of wine. Best parade of Mardi Gras is perfomed by the Bac'chus group. Balisarda --------- Another famous sword. Made by socceress Falerina. Cerberus -------- A three headed watch dog to guard the gates of Hades. Was defeated by that numbskull Hercules. Chaos ----- Scientic term to describe chaos is entropy. Means the same thing. The universe's natural tendency to disorder. Like when you drop a deck of cards, or a glass of water. The universe loves to go from order to disorder in all systems, even people. In mythology, Chaos existed even before the Universe did. Chaos in the oldest of all the gods. Chaos's daughter Nyx, her egg created the world. Charon ------ Transports the dead across the river Styx, for a fee. Clotho ------ One of the 3 Fates. Spins the thread of life. Cupid ----- That famous archer of love. What is not so romantic about Cupid is that, to sharpen his arrows, he uses a grindstone wetted with blood. Daedelus -------- Built the Labryinth, a maze that no one could get out of, for King Minos of Crete. The Minotaur, a killer bull was put into the Labyrinth, and young maidens and men were sacrificed to the Minotaur. Daedulus himself was put into his own Labryinth, but even the inventor, could not find a way out of his own maze. So using common sense he made wings and flew out of the maze. His son Icarus was hotdogging it and flew too close to the sun and the sun melted the wax in the wings and Icarus fell into the sea and perished. Thereafter called the Icarian Sea. (near Crete) Delphi ----- Oracle at Delphi was silenced in 4 AD. Echo ---- Nymph of Diane. Echo was always talking and she was punished by Juno. Echo was condemned never to speak first and never to be silent when anyone else spoke. Excalibur -------- King Arthurs sword. Arthur became king by removing the sword from a stone. Another version of the story has Arthur receiving the sword from the Lady of the Lake. Nearing death, King Arthur had Sir Bedivere throw the sword back into the lake. makes me belive that the first story of getting the sword from the Lady in the Lake is more true than the other. Since King Arhtur and Knights of the Round Table were pure fiction. Fates ----- The 3 fates that control all life. Clotho spun the thread of life. Lachesis who held the thread and determined length of ones life. Atropos was the one with the scissors who cut the thread of life. Furies ------ Three spirits who punished those with unpunished crimes. Sir Galahad ----------- King Arthurs best and noblest knight. Genius ------ Genius was a Roman spirit of tutoring, that stayed with a man from birth to death. The Golden Age -------------- The age of man before the Flood. Noahs Arks Flood or the Black Sea Flood, it does not say. Gorgons ------- Three sisters you would not want to date. Ugly, huge, fangs, snakes for hair. The sight of any turned the seer into Stone. The leader, Medusa was killed by Perseus. Tough choice, to date the Harpies or the Gorgons? Graces ------ The three Graces improved lifes enjoyments. Agaia (Brilliance) Euphrosyne (Joy) Thalia (bloom) Holy Grail (Sangreal) -------------------- Cup that Jesus and Apostles drank from at the Last Supper. Joeseph of Arimathea took the cup to Europe where it was lost. King Arthur and his Knights searched high and low for the Holy Grail, but eventually found by Harrison Ford/Indiana Jones. :) Guinevere --------- Wife of King Arthur. Harpies ------- Winged monsters, half woman, half bird. Very nasty. Also prophets of doom. Helen of Troy ------------- Beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda. And Leda was the one who had relations with a swan, (who was actually also Zeus). That Zeus! Leda and the Swan is a neat story. Hera ---- Wife and sister of Zeus. So the Olympians swing that way eh? Hercules -------- A real knucklehead. Theseus was also a super-hero, was but was a lot smarter than Hercules. Hercules earned immortality by doing the 12 Herclean tasks, I think chosen by Daedelus. Being immortal, somehow Hercules was killed accidently by Deianaira, who gave Hercules a garment soaked in blood of Nessus. Hesiod ------ Famous Greek poet. Hesiod is also a TCPIP type like Internets 'IN' type. Hippolyta --------- Queen of the Amazon women. Did not want to give her girdle to Hercules. (one of Hercules 12 tasks) Hercules once again did things his way and killed her. Hours ----- Greek goddesses of the changing seasons. Hugin and Munin --------------- The 2 ravens who sat on Odins shoulders and every day flied out and then reported all they saw to Odin. Hydra ----- Nine headed monster of the Lernean swamps of Argolis. Another one of Hercules 12 takes was to kill the Hydra. Every times one head was cut off, two more replaced it. Hymen ----- A marriage song of the ancient Greeks, then as a god of marriage, personified as a youth with a torch and veil. I'liad ------ One super long poem about the Trojan War, Greeks versus the Trojans. Written by the greek poet Homer. Isis ---- Egyptians most important goddess. Wife of Osiris. Joeseph of Arimthea ------------------- A rich jew who took the Holy Grail. Imprisoned for 42 years, but amazing kept alive by the Holy Grail. You must remember the average life span in those times was 30 years. Only 30!. When released, Joseph brought the Holy Grail and the spear that Longinus used to pierce Jesus's side to Britian and founded the abbey of Glastonbury. So if the Holy Grail is anywhere, probably at the abbey in Britian. Labors of Hercules ------------------ 1. Slay the Nemean Lion. 2. Kill the Learnean Hydra. 