Mythology and Ancient Religions

What the resources cover

Most of this unit is about Greek myth and religion, with detours into Norse, Egyptian, Roman and Chinese traditions. The mind maps do the heavy lifting. The Olympians--Gods sets out Zeus as ruler of the gods, Poseidon as lord of the sea and their marriages. Odin follows the Norse god, his brothers Vili and Ve, and the killing of the frost giant Ymir, from whom the earth was made.

Where to begin

Start with the big-picture maps. Greek Mythology groups its content under headings such as creation of mankind, heroes, flower myths and the underworld. Creation Myths Resource compares origin stories, including the Kono people of Guinea and Egypt's Ra. Then try Chaos and Uranus for the earliest generations.

1. Read a broad map such as Greek Mythology.
2. Move to single figures: Persephone, Hermes or Athena.
3. Look at practice and belief: Roman Religion, Places of Worship, Feast and Festivals and Priests.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take a quiz without looking. The Greek Gods quiz asks who Zeus is married to and what Apollo is the god of. There are also short quizzes on Artemis, Hephaestus, Nike and Hypnos, plus the Norse Mythology Quiz and Demeter and Persephone. Whatever you miss, go back to the matching map.

The flashcard decks suit quick repetition. The Sacrifice deck looks at why sacrifice mattered and which sources describe it, which pairs well with the Roman Religion map.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the Understanding Religion strand of Religion and theology. Some maps ask bigger questions, such as how Ancient Greek religion compares with religion today, which gives teachers a ready discussion starter.

Choose one map, take a quiz, then make your own set of flashcards to fill the gaps.