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Zeus: Rise to Power and Rule of The Gods

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The Myth About Persephone

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The Role of Zeus' Eagle in Homer's Iliad

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Zeus’ Mythology Research Paper

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The Greek mythology provides prolific accounts of several supernatural beings. One of these beings is Zeus the overall ruler of Olympus. According to Greek mythology, Zeus was Cronus and Rhea’s son. In religious stature, Zeus held the same position as the Roman god Jupiter or the Hindu sky god Rigveda.

Zeus had a reputation as a carrier of thunderbolt and lightning. Zeus’ main weapon was the thunderbolt and he was commonly referred to as the father of men and gods (Lawson 65). Zeus had both divine and mortal offspring from his union with Hera and other females. This paper will offer insight into the details that surround Zeus’ mythology including his birth, roles, and offspring.

Zeus was fathered by Titan gods Cronus and Rhea. According to Greek mythology, Zeus was the youngest and only surviving offspring of Cronus. All his other siblings had been swallowed by Cronus who had been warned by an oracle that his offspring would dethrone him.

Cronus had gulped all his other offspring immediately after birth. Zeus’ mother Rhea arranged to save him after enlisting the help of Gaia. When Zeus was born, Rhea handed Cronus a rock that was disguised as a baby. Cronus immediately swallowed the Rock While Rhea hid Zeus in a cave.

There are several conflicting myths as to how Zeus was brought up. The most common story is that Zeus was raised by Gaia in the caves of Crete. Others claim that he was raised by a goat that was protected by an army of gods. Another myth claims that because Cronus was the ruler of earth, heaven, and sea, Zeus was raised while being suspended mid-air where Cronus could not see him. Zeus’ other siblings included “Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera” (Lawson 165).

After Zeus had grown up, he confronted Cronus and forced him to emit his siblings. Zeus’ brothers and sisters showed gratitude for his actions by helping him defeat Cronus and other Titans. In addition, Zeus was able to release Cronus’ brothers from imprisonment by slaying their guard. It was one of Cronus’ brothers Cyclopes who bestowed thunder and thunderbolt upon Zeus.

Eventually, Zeus was able to defeat Cronus and exile some of his supporters. Zeus punished one of his opposing Titans by having him hold up the sky. After his victory, Zeus shared the kingdom of the universe with his siblings Poseidon and Hades. When the three drew lots, Zeus attained the sky and air kingdom, Poseidon attained the water kingdom, and Hades won the kingdom of the dead.

The division of the kingdom explains why Poseidon was the ‘god of the earthquakes’ and Hades had the right of ownership over the dead. Gaia was the “mother of the Titans and she was resentful of how Zeus had treated some of them” (Lang 88). Zeus had to fight with the remaining Titans and he was able to vanquish one of them by the name Typhoon.

Zeus was married to Hera but he also engaged in several extra marital affairs. Both his marriage and his affairs resulted in numerous immortal and mortal offspring. His marriage resulted in the birth of Ares, Eileithyia, Hebe, and Hephaestus. His wife Hera was known for her jealousy and she objected to his numerous affairs.

His affairs with mortals and goddesses were achieved through either rape or witty seduction techniques. Zeus’ affair with Leto resulted in the birth of Artemis and Apollo. Hera was very jealous of this affair and she condemned Leto to roam the earth while searching for a place to give birth.

Eventually, Leto had to give birth in a floating island that was neither sea nor land. Zeus also engaged in various affairs with mortals such as his union with Leda. During his liaisons with mortals, Zeus would often adopt a disguise. For instance, in his union with princess Danae, he disguised himself as a gold shower (Larson 60). Some of Zeus’ offspring from his union with mortals include Helen of Troy, Perseus, and Castor.

There are several shrines that have been erected as a tribute Zeus. In addition, several festivals have been instituted in his honor. An example of a temple that was built in Zeus’ honor is the Temple of Zeus in Olympia. The “temple bears a magnificent ivory and gold statue of Zeus” (Lawson 26).

Most works of art depict Zeus as a youthful, middle-aged, and bearded man. He is usually depicted in a pose that shows him when he is about to throw a thunderbolt. The Olympic Games that are still held to date “were started in Zeus’ honor” (Larson 88). Several Greek museums feature several of Zeus’ artifacts including the Artemisium Zeus sculpture.

Zeus is known as the punisher of the liars and oath-breakers. Moreover, Zeus was known as the god who assembled the clouds and brought forth rain. Greek mythology presents Zeus as the “god of justice, the protector of the weak, and the punisher of the wicked” (Lang 88). Modern culture has incorporated Zeus into various aspects of everyday life including his depiction in Euro coins.

Works Cited

Lang, Andrew. Greek Divine Myth-Greek Gods in Myth and Religion , New York, NY: Pierides Press, 2010. Print.

Larson, Jennifer. “A Land Full of Gods: Nature Deities in Greek Religion.” A Companion to Greek Religion 23.1 (2010): 56-70. Print.

Lawson, John. Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion: A Study In Survivals , New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Print.

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Greek Gods & Goddesses

Zeus – Greek God Of The Sky and King of the Gods

Zeus is the Greek God of The Sky and Thunder and king of all the Gods. He was the first of the gods and a very imposing figure. Often referred to as the “Father of Gods and men”, he is a sky god who controls lightning (often using it as a weapon) and thunder. Zeus is king of Mount Olympus , the home of Greek gods, where he rules the world and imposes his will onto gods and mortals alike.

Zeus was the last child of the titans Cronus and Rhea , and avoided being swallowed by his father (who had been told one of his children would overthrow him) when Rhea sought help from Uranus and Gaea. Cronus had previously swallowed Demeter , Hestia , Hera , Hades and Poseidon .

Along with Hades and Poseidon, Zeus shared the rule of the world and became king of Olympus as the children of Cronus were filled with admiration for their noble brother and sided with him against their unjust father – even following Zeus into The Battle of the Titans .

Zeus mated with many goddesses and mortals (including Aegina, Alcmena, Calliope , Cassiopea, Demeter , Dione, Europa, Io, Leda, Leto , Mnemosyne , Niobe, Persephone and Semele ) but was married to his sister Hera – goddess of marriage and monogamy.

Roles and Responsibilities of Zeus

As the king of the gods and sitting atop the golden throne on Mount Olympus , Zeus was revered by all. Mortal kings would boast that they were descendants of Zeus. With this supreme power came a number of roles and responsibilities.

Hesiod described Zeus as a god who “brought peace in place of violence” and referred to him as the “lord of justice” .

Though he is most well known as god of the sky and thunder, Zeus was the supreme cultural embodiment of Greek religious beliefs. He had many epithets (titles) that emphasized different aspects of complete and wide ranging authority.

• Zeus Olympios emphasized Zeus’s kingship over the gods.
• Zeus Xenios, Philoxenon or Hospites : Zeus was the patron of hospitality (xenia) and guests, ready to avenge any wrong done to a stranger.
• Zeus Horkios : Zeus he was the keeper of oaths. Exposed liars were made to dedicate a statue to Zeus, often at the sanctuary of Olympia.
• Zeus Agoraeus : Zeus watched over business at the agora and punished dishonest traders.
• Zeus Aegiduchos or Aegiochos : Zeus was the bearer of the Aegis with which he strikes terror into the impious and his enemies.
• Zeus Tallaios (“solar Zeus”): the Zeus that was worshiped in Crete.
• Zeus Geōrgos (“earth worker”, “farmer”), the god of crops and harvest, in Athens.
• Astrapios (“lightninger”)
• Brontios (“thunderer”)

Appearance and personality of Zeus

According to “Work and Days” by Hesiod (line 59), Zeus was a carefree god who loved to laugh out loud. He was regarded as wise, fair, just, merciful, and prudent. He was also unpredictable – nobody was able to guess the decisions he would make.

He was also easily angered which could be very destructive. He has previously hurled lightning bolts and caused violent storms that wreaked havoc on earth.

Zeus fell in love easily and had many affairs with various women, however he would severely punish anybody who attempted to escort/fall in love with his wife Hera – like the giant Porphyrion who took a lightning bolt from the engraged god for lusting after his wife (albeit with a little help from the love god Eros).

He is often described as a strong, imposing man with a regal body and long, often curly, hair. He usually had a short beard or scruff and carried his trusty thunderbolt at all times.

How Many Wives Did Zeus Have?

Zeus had seven immortal wives . They are Metis, Themis, Eurynome , Demeter, Mnemosyne, Hera, and Leto. From these marriages produced many many sons and  daughters .

Zeus’s Romantic Escapades

In the pantheon of Greek gods, Zeus, the mighty ruler of Olympus, was notorious for his amorous adventures, despite being wed to Hera, the embodiment of marital fidelity. This juxtaposition of Zeus’s rampant infidelity and Hera’s commitment to matrimony painted a complex picture of their divine union.