3. Catch the Arcadian Stag. 4. Kill the Erymanthian Boar 5. clean the stables of King Augeas 6. Kill the cannibal birds of Lake Stymphalis 7. Capture the Cretan Bull 8. Capture Thracian Diomedes horses 9. Capture Queen Hippolytas girdle. (Queen of the Amazon women) 10. 12.Capture Cerebus, the three-headed watchdog guarding Hades. Oedipus ------- Theban who figure out the Sphinx's riddle (answer is: man) Omphale ------- A butch who made Hercules her bitch for 3 years. Ophion ------ Leader of the Titans. Defeated by Saturn and Rhea. More likely just got tired of the job. Pandora ------- Given gifts by all the gods, and cautioned not to open the box, but we all know what happened next. Out of the box came all the ills of humanity. The only thing remaining in the box was Hope. Philoe ------ Burial place of Osiris, god of the dead. So who transported Osiris's soul to the afterlife? Phoenix ------- Miracle bird that died in its own fire and once again rising from its own ashes. Also a messenger for Achilles. Priwen ------ Excalibur was King Arthurs sword and his shield was Priwen. Procrustes ---------- A robber of travellers in Attica. Took them to an iron bed and cut the tall ones, and stretched the shorter ones to the size of the bed. Was caught by Theseus who punished him in the same way. Pythagoras --------- Best known for his useful formula of c=sqrt(a^2+b^2). However he was coo-coo for numbers. Belived numbers the basis of everything. Rabican -------- A horse that lived only on air, and was the fastest. Remus and Romulus ---------------- Twins that were raised by wolves. Later on in life, founded a city, but argued over planning. Romulus killed Remus. Romulus was taken to the gods and worshiped now as 'Quinarius'. Round Table ----------- The table was round as to prevent any jealousy in seating arrangement. There were about 150 Knights, so if they were all there, the Round table must have been like 100 feet across?? The table must have been huge beyond belief! In fact, I would say unmoveable! See, they made the table round to prevent jealousy in seating, but to make the table for 150 Knights, meant that the table had to be like 100 feet across, a table so large it would be impossible to move. So what was it?, the table was smaller and some Knights stood??? Rivers ------ River Acheron is the river which Charon will ferry you across if you pay him, NOT the Styx. River Cocytus is the river of wailing River Lethe is the river of forgetfulness, where you forget all about your life on earth. Phlegethon is the river of fire River Styx is the river that the gods seal their oaths by. salamander --------- Fabled to live in fire, the water on its body probably helped start this fable. Sinon ----- The greek traitor who lived with the Trojans and convinced the Trojans to bring the Wooden Horse into the city. Sisyphus ------- Was punished in Hades by having to roll a round rock up a hill, only to have it roll down again. Has to do this over and over until the end of time. Sleep ----- Deaths twin brother. Sphinx ------ A monster on the road to Thebes, that waylaid travellers with difficult riddles. If they failed to answer correctly, the Sphinx killed them. When Oedipus guessed correctly the Sphinx got herself so worked up, she killed herself. Temper Temper! StoneHenge ---------- A stone moument on the Salisbury plain, at Wiltshire England. Styx ---- The river of hate in Hades. The river Styx flowed 9 times around Hades. The other rivers in Hades are Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe and Phlegethon. Tantalus -------- Was a king who knew the secrets of the gods and betrayed then. Was punished by having to stand under a loaded fruit tree and up to his chin in water. Every time he tried to drink water or eat the fruit, it shrank away. Tartarus -------- If you dont want to goto Hell-Hades, then you definitely dont want to goto the far far worse place called Tartarus. Terra ----- Goddess of the earth. Titans ----- The deities in charge before the Olympians. The Olympians banished most Titans to the bottom of the lowest pit of Tartarus. Yikes, talk about having a bad day! Valhalla -------- Viking Hall of the slain warriors. All the warriors are served by the Valkyries.