| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Questions

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 11 months ago

Essential Questions for the Project:

 

1.) What were the “unexplainables” for ancient peoples?

Ancient peoples did not know where diseases really came from, so they blamed it on the gods. The gods were basically their main ideas of everything that happened, especially natural disasters.-Natalie

 

2.) How did they try to explain these “unexplainables”?

They tried to explain the unexplainbles by blaming it on the gods or the bad things they might have done.-Natalie

 

3.) What are our “unexplainables” today?

Today's unexplainables would be how world was created.-Natalie

 

4.) What do people today do to try to explain these?

They think of possiblities according to the logic of science. For example, they created a scientific explanation of how the world was created:The big BANG!-Natalie

 

 

Comparing What we larned about Mythology: This year, and Last!

Overall, we have been doing plenty of research and have gained an understanding of most of the African Mythology. After all, we are not yet experts! But how does this connect to the mythology we learned last year? What are African's beliefs and values compared with the Greeks and Romans? This page is purely for discussion!

 

1.) What are some beliefs of values that people share?

 

In Yoruban and some other African religion people believe that the dead are reincarnated, and that the spirits of their ancestors must be honored. They also honor their gods and they respect them. They believe that their gods are wise, but as shown in the earth creation myth, sometimes make mistakes. They believe that one’s future can be changed and predicted. -Yelena

 

The beliefs of values that people share would be believing that for everything that they have in nature, there is a god responsible for all or each of them. -Natalie

 

The beleifs and values that they share consist of having a god for every single thing that they do. -Natasha

 

Beliefs and values that are shared are respecting and admiring gods and ancestors, even though they may not be perfect. Understanding that if it wasn't for those gods and spirits, we wouldn't be here. -Niki

 

Reincarnation, and predition of events is shared, but there is a deeper understanding. The origins of Africans goes back so many years ago, that it seemed like a miracle just to live and breathe. Of course, this kind of a miracle needed explaination, and even the gods have made mistakes because the world is not perfect. Virtues, gods, and lesser spirits were created, just to explain this amazing feeling of being alive! -Neha

 

2.) What are the events that are occurring again and again?

 

In African religion events that occur again and again include the gods teaching humans lessons. Some are taught not to be greedy, some are taught not to be vain, but life’s lessons are told in the mythology by having god’s teach humans lessons. -Yelena

 

The events occuring again and again would be morals given to humans from gods-Natalie

 

The event that happens over and over again is the fact that gods and humans teach each other a lesson in life. -Natasha

 

Reoccurring events include the cycle of life, and learning lessons. Life and death are events that will always take place as long as humans are on the Earth. Lessons can only be learned by making mistakes and learning from your mistakes. -Niki

 

Birth and death, birth and death (not to the gods, but to the humans). Yes the cycle of life continues, and gods are there, experiencing it all. Not only is everything that is created going to be destroyed, but even the gods will someday come to and end. -Neha

 

3.)What elements, events, ideas, are repeated over time?

 

African mythology is similar to Greek and Roman mythology in that they both have many gods, but one supreme one. Also, they all have gods that teach humans lessons. Humans’ futures can be seen, and humans are thought to be creations of the gods. -Yelena

 

 

Ideas that are repeated overtime would be thinking that for everything there is in the world are caused by the gods. -Natalie

 

The idea that there is a god for nearly every thing or there is just one god that controls everything. I mean that that same idea is in nearly all religons around the world, even today!

-Natasha

 

Repetitive events and ideas include gods being creators. Everything on Earth owes its life to the gods, they are the ultamite creators. -Niki

 

Gods are the cause of everything. Perhaps someday, after the world has ended, and the universe is all black, some other god will come, like Bumba, and redo the creating. -Neha

 

4.)How are the ideas related between past, present, and future?

 

In the African past, the gods were a way to explain events that were beyond the common human knowledge. They were also a way to keep themselves living in a good human fashion that benefits everyone. Those beliefs haven’t changed much during all this time. Discoveries in geology have of course explained some natural events, but the role of mythology to teach humans lessons is still used. Since communication has been made easier, the African religions have found a medium to spread faster in. -Yelena

 

Ideas are related between past, present, and future by myths and beliefs. -Natalie

 

Well the fact that there is one supreme god and lesser gods is in nearly every relign that there is. This idea has been passed down from the past and it is still getting passed down today. -Natasha

 

Ideas are related through past, present and future through myths, stories, and traditions. Without these history wouldn't live on or be an important part of present day as it is now. -Niki

 

We are living a small part of the history. No major myths are talked up to much (as in they all share popularity equally). The past, present, and future, will be a part of the gods, as they advance technologically, and in mental aptitude. -Neha

 

5.)How has time affected the information?

 

African religion was spread by word of mouth, so over time, the story may have been changed over time. African tribes were slightly hard to get to, but the religion spread the same. Eventually it even spread to Cuba, because of slaves. -Yelena

 

Time has affected the information because over years, decades, and centuries, scientific knowledge has advanced, making their old beliefs untrue. -Natalie

 

Over time the religons have gotten either simpiler or more complex. Or the ideas of gods and what they do and which one of them is the supreme one have changed over time. -Natasha

 

Time has affected the information because stories turn into untrue tales, and science proves many of their theries untrue. -Niki

 

Over the course of the years, people just do not care for fantasies as much. Oh sure, Obtala might have created people, but today we know life arose from proteins formed during early Earth. We should still know however, that not everything has a logical explanation (How did the universe form? What was there before the big bang?). Our guesses today, are just as likely as Bumba vomiting up the world. -Neha

 

6.)How and why do things change or remain the same?

 

Over time things change because mythology is oftentimes kept orally. Every time someone says the legend another thing may change in the story. Making it available on the internet, (an part of being today) just speeds up the process of change. -Yelena

 

Things change because new people from other countries bring new beliefs which can influence old ones. However, things remain the same when a lot of people believe in something, making it stronger and keeping it the way it is. -Natalie

 

Thins are constnantly changing, as is the universe we live in. It is only natural for Africans to believe that the world will end, because of the fact that it began! But inside, the stories will always remain. No matter how many times they'll be retold, or how many times they will be changed, it is the thought that counts! -Neha

 

7.)What is still not understood about this topic?

 

What is not understood by me is whether or not African religions really have monsters or not, and how the mythology refers to outsiders. As well as that, I do not know much about the musical aspect of Yoruba mythology. -Yelena

 

What is still not understood about this topic is how they belived the gods came to Earth and why. -Natalie

 

Some god relations are not well known. Of course, the Africans could make anything up, this is an example of events that are not changing. -Neha

 

8.)In what ways is the information incomplete or lacking explanation?

 

This is not a definite guide to African mythology. There are some things missing. This includes all of the important gods. We also don’t have many actual myths that we added. We could have had more information on the actual mythology, and covered more religions of Africa.-Yelena

 

The information that is incomplete or lacking explanation would be that there are too many Yoruban beliefs, and they can be a little different from each other, depending on where the information was found. Little parts of a myth can be different from another, but it can still make a change. -Natalie

 

In a way, most cultures' ideas are incomplete and lack information because they have all been created so long ago. Our beliefs and ideas have changed significantly since then, and are not incorporated in these myths and legends. Why have people stopped creating new religions? What causes people to stop believing? The history of Earth still has a long way to go. -Neha

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.