My daughter is in 9th grade at Thomas Jefferson High school. Three weeks ago she was given an assignment in English class to write an original "Origin Myth". They are reading the "Odyssey" and have been discussing mythology in class.
Write an original myth? Wow, I wish I had an assignment like that when I was in high school. My daughter was most worried about the fact that it was to be 1 to 2 pages in length (double spaced). She was concerned that it was to long and she would never fill two pages. As the assignment goes, there was to be a hero, a villain, addition influential characters, and 5 dialogue statements.
She looked blankly at the directions and appeared lost and confused. "This is stupid!" and stormed out of the room.
While I felt her pain, I saw the importance in the writing lesson. To truly understand and enjoy the mythology in the Odyssey, creating ones own myth would certainly be beneficial.
I took the opportunity to explain the basic pretense of TEGR 585 and how important it is to learn how to write so you can enhance your reading skills. In perfect teenage form, she used all her understanding of mythology to trick her Father by saying.......
"If I only had a muse, someone with creative talents that could guide my pen and whisper in my ear!"
Needless to say, a myth about the origins of the lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area was penned with the assistance of an aged muse. It will be interesting to see what her teacher says about it all.
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