Jason and the Argonauts

The Myth about Jason and the Golden Fleece has been around for about 3,000 years. It is a tale about how one man (Jason) and the Argonauts go on a journey to the ends of the world on search for a very rare object... the golden fleece. Through the myth there are lots of obstacles Jason and the Argonauts need to overcome like terrifying monsters and so called 'temptresses'; it involves dark magic and even love. It is said that the only main reason Jason went on that quest was to restore his power on the throne and become king as it was supposed to be. This myth also involves this thing called a cycle of the hero; the cycle is basically the outline of the hero's life.

Birth/Home: Jason was born in Thessaly. Though Jason had to be taken out of his home city in Greece by his mother Pelias, when Jason's ambitious uncle Pelias invaded the city to take crown so he could be king.

Call to adventure: After a few years when Jason became older, he went back to king Pelias and demanded the throne back. Pelias said that if Jason could bring back the golden fleece, the kingdom would be his to keep.

Elixir: Jason's elixir was the golden fleece, it is like the main point of the myth and the thing that Jason is known for. It is his symbol and Jason's goal.

Helpers: Jason was given a group of people that would help him on his journey; the Argonauts. The Argonauts included Atalanta the huntress, Orpheus the musician, the great Hercules along with Oedipus and Thebes the wind brothers. Without them, Jason couldn't have accomplished this task.

Helpers/Amulet: Jason gained most of his knowledge from his teacher Chiron, he also took Chiron's sword when Chiron died to finish his quest.

Crossing the Threshold: If Jason and the Argonauts wanted to reach the Golden Fleece, they had to pass the Black Sea (which was considered the edge of the world) and then they would reach the kingdom of King Aietes. The Black Sea gave them lots of troubles because they had to go through the heavy currents, crashing rocks and other troubles put in front of them to stop them from getting the golden fleece.

Tests: While Jason and the Argonauts went on this quest, there were quite a few tests put in front on them like terrifying monsters and so called 'temptresses', there was even dark magic in some parts of this myth. The more and more Jason and the Argonauts overcome each obstacle, it proves that Jason really is worthy to be crowned king

Climax/Final Battle: Because Jason was attracted to Medea, the Argonauts nearly went down into the underworld but Jason used Chiron's sword and his will power to fight and defeat Medea and retrieve the golden fleece.

Return/Flight: Jason and the Argonauts took the golden fleece and is said to have taken sea back to the kingdom so Jason could claim his throne.

There are lots of elements in the myth that is said to have actually occurred. The place where Jason was born was said to be real and so was the cave where he grew up in, though I can't prove that there were gods that helped him through his journey that used dark magic and cast spells; But I'm pretty sure that this myth could have existed.
Here is some of the evidence I collected in humanities class:
• Mount Pelion where Jason was raised really does exist
• This myth took place at the same time of the Trojan war and that is a true event
• Georgia is where the golden fleece was, Georgia is real
• 1400B.C is when the quest happened and when the story happened
• Jason and the Argonauts went to Istanbul
• The cave where Jason grew up is still there and there are drawings of him inside
• The boat Jason and the Argonauts took can be made, all the wood that is needed to make it is on the mountain
• Scientists really did find Iolkos
• People found the bronze age place of Jason


There were lots of different interpretations of this myth, In some interpretations Medea was evil and used dark magic to stop Jason and the Argonauts from getting to the golden fleece; But in other interpretations, Medea was very nice and married Jason and helped him and the Argonauts to retrieve the golden fleece and to return home safely.
Another distinct difference in the ways it is told is that in some of the interpretations, Jason and the Argonauts stopped on a city called Lemnos, populated only by women. Jason and his crew didn't know what had happened to the males but without thinking, the women took the chance to 'repopulate' the island. Where else in other interpretations Jason and the Argonauts completely skip the city of Lemnos and go straight to Georgia.


People have been going around changing parts of the story and adding their own bits but overall they all have the same message and all of them are connected somehow; they all involve the great heroes Jason and the Argonauts.
There is a lot of Truth behind the fable and it is a very legendary story which will be remembered for a very long time, thought the way I hear and the way you hear it might be very different but it will always involve Jason and the Argonauts.

