Greek gods

[Rainandclouds]

We were doing quizzes over lockdown and I know nothing about the Greek gods. I have heard of them but no idea who is who. Am I the only one? DH knew all about them from school but unless I was asleep that day we never covered them. Is a there a child’s / simple book about them?

I'd also recommend Stephen Fry's Mythos, Heroes, Troy as an introduction.

I am sure the Greek Gods would cause a lot of AIBUs on here with their actions.

@CarlGrimesRightEyeball

Can't remember the author, Madeline something maybe?? but the book Circe is fantastic. I really enjoyed it. Not one for children but it is a good read. I had no interest in greek gods before but I did think this was very interesting.

Didn't rate the Stephen Fry ones sadly

Madeline Miller was the author, she also wrote the fab "Song of Achilles".

ChestnutStuffing I am going to order the book you linked, it looks brilliant. Would you say it is a hard read? I'm not academically very clever but do have an interest in mythology/old gods, etc.

Ah yes that is it, thanks DelphiniumBlue. I did read the other one but I didn't enjoy it as much as Circe. I think I struggled with it as I found it a more difficult read. As mentioned above, I am not the brightest spark!

Also, there was a series of Troy on recently, ( try Netflix) and a film of the same name, with Brad Pitt, Sean Bean, and Eric Bana .
Whilst not 100% accurate they give interesting interpretations of the Gods and events around the time of the Trojan War.

"Zeus grants stupid wishes" is an excellent book, a very down to earth retelling of world mythology in general.

We had gods and goddesses as the table names at our wedding.

DH and I visited Zeus’ temple on our first visit to Greece. We tripped holding hands and both cut the palm of our other hand and then touched the base of the temple. The tour guide asked how long we’d been together and went white when we said 3 months as apparently we’d just completed a soul binding ceremony

The film Troy is about my level Nothing to do with Brad Pitt in a fetching costume, honest.

Loved them since childhood but find my kids often know more than I do because they love these comic books - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1626720592/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_1626720592?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I love all this stuff!

I confuse the Greek and Roman ones sometimes. I read books about it when I was younger, wasn't taught in school for me

Just get a copy of the Iliad. With footnotes to explain stuff.

Is Aesopes Fables children stories to do with Greek mythology morality tales???😕

I'm surprised, but it's a very quick learn! It used to be a very popular primary school topic even before I dived into that subject specialism in my youth (easy road and all that).

I suppose the curriculum has become more focused and less choice for teachers, perhaps that's why? But were you never subjected to those awful bank holiday movies of clash of the titans etc? .

I wish I got questions on this sort of thing in quizzes! The last quiz I had was on music (I did ok) but I am hopeless at tv trivia. Where can I learn that (without making time to watch tv )

@NoZoomAtTheInn

I had a book by Enid Blyton all about Greek mythology when I was about 8 or 9.

So did I - Greek myths and also some of the Arabian nights stories.

• do not read the Iliad - you might as well read the obituaries. Just get a nice accessible copy of Greek myths (Robert graves), I'm sure the works or some such will have one with the base set (assume multiple regional tweaks and changes over time).

@Marmite27

Oh Wow what A Cool very unausaul love story.!!!

Have you ever thought of telling your love story to one of those spiritual/psychic magazines on supermarkets shelves?
Its the kind of human stories readers really like reading about.
Especially the back drop of Ancient historical place etc.

I had an old series of hard backed books on different mythologies when I was a child- Greek, Roman, Egyptian,Norse etc. Also the Nathaniel Hawthorne books, can’t remember what they were called, where someone is recounting the myths to snowed in children - Pandora’s Box, Persephone etc.

If you like podcasts there's a brilliant one called Mythunderstood. It's free on apple podcasts. It's two friends, Paul is obsessed with Greek myths and each episode teaches Sarah about a new one. They're brilliant and really funny! I listened to them from the beginning and am now re-listening.

The Stephen Fry books are also absolutely brilliant

I was that annoying 'traveller' who spent the time whilst island hopping around Greece reading Homer's The Odyssey on the ferries

There are some great stories in there - at our school we did Greek Civilisation for 2 years (it was that kind of school) so we learned about the Greek Myths.

My godmother gave me a beautiful illustrated book of Roman and Greek myths and legends for Christmas or my birthday one year, I still have it at my parents house.

I also remember studying Theseus and the Minotaur, and doing some Greek style art in primary school. The teacher told me my mosaic pattern was too simple.
We also studied the Romans/ Bouddica at some point.

I don't remember doing anything in secondary school.

@CarlGrimesRightEyeball

ChestnutStuffing I am going to order the book you linked, it looks brilliant. Would you say it is a hard read? I'm not academically very clever but do have an interest in mythology/old gods, etc.

No, not at all. It's intended for children but a little older, from the days before publishers seemed to be think that children are largely morons. It's great for out loud reading as well.

They also have a book of Norse myths that is lovely.

@thosetalesofunexpected

Is Aesopes Fables children stories to do with Greek mythology morality tales???😕

No, they are little morality tales, written, supposedly, by a Greek slave called Aesop. Most people have heard or seen versions of some, things like the dog who loses his bone in the river because he tries to steal the bone from his own reflection.

A relative bought me Graves’ Greek Myths when I expressed an interest when I was about 10, wildly inappropriate as I then incorporated lots of ravishment and dismemberment in my creative writing.
The Stephen Fry books are on You tube.

I second @ChestnutStuffing ‘s suggestion. The D’Aulaire book is 60 years old and still the best. I adored it as a child 40 years ago. There’s nothing improper in the book for children, but it hints sometimes at a dark edge that the myths do have and gives the stories more light, shade and interest than other versions for children have.