January 28 Class Notes

Hermes is at it again in our Bozeman Chronicle, creating all sorts of havoc but, then again that is his nature.



We talked much about Persephone and Demeter and their relationship. This relationship which is hard for men to understand. The mystery of it has fascinated me and most definitely Hades and Zeus.



mustes: means zip your lips and it is a part of the Eleucinian mysteries.

Secrets

Artemis the archer was bathing in a lake when a young hunter happened upon her and saw her naked. Instead of looking and running like a smart man would when faced with a goddess he instead stares at her until she sees him. She flicks water on him and he grows horns and turns into a stag and is ripped to shreds by his dogs.

Spargamos- shredding or tearing a part of living flesh

Men want to know women's secrets and a women with a classic example of a secret would be Mona Lisa

Eleucis lasted longer than Christianity has and affected more people. There is less known about it because it was kept a secret.

Repeating:

All that is past possesses the present. In a sense we are continually repeating things until they are done correct.
ex: Groundhog Day Movie
Click Here to watch the movie on YouTube.com

Contract:

The contract between Zeus and Demeter is extremely uneasy, however it made the mother daughter relationship even stronger because they were able to cherish the time they were together again. This is the beginning of the shift to the male aspect of the relationship where he his the hero, the one who saves the maiden in trouble. Up until this point he is the invader in the relationship, the outsider.
pg 18
Honor rituals for mom and daughter and you will love forever.

Demeter is the goddess of Agriculture and helps to create the fertility myths
The Maypole is a phallic symbol used as a sign of fertility.

Homework:

If you could be present for any part of music history what would it be?
Answer in Class

Some areas of Interest:

Simpson's
Highly literate cartoon with Marge and Homer as American Gothic...Kind of.

Night Sea Journey
by John Bark

January 26 Class Notes

Things are not "boring" we must make things interesting for ourselves..

• read through situations, texts, etc.


• ask "What animates them?"

Pennyroyal:

1.A Eurasian mint (Mentha pulegium) having small lilac-blue flowers and ovate or nearly orbicular leaves that yield a useful, aromatic oil.

2.An aromatic plant (Hedeoma pulegioides) of eastern North America, having purple-blue flowers and glabrous leaves that yield an oil used as an insect repellent.

Blogs

• don't forget to make them interesting. It is important to surprise Professor Sexton.


• Add pictures

Eleucian Mysteries

• Something was Said (Spoken about, retold etc.)


• Something was Done (Rituals, ceremonies)


• Something was Shown (People watched and learned)


• this is an example or similar to "Show and Tell"

Paintings

American Gothic by Grant Wood

http://www.jim3dlong.com/1928_Grant_Wood_American_Gothic-wR400.jpg

Relevance:

A more modern depiction of Hades riding away with Persephone on is chariot, and the women shows a very somber version of Persephone

Saturn Devouring His Children by Goya

http://www.usc.edu/schools/annenberg/asc/projects/comm544/library/images/165.html

Relevance:

Saturn ate his children in order to stop them from taking over his rightful place as leader. As myth has it Zeus's mother Rhea did not want her child eaten so she gave Saturn a stone to eat instead. Once Zeus is strong enough he battles his father wins and then makes his father throw up his siblings. The siblings along with Zeus became the first Olympians. This illustrates the original conflict between men and women.

Mary and Jesus by Michelangelo

Relevance:

It is like Demeter weeping for Persephone

Greek Men

Thesis decides that we wants Persephone so he gets his friend to go to the Underworld so they can get her. Hades says yeah you can have her let me go and get her. They sit on a bench to wait, when Persephone comes out Hades says well all you have to do is take her. When they try to stand they realize that they are stuck. So they end up staying there until much later when Hercules comes to beat up Hades and take back one of his conquests. He says I can only take one of you so he takes Thesis and rips him off of the seat. This is why Greek men have little bottoms.

Demeter

Goddess of Agriculture:

Becomes a nanny and puts a baby in the fire so as to take the mortality out of him.

The contract between Zeus and Demeter is much like the contract of marriage between men and women. (All that is past possesses the present)

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

Another telling of Hades and Persephone

ex: dark mysterious man, with a hollow mansion the woman does not like him in the beginning.....need more information READ IT!!!! ( I have a copy if someone needs it)

Dream

On Friday Professor Sexson said something that really caught my attention. He said "A Dream is the imagination gone wild". It brought to mind the many crazy dreams I have had over the years. My mind has come up with everything from flying in order to pick berries to save my family, to dreaming about my own wedding. These dreams are so interesting and they apply to our theme that our past possesses our future. Everything we dream about has parts of our past within them. While I have never been married, I have been to many a wedding, and dreamed of my own happy ending, and although I have never been in dire need of food, I know the feeling of hunger.

My imagination is completely unfiltered and uncontrolled while I am sleeping. This means anything that is on my mind, any feeling I have within my subconscious is subject to change and modification. Everything in my past and in the worlds past is within my dreams. Proving that everything past is present. Which includes mythology.