Zeus had numerous affairs with both goddesses and mortal women. Here is a list of some of the most notable ones:

• Hera : Despite being his wife, Hera was also one of Zeus’s consorts. They had several children, including Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe, and Eileithyia.
• Leto : Zeus fathered Apollo and Artemis with Leto.
• Metis : The first wife of Zeus, Metis was the mother of Athena, who was born from Zeus’s head.
• Dione : She was the mother of Aphrodite in some accounts.
• Maia : A nymph and one of the Pleiades, she was the mother of Hermes.
• Europa : Zeus famously abducted Europa in the form of a bull. She bore him three sons, including Minos and Rhadamanthys.
• Io : A mortal princess whom Zeus turned into a cow to hide her from Hera.
• Semele : The mother of Dionysus, Zeus appeared to her in his true form and she perished, but Zeus saved their unborn child.
• Leda : Zeus approached Leda in the form of a swan, and she became the mother of Helen of Troy and Pollux.
• Alcmene : The mortal mother of Heracles (Hercules in Roman mythology).
• Danaë : Zeus appeared to her as a shower of gold, leading to the birth of Perseus.
• Ganymede : A beautiful Trojan prince whom Zeus abducted to serve as the cupbearer of the gods.
• Callisto : A nymph who was transformed into a bear and later became the constellation Ursa Major.
• Antiope : A mortal woman who bore Zeus twin sons, Amphion and Zethus.
• Niobe : Another mortal woman loved by Zeus.
• Thalia : One of the Graces, with whom Zeus fathered the Charites.

This list is not exhaustive, as Zeus’s affairs are numerous in Greek mythology, and each affair has its own unique story and significance in the mythological narrative.

How Did Zeus Become the Leader of the Gods?

Cronus, managed to overthrow his father, Uranus.

But Uranus made a prediction that Cronus would be overthrown by one of his children. Because Cronus was afraid of losing the kingdom, he made the same mistakes his father did and turned into a terrible, angry king and did lots of horrible things to stay in power.

He ate his children, just to keep them from overthrowing him. But Rhea, his wife, managed to fool Cronus by feeding him a large stone and kept one of his children safe. This child was named Zeus. Rhea hid him away in a cave on the island of Crete so he would be safe.

Once Zeus grew up, he went to his father’s mountain and served him as a cupbearer. His father did not know that Zeus was his son. A Titan goddess named Metis helped Zeus fool his father into drinking a mixture of mustard in his wine.

This caused Cronus to feel sick, and he threw up all of his children that he had eaten, one by one including the stone. Once Cronus had expelled all of Zeus’ brothers and sisters, Zeus talked them into rebelling against Cronus, their father.

This is what started the Titanomachy , or the Titan’s War. Zeus and his brothers and sisters rebelled against their father, Cronus. Zeus set the CYCLOPES  and the Hecatonchires free from their underground prison and convinced them to join the fight against Cronus too.

Cronus had been the one who locked up his siblings, so they agreed to join Zeus. The Hecatonchires used rocks as weapons, and the Cyclopes made Zeus’ thunderbolts. Together they also made POSEIDON ‘s trident and  HADES ‘ helm of darkness.

The only Titians to fight with Zeus were THEMIS  and  PROMETHEUS . This war lasted ten years.  ATLAS was a major leader on the side of the Titans and Cronus. After the war was over, Zeus imprisoned all of the Titans in Tartarus , except for Themis and Prometheus who fought for him.

These Titans were imprisoned in the earth the same way that Cronus,  HECATONCHIRES  and the Cyclopes once were. Hecatonchires guarded the Titans in their prison. Because Atlas was such an important fighter for the opposition, Zeus gave him the special punishment of holding up the world.

After the Titans’ War Zeus and his brothers, Hades and Poseidon decided to divide the universe into three parts. They drew straws to see who would rule over which part. Zeus drew the longest straw, so he was given the title of king of the sky.

This also meant that he was the head of mortals and all the gods, too. Poseidon got the middle straw, so he became king of the sea. Hades drew the shortest straw, so he became the ruler of the Underworld .

Facts about Zeus

• Zeus became the ruler of heaven and earth after a revolt against his father, Kronos. In his position as king of the gods, Zeus had to play mediator when other the immortals were mad at each other.
• He is the father of Athena , who is said to have sprung from his head . She was his favorite child, with whom he shared the thunderbolt and aegis.
• Hades and Poseidon were his brothers.
• His wife Hera was also his sister.
• Zeus was not a faithful husband; he was known for having many affairs with mortal women.
• Zeus fathered Hercules , the famous Greek hero, by deception. He disguised himself as Amphitryon, Alcmene’s husband, in order to have sexual relations with her.
• Zeus fathered Perseus by impregnating Danaë. When he did so, he appeared to her in the form of a golden shower.
• The name Zeus means “bright” or “sky.”
• His weapon of choice was the thunderbolt, made for him by the mythical creatures , the Cyclops .
• Zeus, more recently known for causing thunder and lightning, was once a rain-god. He was always associated with the weather in some form.
• The Zeus described in Homer was not an extension of nature; instead, he had a standard of right and wrong that made him more relatable to mankind.
• Before monarchies were rendered obsolete, Zeus protected the king and his family.
• Hesiod calls Zeus the “the lord of justice.” Perhaps because of this, he was reluctant to join a side in the Trojan War . He preferred the Trojans, but he wanted to stay neutral because Hera preferred the Greeks. She was insufferable when he opposed her openly.
• Metis, the goddess of prudence, was Zeus’s first love.
• Ares , Hephaestus , Hebe and Eileithyia are the children of Zeus and Hera .
• His union with Leto brought forth the twins Apollo and Artemis.
• Zeus had many children with some believing he had over 50 children
• When he seduced the Spartan queen Leda, Zeus transformed himself into a beautiful swan, and two sets of twins were born.
• When Zeus had an affair with Mnemosyne, he coupled with her for nine nights. This scenario produced nine daughters , who became known as the Muses .
• Zeus punished men by giving them women.
• Zeus’s servants were named Force and Violence.

More Zeus Greek God Resources

Downloadable and ready to print Zeus Greek God Coloring Pages

Zeus is  the God of sky and thunder  in ancient Greek religion, who rules as king of the gods of Mount Olympus.

Zeus had 54 children – 31 by Divine unions including Ares, The Three Graces, The Nine Muses, The Horae and 23 via human unions including Perseus and Heracles.

The father of Zeus is Cronus, youngest son of Uranus and Gaea, the leader of the first generation of Titans, and, for a brief period, the ruler of all gods and men.

The Zeus symbol include  the lightning bolt, the eagle, the bull, and the oak tree . Zeus is often portrayed with a scepter in one hand and the thunderbolt in the other – both symbols of his authority. Sometimes he wears a crown of oak leaves. The most iconic symbol associated with Zeus is the thunderbolt. According to myth, the thunderbolt was forged by the Cyclopes, the giant craftsmen, and given to Zeus as a weapon in the battle against the Titans. It represents not only his immense power but also his ability to maintain order and dispense justice.

Zeus wielded immense and multifaceted powers. Some of his most significant powers included: Control Over the Sky and Weather : As the god of the sky, Zeus had complete dominion over weather phenomena. He could create storms, tempests, lightning, thunder, rain, and winds at will. Thunderbolts : His signature weapon was the thunderbolt, which he used to enforce his will and punish those who defied him or broke oaths. Omnipotence : As the most powerful of the gods, Zeus possessed vast supernatural strength and abilities, surpassing all other deities. Omniscience : He was often depicted as being all-knowing, or at least having a broad and deep understanding of human affairs, the workings of the universe, and the fates of men and gods. Shape-shifting : Zeus had the ability to change his form at will. He often transformed himself into various animals or humans as part of his interactions with mortals or other deities, particularly in his romantic conquests. Authority Over Gods and Mortals : Zeus was the ruler of Mount Olympus and the other gods, commanding respect and authority over both divine and mortal realms. Dispenser of Justice : Zeus was seen as a guardian of justice and was often appealed to for judgments in disputes among gods and mortals. Creator of Laws and Order : He was responsible for the establishment of laws and order in the universe, ensuring the smooth functioning of the cosmos and the earthly realm. Necromancy : In some stories, Zeus displayed the ability to bring the dead back to life or communicate with them. Immortality and Regeneration : Like other Greek gods, Zeus was immortal and could regenerate, making him impervious to death and most forms of injury.

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Beyond Lightning Bolts: Unraveling the Symbols, Myths, and Modern Influence of Zeus, the Greek God of Thunder

• Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

When teaching students about ancient Greek mythology, it is important to highlight the central figure in this fascinating pantheon of gods and goddesses – Zeus. As the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and the king of gods, understanding basic facts about Zeus can provide a solid foundation for students as they explore the broader world of Greek mythology.