Pandora and Orphan boy Curiosity Paragraph

In these Greek and African myths, Pandora and Orphan boy, it teaches us about how curiosity can be dangerous because curiosity sometimes leads to change and change could be either good or bad. In the myth Pandora, when Apollo gave Pandora the box she had to know what was inside because she was too curious. When Pandora opened the box, slimy gross things came out called ‘evil’ and also a little thing called ‘hope’ came out and both of those things changed our world forever. Just like the myth Orphan boy, when Orphan boy came down from the sky to help the old man. But when the old man decided to follow Orphan boy one day, Orphan boy got so mad that he decided to abandon the old man and his cattle to suffer. This myth gave us suffering and appreciation to thank god for what we have. From this day on we all still have the things Pandora and the old man unleashed.

My Name

My name, I haven’t really thought about my name before. It’s a pretty slow calm name which means princess. My name is Hebrew and it is also the name of Abraham’s wife in the Old Testament. It’s not a thick name but neither is it a thin name, it’s… balanced.
My name is biblical and is really easy to remember. It’s a short common name which can sometimes be teased like Sahara or Zara but truthfully I don’t understand what’s so funny about it. Also, my name can be spelt lots of different ways like Sara, Zara, Sehra, Cera, Cerah, Sarai….It’s uncountable!!!!!!!
My name is angry and mad, happy and sad. It’s a pretty joyful name. I have never hated my name or understood it; and sometimes I feel my name is too simple and should be longer or it should have a different meaning, but a name is a name and there is no changing it.
Truthfully, I don’t know why my parents gave me my name; I guess they thought I was a nice name for their little girl to have. Sarah, that’s what they called me, just Sarah short, plain, and simple.
Sarah, a name that feels like a whirl of sparkling snow, a friend that helps you when you are sad and wobbles wherever you go. If I ever had one chance to change my name, I would pick Sarah. Just plain, Sarah.

picture - (http://rlv.zcache.com/1_rocktopus_genisis_by_ananda_rose_bennett_print-p228270498286854941tdcp_400.jpg)

My Common Elements Paragraph

“The roots that clutch” – T.S. Elliot. This explains how creation myths can change in many different ways, but will always stick with its culture. Lots of creation myths have interesting stories and also all of them have common elements and themes like, from chaos or nothingness, state of perfection and also humans from mud/clay. From chaos and nothingness some of the countries that have this element in their myths are China and Egypt. Their ideas are pretty relevant (Start with nothing end with everything) and they both got these ideas even though the countries are far apart and maybe the people in those countries never met each other. Like what I just explained, state of perfection is also the same, both Mayan and Malayan involve state of perfection because in the Mayan myth, Tepeau and Gucumak had to try to make people three times before they finally taught that us, humans were perfect; as for the Malayan myth, Tapir’s life was perfect and everything he did and had was perfect… for a while at least. Chinese and Mayan myths both involve humans from mud/clay and, as I said before, even though they are from very different countries they are still reverent. In the Chinese myth, Phan Ku created people from his fleas but since there are lots of different myths, Nuwa (also from the Chinese creation myth) created people out of mud/clay. As did the Mayan, Tepeau and Gucumak tried three times to make people and on their second try, they used mud/clay but it didn’t work out for them. As you can see, lots of myths from different parts of the world are somehow the same. But that left me wondering, ‘How does everyone think the same even thought they have never met.’

Why I chose this Quote and Picture

I chose this quote because it seems very meaningful, and when I read a myth I need to, do exactly do what it says here, leave all of my thoughts of the present world behind and think back, on how the world used to be… before time and everything. The full quote is "~ Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before." I only chose a certain part of the quote because I think that specific part is very powerful and explains a lot about the myth.
I Chose this image because it seems to me like it is the beginning of a long journey that begins with a single step; i said this because all journeys have a beginning and need to start somewhere. I also chose this because footprints could go in many different directions just like journeys.

My response to the Fishbowl

Well, today in humanities class we did a "Fishbowl" on chapters 3,4,5 of The Giver. Over the course of the discussion, someone brought up the question "Why does Jonas need to take the pill?" and i think he has to take the pill because if he doesn't take the pill, his stirrings would come back and the pill helps stop the stirrings; but my question about that is "Would stirrings get worse each time you forget to take the pill or would it stay the same?" After a few minutes into the discussion someone else brought up the question "Why do they share dreams and feelings?" Well i think they share their dreams and feelings with the family everyday because when each family member shares their dreams, everyone else listens especially the parents because by listening about what the children dreamt of, they would know weather or not their children have stirrings and weather or not they are ready to take the pill.
I think it was a very good discussion overall and everyone tried to contribute to the discussion but there are still some questions that i am not quite sure of, "Is Jonas’ dream similar to going through adolescence?" and also " Since there is a birth mother, isn't there a birth father?"