Our dreams can be looked upon as mythology, a way of explaining the unexplainable. Our mythologies and our past all exist and come together in our dreams in ways that we cannot begin to understand, let alone explain.

Perhaps we can learn from our dreams, from our "imaginations gone wild". Since only a small portion of our brain is used, perhaps more of it is utilized while we are sleeping and(follow me) we can learn from that portion that is inactive for the majority of the day. If this is indeed true, maybe we can begin to understand our future more.

January 23 Class Notes

Whatever is past possesses the future

• Entertaining
• Learn from it

Keep the Bozeman Chronicle and review it from time to time and read it into it. Ask yourself if this particular event has happened before in history.

Become an interpreter for the Bozeman Chronicle.

• something will connect with class
• make this a continued assignment

Use the phrase "circumstantially bounded" as often as possible (especially when talking with your significant other).

A dream is the mind of the imagination gone wild.

Monday

• Ask Professor why Greek men have small bottoms
• Google mysteries of Eleusies

Homeric Hymns Hermes

Upon first glance one may find Hermes to be quite distasteful. He kills innocent animals, steals from his own brother and then lies about it. There seems to be very little about this baby, that makes him lovable on any level. However, if one looks closer they may find that he is very much like someone you might know.

I have a younger brother, and I imagine several of you do as well. I cannot begin to count the number of times I have wanted to strangle my brother for taking my things and then breaking them. When he was younger he was forever getting into trouble, but without a doubt he almost always talked himself out of any dire punishments.

My brother seems so much like the young Hermes. They both get into all kinds of mischief, and at the end of the day everyone seems to forgive them, and not only that, but they welcome them back with open arms. Hermes, being so much like the mischievous little boys we know becomes much more likable when looked upon as someone you know.

When my brother takes something of mine and lies about it, yes I will be mad just as Apollo was, but at the end of the day, he is still my brother. As such, kin calls to kin, and we cannot help but love and forgive them for their infuriating ways.

January 21 Class Notes

When reading the Bozeman Chronicle, one should view it as though they are reading some of George Steiner's literature.

Henry David Thorough said we shouldn't be reading the "Times" we should be reading The Eternities.

As with the first two statements read the Bozeman Chronicle as you would read pg 231 of Steiner's Antigone's ( found on Rio's Blog).

We should argue constantly (not that we can avoid it anyways) because from here is the spice of life, that which makes life exciting.

We use small talk everyday, one should read deeply into this small talk treating it just as you would Antigone's.

Eleusinian- These were "Mysteries" or ceremony's held in honor of Demeter and Persephone. It celebrates the return of Persephone to Demeter, and consequently the return of spring.

Friday

• Have the Five Conflicts Memorized
• Go to Luke's site and check for your name
• Don't forget to read every one's blog
• Write your blogs (approximately 300 words)
• Transcribe conversation with significant other.

Homeric Hymns Demeter

The story of Demeter is quite dynamic in that the characters all have their own agenda. Aidoneus simple wants a wife, however that is not so simple since it MUST be Persephone. Persephone wants to return to her mother Demeter. Demeter wants her daughter back and keeps the world barren for it.

All of these are quite interesting but the most fascinating to me was Demeter and Persephone's relationship. The complete devotion they show towards one another is captivating. Demeter shows strong maternal instincts in the way that she protects and searches for her daughter. This need is seen many times today especially when a parent has lost a child. The parents work mercilessly and tirelessly to find their missing child.

Persephone was taken against her will and betrayed by her own father. This makes her a completely vulnerable character. Not only was she kidnapped but she was also forced to eat seeds which made it impossible for her to ever be completely free of her captor.

Both are tragic characters, however through the mist of their tragedy they still stay strong for one another. They never lose faith in one another and continue to search for the happy ending that they both wish to perceive. This makes them strong in their own right, and truly amazing women.

January 16 Class Notes

• Antigone

The Five Most Important Conflicts:

1. Men and Women
-where drama originates
- assign. transcribe last conversation with significant other
2. Age and Youth
- Antigone has the conflict of the old guy and young woman
- Youth and Age always conflict
- assign. Argue with older person
3. Individual and the State
- Each has their own claims
4. Living and the Dead
- Not as huge now due to the funeral company
- What do we owe the dead? What claims do they have on the living? etc.
- Rights of the dead vs. Rights of the living
5. Gods and Humans

• Steiner is careful with lnaguage and one must take notice of his words especially in Antigones
• We use the words Shakespeare made up, and his words challenges us just like Steiner.

History

• All of our past is our future
• Keep in mind that we arrive to scenes belatedly, and as such must learn from those who came and thought before us
• We value something that is here before us
• It is not old irrelevant or boring it is new exciting and more relevant to you than you had previously perceived

For Wednesday:

• Transcribe a conversation with significant other
• Fight with an old person
• get Bozeman Chronicle (Primary example of NOT Steiner)
• Watch Aladdin :)