Role in Greek Mythology : Zeus was considered the ruler and protector of humans, gods, and divine laws. He was also the god of the sky and weather, symbolizing power and authority. By teaching students about his role, they can gain an understanding of how the ancient Greeks viewed the natural world and their place within it.

Family and Relations : Zeus had many siblings, including Poseidon and Hades. Their father was the Titan Cronus, who swallowed them at birth to avoid being overthrown by his children. However, Zeus was saved by his mother Rhea, who gave Cronus a rock wrapped in cloth to swallow instead. After growing up in secret, Zeus eventually overthrew his father and freed his siblings from Cronus’ stomach. These family dynamics provide a captivating story that illustrates the adversity faced by many Greek gods.

Symbolism : Explaining the key symbols associated with Zeus will help students grasp his significance in ancient Greek culture. Some important symbols include lightning bolts, thunderstorms, eagles, oaks trees, and scepters. Each represents an aspect of power or authority.

Marriages and Children : Zeus had a complicated love life that often involved multiple relationships at once. His most notable marriage was to Hera, who became known as the goddess of marriage and family life; however, he had multiple other relationships with goddesses like Demeter or mortal women like Leda or Europa. Many famous gods and demigods resulted from these relationships such as Apollo, Artemis, Hercules, and Perseus.

Encounters with Mortals: Zeus frequently interacted with humans, sometimes granting them wisdom or powers, while other times punishing them severely. Some well-known examples include King Midas, whose request for the Golden Touch turned tragic, and Prometheus, who was punished by Zeus for giving fire to mankind.

Modern Influence : Teaching students about Zeus’s impact on modern culture will help them see how ancient mythology remains relevant today. This influence is evident in literature, art, astronomy (the planet Jupiter is named after Zeus’s Roman counterpart), and even in popular expressions, like “By Jove!” which refers to Jupiter.

By providing a comprehensive overview of Zeus’s role in ancient Greek mythology, educators can create an engaging and memorable learning experience for their students. Exploring the facts about this powerful god will spark curiosity and encourage young learners to delve further into the fascinating world of gods and goddesses.

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Who is Zeus?

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Zeus is the god of the sky in ancient Greek mythology . As the chief Greek deity, Zeus is considered the ruler, protector, and father of all gods and humans. Zeus is often depicted as an older man with a beard and is represented by symbols such as the lightning bolt and the eagle.

Where does Zeus’s name come from?

Zeus’s name shares a similar origin with the sky god Dyaus of Hinduism, mentioned in the Rigveda . It is believed that many proto-Indo-European mythologies (e.g., Greek , Hindu , and Norse ) have distinct similarities and may share an origin.

Zeus fathered many children. Among the most well-known are Athena , the goddess of war; Perseus , the hero known for slaying Medusa ; and Persephone , Demeter ’s daughter and wife to Hades . Zeus is known for his many sexual (and oftentimes nonconsensual) relationships outside of his marriage to his wife and sister Hera .  

In some versions of Greek mythology, Zeus ate his wife Metis because it was known that their second child would be more powerful than him. After Metis’s demise, their first child Athena was born when Hephaestus cleaved Zeus’s head open and the goddess of war emerged, fully grown and armed.

Zeus , in ancient Greek religion , chief deity of the pantheon, a sky and weather god who was identical with the Roman god Jupiter . His name may be related to that of the sky god Dyaus of the ancient Hindu Rigveda . Zeus was regarded as the sender of thunder and lightning, rain, and winds, and his traditional weapon was the thunderbolt. He was called the father (i.e., the ruler and protector) of both gods and men.

According to a Cretan myth that was later adopted by the Greeks, Cronus , king of the Titans , upon learning that one of his children was fated to dethrone him, swallowed his children as soon as they were born. But Rhea , his wife, saved the infant Zeus by substituting a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and hiding Zeus in a cave on Crete . There he was nursed by the nymph (or female goat) Amalthaea and guarded by the Curetes (young warriors), who clashed their weapons to disguise the baby’s cries. After Zeus grew to manhood he led a revolt against the Titans and succeeded in dethroning Cronus, perhaps with the assistance of his brothers Hades and Poseidon , with whom he then divided dominion over the world.

As ruler of heaven Zeus led the gods to victory against the Giants (offspring of Gaea and Tartarus ) and successfully crushed several revolts against him by his fellow gods. According to the Greek poet Homer , heaven was located on the summit of Olympus , the highest mountain in Greece and the logical home for a weather god. The other members of the pantheon resided there with Zeus and were subject to his will. From his exalted position atop Mount Olympus Zeus was thought to omnisciently observe the affairs of men, seeing everything, governing all, and rewarding good conduct and punishing evil. Besides dispensing justice—he had a strong connection with his daughter Dike (Justice)—Zeus was the protector of cities, the home, property, strangers, guests, and supplicants.

Zeus was well known for his amorousness—a source of perpetual discord with his wife, Hera —and he had many love affairs with both mortal and immortal women. In order to achieve his amorous designs, Zeus frequently assumed animal forms, such as that of a cuckoo when he ravished Hera, a swan when he ravished Leda , or a bull when he carried off Europa . Notable among his offspring were the twins Apollo and Artemis , by the Titaness Leto ; Helen and the Dioscuri , by Leda of Sparta; Persephone , by the goddess Demeter ; Athena , born from his head after he had swallowed the Titaness Metis; Hephaestus , Hebe , Ares , and Eileithyia , by his wife, Hera; Dionysus , by the goddess Semele ; and many others.

Though regarded by Greek religionists everywhere as omnipotent and the head of the pantheon, Zeus’s very universality tended to reduce his importance compared with that of powerful local divinities like Athena and Hera. Although statues of Zeus Herkeios (Guardian of the House) and altars of Zeus Xenios (Hospitable) graced the forecourts of houses, and though his mountaintop shrines were visited by pilgrims, Zeus did not have a temple at Athens until the late 6th century bce , and even his temple at Olympia postdated that of Hera.

In art Zeus was represented as a bearded, dignified, and mature man of stalwart build; his most prominent symbols were the thunderbolt and the eagle .

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MythologySource

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Thetis and Zeus

Thetis was the second goddess to be rejected by Zeus because he feared the power of her son. She didn’t give birth to a god, though; Thetis was the mother of a glorious hero!

Thetis was not one of the major goddesses of the Greek pantheon. Considering her status, her impact on mythology was oversized.

The one-time fiancee of Zeus was a protective goddess who saved the lives of many Olympic gods. According to Homer, one of these was Zeus himself.

Her wedding feast as a joyous occasion, but the exclusion of Eris from the guest list led to the beginning of the Trojan War and Thetis’s greatest personal tragedy.

Her influence was so great that she was able to convince Zeus, the famously rigid king of the gods, to change his mind in her favor. While it did not save her son’s life, the story of Zeus and Thetis does show that the protective Nereid may have once been more than she seemed.

Zeus Avoided Marriage Thetis

Thetis is usually seen as a fairly minor goddess in Greek mythology, but one whose life was intertwined with many major events.

Thetis was usually described as a water goddess, often a Nereid. She was also meant to be Zeus’s second wife.

Zeus married the Titaness Metis, but swallowed her when he learned that she would one day have a son who would overthrow him. Shortly afterward, he began to be interested in Thetis.

Before he could act on this attraction, however, he heard a similar prophecy regarding his new paramour. Thetis, too, was fated to one day give birth to a son who would be more powerful and famous than his father.

Zeus did not want to risk following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather by being violently overthrown. To maintain his power, he abandoned Thetis and married Hera instead.

Thetis ended up not become the mother of Zeus’s child, but the foster mother of Hera’s. She and the ocean nymphs found Hephaestus when he was cast down from Olympus and raised him on earth.

Many times, Thetis came to the rescue of the gods. When Dionysus was expelled from Thrace, for example, Thetis hid him in a bed of seaweed.

She was most famous, however, for her role in human affairs rather than those of the gods.

Zeus eventually determined that the prophecy surrounding Thetis was too dangerous for any of the gods to risk marrying her. Instead, he arranged for her to be married to a mortal man.

Peleus was a great hero and because Thetis was well-loved by the Olympians the wedding was among the most elaborate feasts ever held on Mount Olympus. The only goddess who was not invited was Eris , the personification of discord.

The exclusion of the goddess of strife from the wedding prompted her to seek revenge on the Olympians for slighting her. She sent a golden apple addressed to the fairest goddess of Olympus and the resulting infighting among the goddesses helped to ignite the Trojan War.

Her involvement in the war went beyond its beginnings, however. Thetis became heavily involved in the conflict because her son with Peleus, Achilles, was one of the fighters.

Thetis attempted to protect her son by burning away his mortality, but Peleus stopped her because he believed she was hurting the baby. According to some legends, Achilles was left with a single vulnerability on the heel where his mother had held him.

Throughout the war, Thetis attempted to intervene to keep her son safe. She even went directly to Zeus to ask him to intercede on behalf of Achilles.