Octomom vs China's one child policy

I think that parents should have the right to have as many children and they want/desire. If you are only allowed one child, what happens if you are sick and your child is away in university? What would you do? Who would help you? But yet i also think that you as a parent should know how many children you are capable of looking after and if you have enough money for their education, and funds. So overall i am trying to say; if you want to have children, you must first have the responsibilities and money to look after them.

Octuplets...

Octuplets, should the government do something about it?

No, i think the government shouldn't’t do anything about it; because you as a parent should have the right to decide the number of children you want to have and whether or not you have the responsibilities to look after them.
Questions like can I afford the delivery charges, food, maintenance, childcare and education must first be considered; only then you can determine the number of children you want to bring up in this world.
The burden of expenses still lie heavily on the parents. So if are wealthy, having octuplets is possible and you can provide them all with an education and fair childhood; but if you are poor, having octuplets will only bring misery and despair to you and your eight children.

China's one-child policy - agree or disagree

Today in class we discussed about the one-child policy in China and wondered if some people disagreed and agreed with the law made, well I disagreed because it is unfair for the government to tell other people (citizens) that they can’t have a certain amount of children. After Mau Zedong’s death, his successor Deng Xiaoping, gave very harsh instructions that there are too many people/children in China, so every family has to have not mare than one child; and if they did have more than one, they would be heavily punished. Well because of that law there was a new problem accruing everywhere called the “4-2-1” problem where the one child has to look after his two parents and four grandparents. Also, people in China prefer boys more than girls so they are willing to kill their baby girl for a boy; therefore Chinese officials estimate that by 2020 there will be about 30million men without wives. Although the Chinese think the one-child policy is good for their country, some still think they should have the freedom to have as many children as they desire than rather than just having one child. That is why I disagree with the one-child policy! Do you agree or disagree?

Another one of my understanding of "Sonnet 7"

I think Sonnet 7 means:

The sun is rising up high into the sky; is when the poem starts with;

Lo! In the orient when the gracious light
Lifts up his burning head, each under eye
Doth homage to his new-appearing sight

… is like the sun is climbing up into the sky and it’s at its highmost pitch.
People continue to admire and adore its beauty and its glowing majesty like a strong king high up on a throne is when the poem reads;

“Serving with looks his sacred majesty
And having climb’d the steep-up heavenly hill
Resembling strong youth in his middle age,
Yet mortal looks adore his beauty still
Attending on his golden pilgrimage”

But when it sets, it fades and will loose beauty and the sky looks dark and old. It is just like when an old man dies without a son he will be forgotten too with no son to carry on his name and generation

.. Is towards the last few lines of the poem;

But when from highmost pitch, with weary car
Like feeble age, he reeleth from the day
The eyes, ‘fore duteous, now converted are
From his low tract and look another way
So thou, thyself outgoing in thy noon

The last line;

Unlooked on diest unless thou get a son

…to me is like if the man doesn’t get a son then he will be looked down by others.

My understanding of "Sonnet 7"

I think Sonnet 7 means;
The sun has risen and stands up high in the sky, people continue to admire and adore its beauty and its glowing majesty like a young strong king high up on a throne. But when it sets, it fades and it will loose its beauty and the sky looks dark and old. It is just like when an old man dies without a son, he will be forgotten too with no son to carry on his name and generation.

Early man to Mesopotamia

Today in class we did a see-think-wonder activity and we also watched a three minute video that showed us how Mesopotamia looked like hundreds of years ago and how it looks like now. My headline is " Maps of Mesopotamia in the Ancient time and now" i choose this headline because the maps all had something to do with Mesopotamia years ago and now. In the first map we saw:
*Ancient world map * yellow and green as land *Babylonia, Neo-Babylonia, Summer...etc. In the second map we saw:*The Middle East *Mediterranean sea *A scale that we think shows how high the land is to the sea. I really enjoyed this see-think-wonder activity because i think this helped us get a better understanding of the show we watched.