Literature: Myths for Beginners

This course takes a look at the basics of mythology and legend that underpin a lot of British cultural references. We refer to an 'Achilles' heel', but who was Achilles and what was special about his heel? If a task is Herculean, what does that mean? Who are all these people the planets are named after? We will go through the basics of Greek mythology as a priority, trying to assemble the whole thing into a coherent story. Then we will take a look at the Tale of Troy and Odysseus' attempts to get home after the war. The Norse myths will get less attention, but still some: we get our days of the week from them, and references to the 'Rainbow Bridge'. Our experienced tutor will encourage you to take part in group and class discussion, quizzes and debate in a relaxed, comfortable environment. She will enable you to analyse stories from the Greek myths and relate them to the present day and describe the source of the names of the planets of our solar system and the source of the names of the days of our weeks. Confused between Greek and Roman gods? Our tutor will help you sort them out and you will also be encouraged to debate the elements of some of the most famous myths of all time including Achilles' Heel and the Trojan Horse. Prior expected knowledge is absolutely zero: that's the point!