Homer’s Iliad is the only source that includes the leverage a minor goddess could use to sway the will of the king of the gods. According to the poet, the gods of Olympus had once rebelled against Zeus and Thetis had been the one to save him.

Hera, Poseidon, and Athena had put the king of the gods in chains in an attempted coup. Thetis had summoned a hundred-armed giant to break the chains and restore Zeus to power.

Homer may have believed that Zeus owed his throne to Thetis, but her requests did little good. As a prophecy had foretold, her son lived a short but glorious life and fell in battle during the Trojan War.

My Modern Interpretation

Thetis was unusual for the nymphs in the major role she played in shaping the outcome of many myths. She rescued many gods, mothered a great hero, nearly married the king of Olympus, and her marriage directly led to the beginning of the Trojan War.

Some historians see this role as evidence that Thetis was once a more powerful goddess in a pre-classical tradition.

It is possible that Thetis was a double of Tethys, the Titan goddess of the sea. The two may have once been the same entity, but developed separate mythologies and names over time.

The story of her engagement to Peleus also has aspects of more ancient sea gods. Like The Old Man of the Sea, Thetis was a shapshifter who could only be captured by someone able to hold on as she turned into a variety of bestial and monstrous creatures.

That would explain how Thetis was more prominent and powerful than most other nymphs, but her interactions with Zeus also show that she may have held greater power in the pre-literate past.

Her most prominent role is in the works of Homer, who was also one of the first poets to write down the Greek legends. Because of the style in which he wrote and his early date, Homer’s poems often seem to reflect older versions of well-known stories.

In the Iliad , Thetis is a powerful enough goddess to bend Zeus to her will. When she makes a request of the king of the gods, he changes his position to please her.

Homer attributes this in part to the fact that Thetis had saved his life and throne. Just as Metis had helped him defeat Cronus, Thetis helped him hold on to power.

The parallels between these suggest that this may have been a motif throughout the early Greek world. Different traditions existed of Zeus marrying, then discarding, an older goddess who had given him aid but whose son would be a threat to him.

In the Iliad Thetis had to go to Zeus to ask for her son to be protected. While Homer showed Thetis in a central role, this seems contrary to her appearances in other stories.

Thetis was consistently portrayed as a savior of the gods. On at least three occasions she protected or nursed one of the Olympians when they were at their most vulnerable.

This may indicate that in earlier myths Thetis was a protective goddess. By the time of Homer she was still well-regarded, but her position had declined enough that she had to ask Zeus for protection instead of providing it herself.

Thetis was meant to be the second wife of Zeus, but the engagement was abandoned when he learned that her son would one day be more powerful than his father.

To prevent the threat to any of the other gods, he had Thetis married to a human. Peleus was a heroic general, but his fame was far surpassed by their son, Achilles.

Thetis was usually cast in the role of a protective goddess, which could be a holdover from an earlier belief system. At least three stories describe her sheltering or freeing vulnerable Olympians.

She was not successful, however, in protecting her own son. Achilles died in the final days of the Trojan War despite his mother’s attempts to shield him from harm.

Thetis had even gone so far as to implore Zeus for aid, showing herself to be one of the few deities who could turn the god’s opinion in her favor. Homer alone explains that this deference was because Thetis had once freed the king of the gods when the other members of his family had attempted a rebellion.

The interactions between Thetis and Zeus seem to show that she was once a more powerful goddess of protection than she was later believed to be. Before the time of Homer, it was Zeus who asked for aid from Thetis instead of the other way around.

My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Please like and share this article if you found it useful.

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The fates (moirai).

• Pronunciation: THEE-see-us
• Origin: Greek
• Town: Athens
• Mother: Aethra
• Symbols: Sandals and Sword

Who Is Theseus?

Theseus was a well-respected Greek hero. He was strong, courageous, and very wise. He worked hard to protect Athens and helped develop their power structure. He led the Athenian army on a number of battles, always returning victorious. He was known for helping the poor and less fortunate and also founded modern-day democracy.

Theseus became a voice of reasoning for the people. A popular Athenian saying, “Not without Theseus,” shows how he was respected by the people and not just for his bravery or strength, but also for his wisdom and ability to conquer any situation.

Legends and Stories

The myth of Theseus is long and detailed. It tells of his childhood, his travels to Athens, the discovery of his true father, and how he saved countless lives with his services.

The Travel to Athens

Theseus was born in Troezen. His mother, Aethra, was unsure of who his father was. King Aegeus was a possibility, and told Aethra that when the child became of age, he was to lift a rock and take the sword and sandals hidden beneath. After hiding the items, Aegeus headed back to Athens.

When Theseus was a young man, his mother took him to the rock. He was able to lift it easily. He took the sword and sandals and threw the large rock into the forest. Realizing that the King was his father, Aethra told Theseus he must go to Athens, where he would become heir to the throne.

It was common knowledge that the best way to travel was by boat, due to the high number of criminals who had overtaken the roads. But Theseus was brave and excited to test his strengths during his travels.

He soon came across his first challenge. In the road in front of him stood a man with a club. His name was Periphetes, who told Theseus that he was going to use the club to crush his head. Theseus retaliated, saying that he didn’t think the club was made of brass like Periphetes claimed. The men argued and Periphetes became aggravated. He gave the club to Theseus to prove that it was indeed made of brass. Once he had it in his hands, Theseus hit Periphetes with it, took the club, and went on his way.

A few miles later, Theseus came across a man with an axe. His name was Sciron, who told the young hero that he would chop of his head and feed him to his turtle at the bottom of the nearby cliffs unless Theseus washed Sciron’s feet. Theseus obliged, but when Sciron wasn’t looking, Theseus grabbed him by the feet and threw him over the cliff to be eaten by the turtle.

He them came across a man who asked him to hold down a pine tree. Theseus did, and the man was surprised that he was able to hold it down instead of being flung in the air. He bent down to examine Theseus’ grip, and when he did, Theseus let go and the tree knocked the man unconscious. He then tied his legs to one tree and his arms to another, letting the trees rip the man in half.

Theseus last test was at an inn, where he needed a bed. He had heard of the man who owned the inn though. He would either stretch his guests or remove their legs to make them fit in the beds. When Theseus was being shown the bed, he threw the man down, cut of his legs, and then his head. He rested after his long day and prepared to enter Athens in the morning.

Theseus and Aegeus

Theseus arrived in Athens. He went to the castle to meet the King, who had married a sorceress named Media. Media knew that Theseus was the son of the King and feared he would try to get rid of her. She told Aegeus that the hero had come to kill him. To prevent this, she would give the young man poisoned wine at dinner that evening.

Just as Theseus was about to take a sip of the doomed wine, Aegeus recognized his sandals and sword. He knew that Theseus was his son and shoved the wine glass to the floor. Medea left the castle and Theseus and his father spent every day together.

Theseus’ True Test of Bravery

A ship with a black sail approached Athens. Theseus asked what it meant and learned that Androgeus, the son of King Minos of Crete, was accidently killed in Athens many years before. As payment for their sin, Athens was to send seven males and seven females each year to be sacrificed in Crete. They were fed to the Minotaur , a half man and half bull monster.

Theseus volunteered himself to go and fight the monster. At first, Aegeus refused but he eventually agreed to let his son go under one condition. Once he boarded the ship to return, he was to change the ship’s black sails to white.

Theseus arrived in Crete. The King welcomed them and asked their names. Theseus said he was the son of Poseidon , disguising his identity as the Prince of Athens. King Minos sent Theseus into the sea to fetch a ring as a test. Theseus dove in after praying to Poseidon for help. A nymph gave him the ring, which he returned to shore with.

The King’s daughter, Ariadne , approached Theseus and told him she wanted the Minotaur dead. She also wanted Theseus to take her to Athens when it was all over. Theseus agreed and went to sleep to prepare for his battle.

The next morning, Theseus approached the monster with the others who were to be sacrificed. He jumped on the Minotaur’s back, ripped out a horn, and began to poke the monster. He then ran quickly away and threw the horn into the monster’s neck. The Minotaur screamed out and then fell over. Theseus had defeated the monster.

Theseus, Ariadne, and the rest of the saved individuals boarded the ship and began their return. But the god Dionysus appeared and claimed Ariadne for his own. Theseus did not fight the god but was so drowned in despair that he forgot to change the sails to white. As Aegeus saw the ship approach, he saw the black sails and, assuming his son had died, jumped into the sea. As a tribute to the late King, the waters were named the Aegean.

In artistic representations, Theseus is shown as a handsome young man, usually armed with a sword, and looking seemingly prepared for any situation.

The two main symbols associated with Theseus are his sword and sandals.

Themes and Analysis

American gods, by neil gaiman.

Gaiman explores themes such as beliefs, intergenerational conflict of values, and American culture in a this novel where old myths meet modern America.

