Should You Teach Your Kids Mythology?
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Ancient mythology is deeply entwined in western literature and culture. A large part of our literature, especially fantasy, finds its roots in mythology. Many words we use today come from ancient myths. Centaurs, fire-breathing dragons, and chimeras appeared in early Greek myths. The word arachnid comes from the story of Arachne and Athene. The word echo comes from Echo, the wood nymph. One need not look any farther than the pages of a Harry Potter novel or the Lord of the Rings to find countless examples of ancient mythology in modern literature.
Children learned ancient myths as part of a classical education for hundreds of years. It was rare to find an educated child who wasn’t familiar with the Zeus’ shenanigans and the many adventures of Heracles (Yes, Heracles, not Hercules. Do you know the difference?). Just a few generations ago, schoolchildren could likely tell you that Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and Mars were both the names of Roman gods and goddesses as well as the names of planets. How many of the Greek and Roman gods can you name? What were they known for?
Modern students are sorely lacking when it comes to a basic grasp of world myths. These ancient treasures have fallen by the wayside. When we teach to tests, there isn’t much extra time to teach these fun and exciting stories. This is sad, because they give our students so much perspective about literature. It’s hard to analyze the classics if one doesn’t understand the principles, philosophies, and legends on which great literature is based. Studying myths offers a great cultural and history lesson, illustrating how the ancients viewed their world and how they explained things like seasons, weather changes, and the creation of the first people. It’s intriguing learning how different cultures explained these things in different ways, as well as comparing how far-removed cultures have similar myths explaining similar phenomena.
As part of our Greece Unit Study, Alex and I have been thoroughly enjoying “Usborne Greek Myths for Young Children” by Heather Amery. This colorful and beautifully illustrated treasure has taken us on a great adventure. We’ve learned all about King Midas and the Adventures of Odysseus, Daedalus and his disobedient son Icarus (now that’s a lesson in listening to your parents!). We’ve discussed Pandora’s Box as well as Eros and Psyche. These fun, thought-inspiring tales go well with our Classical Conversations memory work for last week. Alex learned the names of the Greek and Roman gods in a fun, catchy song. Now we’re learning more about these gods and goddesses. What a great way to put things in perspective!
Teaching mythology meets resistance from some conservative Christians. Some believe that these myths will taint their child or that teaching mythology will cause their child to think of Biblical stories as myths too. We are Christian but believe there’s nothing harmful with learning the stories of cultures that came before us.
I introduce my kids to mythology because these tales make great stories. They’re so colorful and fun, full of adventure and strange creatures. This is great for growing imaginations! Teaching mythology helps young kids understand other cultures and exposes them to different ways of thinking. They’re not learning these stories and then believing that these gods and goddesses are real. They’re simply being entertained. They’re discovering how ancient thoughts and ideas shaped history and how these concepts influence modern life today.
Do you think that modern kids should learn about ancient mythology? Why or why not?
