Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-08-20
THE HEARTH AND HALL.
About Mythology.

a. y. X" in his letter in the first
number of II. X II. said lie would like
series of articles on Mythology. As
no one seems correspond. | shall attempt
two or three papers on that subject,and.
if they seem to be entertaining and IN
structiye, may decide to try what |
can do further.
Mythology is an neNhaustibl, mine
of fmciful and poetic creations that
have been seized upon hy the writer's.
painters. and sculptors of all ages since
the dawning of civilization. The poets
and tragedians of Greece. even her his
torians, We'd with each other i'm rclat-
ing the legends OF her gods. heroes and
fabulous creatures. GroCin seulp,ur>
have left Us inuumera5le models i'm
stone of their ideals of the gods. goddess
es. heroes and monsters. Without the
rich store of neurological legends which
were always related by MINISTRIES and
by the aged at all their public gaines.
ceremonies. etc. the intellectual life Of
Greece would have had NO food .orlc-
lection. no inspiration for song. mo
themes wrought out in ivory and stone
and bas-reiefs. At a late period when
the greatest of Grecim seu,ptars iloW-
ished. humber class of artists t,'d the
story of her heroes and dIyiuitics ia
rude but not inatistiC representations
on the walls of Ter temples and ON
thousands of tiles and vases. Many OF
these are still preserved i'm European
museums. some of which are known to
have been made five and six hundred
years before the christian era. We
know what the subjects are, for all the
parsonage, are labeled With their own
prouer nantes. When .Eu0a- in hi,
flight from Troy. after its sack 3l the
Greeks. came to the realm Of queen
Dido. hc found that unfortunate Voc
man building temple to Juno on tha
walls of which was related at gIea,
length AL tie st9l! of the Trojan War
moic from Church s Stories from Nir-
-, IL here belella thing which
gave much comfort to .Enoa- ~! o.
lac stood aud regarded the place, ne
soon set forth in order upon the walls
tbe battles that had been Tough, at
TROY. King Piiam and fierce Achilles
Rbc,us. King OF Thiace. fierce Diomed
and Hector whose body Achilles di'g
cred three times round the walls o
Troy. Also he knew himself HShIih-
in the midst of the Grccim chiefs. an'
penthesiea leading the army to Tn
lm4zons with shields shaped as tin
moon.
Now how was lEueas able to recos
nizc II, these persons. for there was u
attempt at correct poruaitme? Easil
enough. for every figure was named d
rude letters.
IN this way, then, the early Grccia
artists left us records Of their mythol,
ov which we find no difficulty In rea,
ing.
Iu modern literature contain
numerous references to the thology
,hn Greeks and Bomans; even IL
newspapers and periodical an. full
such illusions. Art and music dla
,Lair chief inspiration from this sour.
~esneciallv is this true Of sculptm
,nvone. thcR. who would fully mde
Stand and appreciate these thin-
most be well yerscd in the literature
mythology. To 90 tins IT, Is NOV $50 :,
tial that one shall be laihlildt VIZ, ~ u
creek and Roman lauguast7' J iig !,
are numerous English No,"7 "h J., u
ancient mythologics. as WEI, ''7 ','.'y'
translations Oh the ulls .''"' W ''
Latin Versions. ;,,.,Ir..
- - t,,les or legends relating 90 u
aoJs demigods, heroes, demons, ~
sT'a' beiups whose names have zee
nrpserycd in popular iellcf.
Thn aucicnts not understanding u
,,bysical laws governing the ullNeFs
it;y,.ituted life to every thing uSat G
Iii,ited pbenomiua. In this way I'm
,,,,o tn attribute the senses oil ledllli
seeinp. &C.. 10 the SUM- moon; s'li'
So,,,,t,ius and streams; 10 the VINO
the rain. the sea' elc' .,........l do,
~ talk of the clouds that scud alo'
- Int they called them the GA
~ tbp stu. TIL sun was the en-
~ i',,.i.ne.s and killed the dawn WI
~ g., ,l.,r,s. -. too. when the "
~, ,hs dawn came with her S0it u
SET, Wv uTE, to soothe her dying hl
III This belief i'm the inteili -
Zee of all the phenom ma OF M,
ne rise to iuiiumerable fanclful J
noetical couceits. 49,.