Main Themes

• Appearance vs reality: looks are often deceiving in the novel.
• Old vs new: the story sets up an epic war between old gods and new ones.
• America's relationship with gods : the novel explores how immigrant gods become forgotten in America.
• Lyrical Prose:  Gaiman writes with a rhythm that echoes the oral traditions of myth and folklore.
• Contemplative and darkly whimsical tone: this tone is a perfect fit for the novel's magical realism.
• Use of personification : the new gods are abstract concepts made into human forms.
• World Tree: the world tree represents the interconnectedness of all things and all realms.
• Coins: The exchange of coins between characters signifies the transfer of power, promises, and influence.
• Roads: represent the paths to Shadow's self-discovery and the mid-point between diverse cultural landscapes.

The book opens with Shadow being released from prison and recruited as a bodyguard by Wednesday. This moment initiates Shadow's journey into the world of gods and mythology and sets the stage for the epic contest between the old and new gods.

Wednesday is assassinated by the new gods. Wednesday's assassination marks a turning point in the narrative, intensifying the conflict and galvanizing the old gods. His death symbolizes the sacrifices demanded by belief and the cyclical nature of myth. As a key plot point, it activates Wednesday and Mr. World/Loki's con game against the gods.

Shadow intervenes to stop the war and thwart Wednesday's plan. By announcing that the war was a ruse Wednesday designed to replenish his god power through the sacrifice of the gods' lives, Shadow's actions resolve the central conflict and set the stage for peace and reconciliation among the warring gods.

Continue down for complete analysis to American Gods

Article written by Ebuka Igbokwe

Bachelor's degree from Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

Neil Gaiman’s “ American Gods ” explores several themes while weaving together ancient mythology and modern America. The main ideas explored in the book are how beliefs change and evolve and the relevance of old gods in a society captivated by new obsessions. The story can also be examined through identity, cultural assimilation, and the clash between old ways and new ideas.

The novel addresses rich themes connected with gods, belief, and the cultural creativity that allows humanity to weave this vital aspect of life and social experience. Some of these themes include the tension between old and new beliefs and America’s peculiar relationship with artifacts of foreign cultures.

Gods and Faith Power

The story of “ American Gods “ explores the idea of gods as the articulation of a people’s dreams, the manifestation of a particular mental energy of man. Through these, humans seek answers to pressing problems; on these, they hang hope in trying times, and with these, they try to explain experiences that are hard to capture.

Through the attention given to the gods, mental occupation, and social engagement with gods as ideas, they grow in power and influence and become prominent.

Because of this ability of people and social groups to make gods (i.e., gods as shared mental constructs), gods are created and grow within a community. They are affected by the changes that touch the community and are displaced or transplanted with the members of that community. Thus, if these gods find themselves where their worshippers have vanished or become forgotten otherwise, these deities are deprived of the power they derive from their presence in man’s imagination. Then, they become weak, and then they may die.

In this sense, gods are dependent on the people who worship them as people are dependent on them.

Old Vs. New

In “ American Gods “, a pattern emerges as one begins the story, which clarifies as the story progresses. Old Gods like Mr. Nancy, Czernobog, and Wednesday are personable and have distinct personalities, giving off a palpable presence that gives weight to their actions. Czernobog is a dour, cranky old man with a sadistic twist. Mad Sweeny is a boisterous and happy drunk. Half the time, Wednesday is a charming old snake; the other half, he is irritable and pushy. Zorya Polunochnaya gives one a feeling that she is a spacey but lovely old maid. Even the forgettable god is an intriguing character .

The new American gods, however, generally have no identifiable trait except for a few broad strokes. Technical Boy is snotty and bad-tempered but has no personality beyond this. The names of these gods are nondescript, with common nouns being their proper names: Mr. World, Mr. Town, Media, and The Intangibles. While they have a lot of power, which is evident in the great wealth they can control and the human attention they command, they have none of the charm and likeability of the Old Gods.

Their difference stands out when considering the way they wield their powers respectively. While the Old Gods are subtle and cunning and engage with humans as humans, the New Gods are direct and brash, often mechanical in action, and limited in the range and complexity of their emotions. They frequently rely on brute force and sheer power to manage problems. Their lack of subtlety is exemplified in how incompetently they interrogate Sam and Shadow, compared to the smoothness with which Mr. Nancy and Czernobog sprite Shadow from police custody when Chad Mulligan detained him.

We can attribute this lack of flair to the difference in how long the different sets of American gods have been around and attribute the Old Gods’ concrete personality to experience and maturity.

Appearance vs Reality

As Wednesday and Shadow prepare for the bank heist, Wednesday relates to Shadow the operation of certain types of confidence tricks and how two people acting in concert pretend to work against each other to trick their unsuspecting mark. “ American Gods” is, in a sense, an example of a series of tricks nested in a grand con game. The dissonance between reality and appearance is a running theme throughout the novel.

First, in the heist, Wednesday is an old, weary bank agent collecting deposits because the bank’s ATM is out of order during a snowstorm. When they visit the carousel at House on the Rock, Shadow experiences a double vision: the gods appear as both human selves and god forms, and the carousel animals turn into the gods’ traditional mounts.

Also, Shadow does not see Zorya Polunochnaya and Bast, except at night in a somewhat dreamlike state, and only a silver coin in the first case and his healed wounds in the second confirm to him that the meetings happened.

This play of appearance on reality extends to the roles and actions of the gods in the story. Wednesday is never straightforward and hardly ever lets the chance to trick anyone pass him by. Loki seems at first to be a mere convict, and he is revealed to work for the New Gods, while he is only Wednesday’s partner in a scheme to sacrifice both old and New Gods for them to attain power. Hinzelmann’s role switch is perhaps the most dramatic in the story, as the friendly and helpful happy old man fond of telling zany tales turns out to be a kobold-possessed serial killer responsible for taking the lives of countless children.

It is with good reason that the Buffalo Man, who appears to Shadow in a dream, asks him to ‘Believe everything.’ Things in “ American Gods ” are hardly what they seem.

America’s Relationship with Gods

The thesis of America being a bad place for gods is borne out by the appearance of the Old Gods as somewhat pathetic figures, undeserving of the name of gods or rather demeaning to their titles. The names of the gods are even bastardized: Mr. Nancy from Anansi and Wednesday from Odin (Odin, also known as Woden, is named after his day, Wednesday). Thoth and Anubis, who ruled over life and death in the Egyptian pantheon, are demoted to Mr. Ibis and Mr. Jacquel, mere undertakers in America. The Queen of Sheba, known for her royal feminine charm, is Bilquis, a common prostitute.

From clues offered in the novel, we can speculate on what factors peculiar to America make it inhospitable to gods.

A primary factor seems to be that gods are transient in America, brought over by migrants who do not stay and, therefore, don’t have enough time to take root. In their native land, these gods have lived for generations within the same population, such that the gods become a cultural identity. In America, they are in the minds of the immigrants alone, and when these are gone, the gods’ footholds become shaky.

A related factor is that America is a melting pot that quickly dissolves a foreigner’s identity to make a new American. In a few generations, even when an intact community moves from an old place to a new one, it loses the earlier generation’s language, customs, and other cultural markers to blend into the multicultural mix that America is. The old gods are dropped in this assimilation.

Sacredness of Land

“ American Gods ” explores the sacredness of the land and how it is a repository of memories, preserving the essence of past beliefs. Displacement challenges this sacredness as immigrant gods struggle to find relevance in a new land.

Yet, the land adapts, with new rituals forming in unexpected places and human activity augmenting the power of the location. This power can be either positive, as in the House on the Rock location, or negative, as seen in Motel America, which nullifies the power of the gods, effectively disarming them and making the place a good middle ground for negotiation.

Gaiman suggests that the divine can be found anywhere. Even when gods fade, the land’s inherent sacredness endures, offering potential for renewal. He invites us to consider the idea of the land as a store of the enduring power of myths.

Key Moments

• Shadow is released from prison and recruited as a bodyguard by Wednesday : This moment initiates Shadow’s journey into the world of gods and mythology. His recruitment signifies the beginning of his transformation from an ordinary man to a pivotal figure in the divine conflict. It also establishes the central dynamic between Shadow and Wednesday, setting the stage for the novel’s exploration of faith, loyalty, and identity.
• Wednesday summons the Old Gods to a meeting at the House on the Rock: Here, Wednesday introduces the central conflict of the novel: a contest of power and influence between the Old and New gods. Wednesday’s recruitment of Mr. Nancy and Czernobog, as well as treating the gods to a feast in the meeting at the House on the Rock, emphasizes how urgent and serious Wednesday considers the impending battle.
• Shadow is kidnapped and tortured by the New Gods. This incident illustrates the brutal and relentless turn the conflict between the gods has taken. Laura’s intervention and Shadow’s escape show the persistence of old ties between them. Above all, this event also deepens Shadow’s understanding of the stakes involved in the new venture he is entangled in.
• Wednesday installs Shadow in Lakeside, Illinois. Shadow’s time in Lakeside under an assumed identity provides him with much-needed respite and opportunity for character development as Shadow learns more about his role in the upcoming conflict and forges new relationships after his release from prison. Lakeside symbolizes a temporary refuge and a chance for introspection. This period also sets up the novel’s exploration of small-town America, its hidden darkness, and the theme of identity and transformation.
• The New Gods assassinate Mr. Wednesday: Wednesday’s assassination marks a turning point in the narrative, intensifying the conflict and galvanizing the Old Gods. His death symbolizes the sacrifices demanded by belief and the cyclical nature of myth, propelling the plot towards its climax.
• Shadow keeps a vigil for Mr. Wednesday: Shadow’s vigil for Wednesday is a moment of profound significance, echoing the Norse tradition of honoring the dead. It symbolizes Shadow’s acceptance of his role and portrays him as a man of honor. Even when the old gods warn him of the danger to his life in this act, he commits to it because he promised Wednesday he would. This act of devotion and respect also catalyzes Shadow’s transformation and enlightenment.
• The New Gods and the Old Gods battle: The battle between the New Gods and the Old Gods represents the climax of the novel’s central conflict. It embodies the struggle between past and present, tradition and progress. This confrontation brings to light the true nature of the gods’ existence and the consequences of their actions.
• Shadow receives several revelations, including the real purpose of the fight between the gods: He dies but is resurrected. Shadow’s revelations, subsequent death, and resurrection are pivotal moments of self-discovery and transformation. This event also reveals the true purpose behind the orchestrated war and exposes the manipulations of Wednesday and Loki. Shadow’s resurrection signifies his complete metamorphosis and acceptance of his divine nature.
• Shadow stops the war and foils Wednesday’s plan: Shadow’s intervention to stop the war and thwart Wednesday’s plan shows his character growth and moral strength. Shadow’s actions resolve the central conflict and set the stage for peace and reconciliation among the warring gods.
• Shadow returns to Lakeside to expose Hinzelmann as the serial killer: Shadow’s return to Lakeside and the exposure of Hinzelmann as the serial killer provide closure to the subplot and reinforce the novel’s theme of hidden darkness within seemingly idyllic settings. It symbolizes Shadow’s commitment to justice and his rejection of old, corrupt ways. This final act ties together the personal and mythological threads of the story, completing Shadow’s journey.

Writing Style, Tone and Figurative Use

Neil Gaiman’s “ American Gods ” is known for its unique blend of genres, lyrical prose, exploration of mythology, and ability to integrate fantastical elements into a contemporary setting seamlessly. His style is lush and imaginative, with a touch of dark humor. His prose is also rich in detail, creating a vivid atmosphere that immerses the reader in a world where the mythical and the mundane credibly coexist.

Gaiman’s prose is often lyrical, with a rhythm that echoes the oral traditions of myth and folklore. His descriptive passages are vivid and detailed, painting intricate pictures of real and fantastical settings. This descriptive richness enhances the novel’s immersive quality, drawing readers into a world where every place and object holds deeper significance.

The tone of “ American Gods ” is contemplative and darkly whimsical, reflecting the novel’s magical realism. Gaiman balances moments of introspection with bursts of humor and irony, creating a profound and entertaining narrative. The tone shifts to match the novel’s varied settings and characters, from the eerie, gloomy atmosphere of the House on the Rock to the quirky, down-to-earth vibe of small-town America.

Gaiman’s tone often carries a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, underscoring the novel’s themes of loss and displacement. The old gods, struggling to survive in a largely forgotten world, evoke a sense of fading glory. Yet, this somberness is balanced by moments of hope, reflecting the regenerative power of belief.

Gaiman’s use of figurative language is one of the defining features of the novel, enriching the narrative with layers of meaning and enhancing its mythic quality. Metaphors, similes, and symbolism are woven throughout the text, imbuing everyday objects and events with deeper significance. Gaiman frequently uses metaphors and similes to connect the mundane and the divine. For instance, he describes the moon as a “copper coin, big and green as moss,” blending the natural world with the mystical. This kind of imagery creates a sense of wonder and emphasizes the presence of the extraordinary within the ordinary. Symbols like the world tree and the carousel add depth to the narrative of “ American Gods ” and highlight its themes. Gaiman also employs personification to bring abstract concepts to life. The new gods of technology and media are given human forms, embodying the forces of modernity and progress.

Neil Gaiman’s “ American Gods ” is a novel rich in symbolism. It uses various objects and motifs to deepen its exploration of mythology, belief, and identity. Symbols such as coins, the World Tree, road and travel, the carousel, and technology convey the novel’s themes and enhance its complexity.

Technology, in the form of the new gods, symbolizes the shifting landscape of human belief and the emergence of new forms of worship. Characters like the Technical Boy and Media embody modern obsessions: the internet, mass media, and consumerism. The Technical Boy, with his constantly changing appearance to stay trendy and relevant, reflects the rapid pace of technological advancement and the ephemeral nature of digital culture. Media, which takes on the personas of various iconic television characters, symbolizes the pervasive influence of television and popular culture on public consciousness.

These new gods thrive on people’s attention and devotion, much like traditional gods thrived on sacrifices and prayers. This shift in worship highlights the novel’s central theme: the evolution of what society holds sacred. In the past, gods embodied natural forces and human experiences, but technology has become the new locus of reverence and dependency in the modern world.

Neil Gaiman employs coins as a recurring symbol representing power and an intermediary between the mundane and the magical. Mad Sweeny gives Shadow a gold coin, which he throws into Laura’s grave, resurrecting her. She becomes a protective force for Shadow throughout the novel. Zorya Polunochnaya also gifts Shadow a silver coin after he loses the gold coin. These coins grant Shadow protection throughout the book.

Coins symbolize power, the nature of exchanges between characters, and ideas of value and worth. In the story, transactions involving coins often carry deeper, mystical significance. The exchange of coins between characters signifies more than just material value; it represents the transfer of power, promises, and influence. When Shadow receives Mad Sweeney’s gold coin, it indicates a transfer of supernatural power and a binding agreement. This exchange highlights the novel’s theme of bargains and deals, where the stakes are far higher than they appear on the surface.

The Carousel

In Neil Gaiman’s “ American Gods “, the carousel at the House on the Rock stands out as one of the most potent symbols. Despite the vast differences among the gods—from Norse to Slavic to African deities—the carousel ride unites them in a shared experience, addressing the commonalities underlying all religious and cultural traditions. The carousel’s perpetual motion represents the cyclical nature of time and belief. Just as the carousel continuously rotates, the rise and fall of gods and belief systems follow a cyclical pattern. Gaiman uses the carousel to illustrate that, at their core, all gods and myths address fundamental human concerns and emotions.

In “ American Gods “, roads are used to explore revelation through journeying. Shadow’s travels, alone and with Wednesday, across America serve as a literal and metaphorical journey of self-discovery. Each road he takes and each place he visits reveal new layers of his identity and understanding of the world around him. All his encounters along the road see Shadow gradually transformed from a passive, disillusioned ex-convict to a central figure in a battle between the old and new gods, who takes charge at a critical moment to avert disaster. Through the various trials and revelations he experiences, he becomes enlightened and grows as an individual.

Roads also symbolize the blending of diverse cultural landscapes. America, as depicted in the novel, is a patchwork of immigrant cultures, each bringing their gods, myths, and traditions. The roads that connect these disparate elements create a mosaic of beliefs and practices. The roadside attractions and small towns that Shadow and Wednesday visit each have their unique history and significance. The roads symbolize the idea that America is a land where different cultures intersect, merge, and influence each other, reflecting a broader theme of cultural assimilation.

The World Tree

In the novel, the World Tree, or Yggdrasil, powerfully represents life, death, and the interconnectedness of all things. Drawing from Norse mythology, where Yggdrasil is the immense ash tree that connects the nine worlds, it links the heavens, the earth, and the underworld and serves as a bridge between disparate realms. Similarly, Shadow’s journey represents a central axis connecting the real world and a shadow realm as he transitions between the human world and the underworld while hung on the tree.

The World Tree also symbolizes the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. In the novel, Shadow undergoes death and rebirth when he is tied to the tree in a ritualistic fashion, as a vigil to Wednesday. This act mirrors Odin’s myth: he hung himself from Yggdrasil to gain wisdom. This act of sacrifice and endurance leads to Shadow’s transformation and enlightenment.

Personal Perspective

It is hard to pin down the genre “ American Gods ” falls into, and its strengths and weaknesses lie therein. A mixture of road-trip literature, murder mystery, religious anthropology, and epic drama unfolding in modern-day America, this work may be Gaiman’s most ambitious novel. He brings life into a dull subject, which is the study of America’s influence on immigrant culture, and I enjoyed the zany mix of everyday dullness and out-of-the-blue wonders. On the other hand, I would prefer if he had the Mike Ainsel portion of the novel made into its novella. Additionally, Gaiman delivered a subpar ending to what should be an epic tale. I was looking forward to a grand divine war, with all the participants showing their diverse abilities, but I was disappointed.

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About Ebuka Igbokwe

Ebuka Igbokwe is the founder and former leader of a book club, the Liber Book Club, in 2016 and managed it for four years. Ebuka has also authored several children's books. He shares philosophical insights on his newsletter, Carefree Sketches and has published several short stories on a few literary blogs online.

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Jeff Goldblum is deliciously good as Zeus in this Greek myth update

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Kaos ★★★½ Netflix

Dressed in billionaire leisurewear and prone to killing Olympia’s servants, Jeff Goldblum is deliciously good as Zeus in this blithe black comedy that updates classical Greek mythology. The King of the Gods is empowered by the faith of humans, but the hubris is all his own. “He’s a transcendent, unmitigated bastard,” notes Prometheus (Stephen Dillane), who Zeus has exiled to a mountain where a bird pecks away at his liver. Praise be, we have Succession vibes.

Janet McTeer as Hera and Jeff Goldblum as Zeus in KAOS. Credit: Justin Downing/Netflix

Kaos was created by Charlie Covell, the British writer who adapted The End of the F---ing World for Netflix. Covell is a hard-nosed optimist with a mordant sense of humour – love, for example, is possible, but we only realise its value at the most inopportune of times. The narrative impetus for the eight episodes of the show’s debut season is Zeus finding a wrinkle and feeling vulnerable. He probably should. His wife, Hera (Janet McTeer), ignores him, and his children, including Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), feel undervalued.

The show takes its time. The first three episodes introduce a group of human characters who are unknowingly central to a plan to depose Zeus. The likes of Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau), who is drifting away from her needy musician husband Orpheus (Killian Scott), live on the island of Crete, one of several Greek city-states that look contemporary but still worship the gods in their daily lives. Another, Caneus (Misia Butler), is already working in the Underworld, where the dead go for processing. Thankfully, there’s an orientation video on the boat over.

This is a concept that can readily become sprawling. There’s always another modern twist on ancient archetypes, or a calamitous cold open, to deploy. But Covell has a way of making the fickle flourishes great fun – if anyone should be debating fate and offering surreptitious access to the Underworld for the living, it’s Eddie Izzard’s Lachesis. Otherworldly alliances are formed and ancient enmities are exercised. Does Zeus have a mood board full of ideas about how to punish humans and get them praying for salvation? Absolutely.

Eddie Izzard as Lachesis in Kaos. Credit: Justin Downing/Netflix

The tone is mordant but curiously authentic. The weirdness doesn’t preclude genuine emotion. If you’ve read, or better yet read to children, the heroic Percy Jackson novels about a present-day boy discovering his place among the Greek gods, this interpretation is a reminder of how freaky the source material is. But it’s also a commentary on faith, the control institutions impose on followers, and the machinations of the 1 per cent to remain untouchable. After all, what delusional tech titan doesn’t yearn to be considered a god?

The Body Next Door: a mysterious corpse is found wrapped in 41 sheets of plastic. Credit: Stan

The Body Next Door ★★★★ Stan

When does a true crime story tip over so that the testimony and research start to simply feel grim and unfulfilling? It’s a line this three-part British docuseries comes close to but thankfully doesn’t cross, as it tells the story behind a mysterious corpse found in a Welsh village in 2015. The body was wrapped in plastic, 41 sheets in total. The truth, carefully chipped away at to maintain a what-comes-next immediacy, has just as many layers.

There are some false starts to learning what police discovered in the house in the village of Beddau, which is understandable since the story of how the decomposed corpse was discovered is alone genuinely bonkers. The focus comes to be the home’s recently deceased resident, Leigh Ann Sabine, who is evocatively sketched by the locals who knew her, including friends and her very chatty hairdresser.

Once Sabine’s adult children in New Zealand are introduced and their own horrific experiences growing up are detailed, The Body Next Door has multiple eras to cut between and, more importantly, themes to cut through the jaw-dropping revelations. What are the limits, if any, of narcissism, the series asks, and what consolation remains for those left in its destructive wake? The satisfaction here is not so much what the truth is, but that one was locked down.

Nina Toussaint-White in the terse British police thriller Witness Number 3.

Witness Number 3 BritBox

This British thriller came out in 2022, but it hasn’t lost an ounce of its terrifying menace or moral quandary. A casual glance out the window of her salon is all it takes for hairdresser Jodie Packer (Nina Toussaint-White) to witness an accused murderer and his victim together. When the police ask her to formally identify the suspect, Jodie tentatively does what she believes is the right thing, but thereafter she and her family are tormented by the man’s criminal associates. The limited series is pushing crime nightmare buttons, but it never loses its topicality or focus.

Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin are back for a fourth season of Only Murders in the Building. Credit: AP

Only Murders in the Building (season 4) Disney+

They’ve left the building. The new season of one of streaming’s best – and most reliable – comedies makes its annual August return with the central trio of Manhattan podcasters and pals Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez), and Oliver (Martin Short) travelling to Los Angeles, where a Hollywood studio wants to make a movie about their amateur detective adventures. Cue the celebrity cameos. Obviously the pleasure of discovery has dissipated with this show, but the writing retains a daffy energy and the leads have such a snappy dynamic together. I’m still in.

Stasi FC DocPlay

The insidious, soulless control East Germany’s security apparatus exerted on the Cold War state has been well charted, but as this football documentary shows, there are always new and bleak avenues to consider. In the late 1970s, Stasi head Erich Mielke decided that his favourite team, Berliner FC Dynamo, should be successful. They promptly won 10 successive league titles, with the fix made clear by pitifully laughable game footage. The cost of this travesty, and the means of defiance, are provided through interviews with the era’s leading footballers, such as defector Falko Gotz.

Beacon 23 (season 2) Amazon Prime

The second season of this science-fiction thriller continues to be some of the knottiest deep space television doing the rounds. There’s far less of Game of Thrones star Lena Headey as Aster, the mysterious woman who found her way to an isolated beacon manned by Halan (Stephen James), but the forces revealed around them in the first season continue to generate deception and conflict. The show’s interest in identity and technology is furthered this season, with more of a focus on artificial intelligence and its possible physical evolution.

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-warnings-from-democrats-about-project-2025-and-donald-trump

Fact-checking warnings from Democrats about Project 2025 and Donald Trump

This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact .

Project 2025 has a starring role in this week’s Democratic National Convention.

And it was front and center on Night 1.

WATCH: Hauling large copy of Project 2025, Michigan state Sen. McMorrow speaks at 2024 DNC

“This is Project 2025,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, said as she laid a hardbound copy of the 900-page document on the lectern. “Over the next four nights, you are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document. Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has warned Americans about “Trump’s Project 2025” agenda — even though former President Donald Trump doesn’t claim the conservative presidential transition document.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” Harris said July 23 in Milwaukee. “He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously, and can you believe they put that thing in writing?”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, has joined in on the talking point.

“Don’t believe (Trump) when he’s playing dumb about this Project 2025. He knows exactly what it’ll do,” Walz said Aug. 9 in Glendale, Arizona.

Trump’s campaign has worked to build distance from the project, which the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, led with contributions from dozens of conservative groups.

Much of the plan calls for extensive executive-branch overhauls and draws on both long-standing conservative principles, such as tax cuts, and more recent culture war issues. It lays out recommendations for disbanding the Commerce and Education departments, eliminating certain climate protections and consolidating more power to the president.

Project 2025 offers a sweeping vision for a Republican-led executive branch, and some of its policies mirror Trump’s 2024 agenda, But Harris and her presidential campaign have at times gone too far in describing what the project calls for and how closely the plans overlap with Trump’s campaign.

PolitiFact researched Harris’ warnings about how the plan would affect reproductive rights, federal entitlement programs and education, just as we did for President Joe Biden’s Project 2025 rhetoric. Here’s what the project does and doesn’t call for, and how it squares with Trump’s positions.

Are Trump and Project 2025 connected?

To distance himself from Project 2025 amid the Democratic attacks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he “knows nothing” about it and has “no idea” who is in charge of it. (CNN identified at least 140 former advisers from the Trump administration who have been involved.)

The Heritage Foundation sought contributions from more than 100 conservative organizations for its policy vision for the next Republican presidency, which was published in 2023.

Project 2025 is now winding down some of its policy operations, and director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, is stepping down, The Washington Post reported July 30. Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita denounced the document.

WATCH: A look at the Project 2025 plan to reshape government and Trump’s links to its authors

However, Project 2025 contributors include a number of high-ranking officials from Trump’s first administration, including former White House adviser Peter Navarro and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

A recently released recording of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author and the former director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, showed Vought saying Trump’s “very supportive of what we do.” He said Trump was only distancing himself because Democrats were making a bogeyman out of the document.

Project 2025 wouldn’t ban abortion outright, but would curtail access

The Harris campaign shared a graphic on X that claimed “Trump’s Project 2025 plan for workers” would “go after birth control and ban abortion nationwide.”

The plan doesn’t call to ban abortion nationwide, though its recommendations could curtail some contraceptives and limit abortion access.

What’s known about Trump’s abortion agenda neither lines up with Harris’ description nor Project 2025’s wish list.

Project 2025 says the Department of Health and Human Services Department should “return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.”

It recommends that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-drug regimen for a medication abortion. Medication is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. — accounting for around 63 percent in 2023.

If mifepristone were to remain approved, Project 2025 recommends new rules, such as cutting its use from 10 weeks into pregnancy to seven. It would have to be provided to patients in person — part of the group’s efforts to limit access to the drug by mail. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to mifepristone’s FDA approval over procedural grounds.

WATCH: Trump’s plans for health care and reproductive rights if he returns to White House The manual also calls for the Justice Department to enforce the 1873 Comstock Act on mifepristone, which bans the mailing of “obscene” materials. Abortion access supporters fear that a strict interpretation of the law could go further to ban mailing the materials used in procedural abortions, such as surgical instruments and equipment.

The plan proposes withholding federal money from states that don’t report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how many abortions take place within their borders. The plan also would prohibit abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds. It also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the training of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, omits abortion training.

The document says some forms of emergency contraception — particularly Ella, a pill that can be taken within five days of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy — should be excluded from no-cost coverage. The Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services, which involves a range of birth control methods, including emergency contraception.

Trump has recently said states should decide abortion regulations and that he wouldn’t block access to contraceptives. Trump said during his June 27 debate with Biden that he wouldn’t ban mifepristone after the Supreme Court “approved” it. But the court rejected the lawsuit based on standing, not the case’s merits. He has not weighed in on the Comstock Act or said whether he supports it being used to block abortion medication, or other kinds of abortions.

Project 2025 doesn’t call for cutting Social Security, but proposes some changes to Medicare

“When you read (Project 2025),” Harris told a crowd July 23 in Wisconsin, “you will see, Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.”

The Project 2025 document does not call for Social Security cuts. None of its 10 references to Social Security addresses plans for cutting the program.

Harris also misleads about Trump’s Social Security views.

In his earlier campaigns and before he was a politician, Trump said about a half-dozen times that he’s open to major overhauls of Social Security, including cuts and privatization. More recently, in a March 2024 CNBC interview, Trump said of entitlement programs such as Social Security, “There’s a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” However, he quickly walked that statement back, and his CNBC comment stands at odds with essentially everything else Trump has said during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump’s campaign website says that not “a single penny” should be cut from Social Security. We rated Harris’ claim that Trump intends to cut Social Security Mostly False.

Project 2025 does propose changes to Medicare, including making Medicare Advantage, the private insurance offering in Medicare, the “default” enrollment option. Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks and can also require prior authorization, meaning that the plan can approve or deny certain services. Original Medicare plans don’t have prior authorization requirements.

The manual also calls for repealing health policies enacted under Biden, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The law enabled Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers for the first time in history, and recently resulted in an agreement with drug companies to lower the prices of 10 expensive prescriptions for Medicare enrollees.

Trump, however, has said repeatedly during the 2024 presidential campaign that he will not cut Medicare.

Project 2025 would eliminate the Education Department, which Trump supports

The Harris campaign said Project 2025 would “eliminate the U.S. Department of Education” — and that’s accurate. Project 2025 says federal education policy “should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.” The plan scales back the federal government’s role in education policy and devolves the functions that remain to other agencies.

Aside from eliminating the department, the project also proposes scrapping the Biden administration’s Title IX revision, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also would let states opt out of federal education programs and calls for passing a federal parents’ bill of rights similar to ones passed in some Republican-led state legislatures.

Republicans, including Trump, have pledged to close the department, which gained its status in 1979 within Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s presidential Cabinet.

In one of his Agenda 47 policy videos, Trump promised to close the department and “to send all education work and needs back to the states.” Eliminating the department would have to go through Congress.

What Project 2025, Trump would do on overtime pay

In the graphic, the Harris campaign says Project 2025 allows “employers to stop paying workers for overtime work.”

The plan doesn’t call for banning overtime wages. It recommends changes to some Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations and to overtime rules. Some changes, if enacted, could result in some people losing overtime protections, experts told us.

The document proposes that the Labor Department maintain an overtime threshold “that does not punish businesses in lower-cost regions (e.g., the southeast United States).” This threshold is the amount of money executive, administrative or professional employees need to make for an employer to exempt them from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In 2019, the Trump’s administration finalized a rule that expanded overtime pay eligibility to most salaried workers earning less than about $35,568, which it said made about 1.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay. The Trump-era threshold is high enough to cover most line workers in lower-cost regions, Project 2025 said.

The Biden administration raised that threshold to $43,888 beginning July 1, and that will rise to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. That would grant overtime eligibility to about 4 million workers, the Labor Department said.

It’s unclear how many workers Project 2025’s proposal to return to the Trump-era overtime threshold in some parts of the country would affect, but experts said some would presumably lose the right to overtime wages.

Other overtime proposals in Project 2025’s plan include allowing some workers to choose to accumulate paid time off instead of overtime pay, or to work more hours in one week and fewer in the next, rather than receive overtime.

Trump’s past with overtime pay is complicated. In 2016, the Obama administration said it would raise the overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year, about double the exemption level set in 2004 of $23,660 a year.

But when a judge blocked the Obama rule, the Trump administration didn’t challenge the court ruling. Instead it set its own overtime threshold, which raised the amount, but by less than Obama.

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https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/08/20/gcse-results-day-2024-number-grading-system/

GCSE results day 2024: Everything you need to know including the number grading system

Thousands of students across the country will soon be finding out their GCSE results and thinking about the next steps in their education.   

Here we explain everything you need to know about the big day, from when results day is, to the current 9-1 grading scale, to what your options are if your results aren’t what you’re expecting.  

When is GCSE results day 2024?  

GCSE results day will be taking place on Thursday the 22 August.     

The results will be made available to schools on Wednesday and available to pick up from your school by 8am on Thursday morning.  

Schools will issue their own instructions on how and when to collect your results.   

When did we change to a number grading scale?  

The shift to the numerical grading system was introduced in England in 2017 firstly in English language, English literature, and maths.  

By 2020 all subjects were shifted to number grades. This means anyone with GCSE results from 2017-2020 will have a combination of both letters and numbers.  

The numerical grading system was to signal more challenging GCSEs and to better differentiate between students’ abilities - particularly at higher grades between the A *-C grades. There only used to be 4 grades between A* and C, now with the numerical grading scale there are 6.  

What do the number grades mean?  

The grades are ranked from 1, the lowest, to 9, the highest.  

The grades don’t exactly translate, but the two grading scales meet at three points as illustrated below.  

The bottom of grade 7 is aligned with the bottom of grade A, while the bottom of grade 4 is aligned to the bottom of grade C.    

Meanwhile, the bottom of grade 1 is aligned to the bottom of grade G.  

What to do if your results weren’t what you were expecting?  

If your results weren’t what you were expecting, firstly don’t panic. You have options.  

First things first, speak to your school or college – they could be flexible on entry requirements if you’ve just missed your grades.   

They’ll also be able to give you the best tailored advice on whether re-sitting while studying for your next qualifications is a possibility.   

If you’re really unhappy with your results you can enter to resit all GCSE subjects in summer 2025. You can also take autumn exams in GCSE English language and maths.  

Speak to your sixth form or college to decide when it’s the best time for you to resit a GCSE exam.  

Look for other courses with different grade requirements     

Entry requirements vary depending on the college and course. Ask your school for advice, and call your college or another one in your area to see if there’s a space on a course you’re interested in.    

Consider an apprenticeship    

Apprenticeships combine a practical training job with study too. They’re open to you if you’re 16 or over, living in England, and not in full time education.  

As an apprentice you’ll be a paid employee, have the opportunity to work alongside experienced staff, gain job-specific skills, and get time set aside for training and study related to your role.   

You can find out more about how to apply here .  

Talk to a National Careers Service (NCS) adviser    

The National Career Service is a free resource that can help you with your career planning. Give them a call to discuss potential routes into higher education, further education, or the workplace.   

Whatever your results, if you want to find out more about all your education and training options, as well as get practical advice about your exam results, visit the  National Careers Service page  and Skills for Careers to explore your study and work choices.   

You may also be interested in:

• Results day 2024: What's next after picking up your A level, T level and VTQ results?
• When is results day 2024? GCSEs, A levels, T Levels and VTQs

Tags: GCSE grade equivalent , gcse number grades , GCSE results , gcse results day 2024 , gsce grades old and new , new gcse grades

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