TED-Ed
The Myth of Sisyphus
Having an eagle eat your liver sounds like a form of cruel and unusual punishment. As explained in an interesting video lesson, it's nothing compared to the punishments doled out in "The Myth of Sisyphus." A summary introduces the...
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Mythical Language and Idiom: Crash Course World Mythology #41
Learning about mythological idioms can be quite an odyssey. The 41st and final installment in the Crash Course World Mythology series makes the topic manageable and interesting. Scholars explore the language of mythology and investigate...
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Witches and Hags: Crash Course World Mythology #39
Where did the term nightmare originate? According to Norse mythology, hags (known as "mares") come at night and are responsible for bad dreams. Scholars explore the topic further using the 39th of 41 videos in the Crash Course World...
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Cities of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #35
Grab a compass and road map ... it's time to explore some mythological cities! With the 35th video of 41 from the Crash Course World Mythology series, viewers meet two characters from Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus. Scholars also...
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Mythical Trees: Crash Course World Mythology #34
Hopefully scholars won't make like a tree and leave before watching the 34th video in the Crash Course World Mythology series. Pupils analyze stories about mythical trees from Biblical, Norse, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions. In addition,...
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The Epic of Gilgamesh: Crash Course World Mythology #26
Meet a scary demon named Humbaba in the 26th installment of the 41-episode Crash Course World Mythology series. Scholars learn about The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem. Viewers also consider how the epic relates to...
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The Apocalypse: Crash Course World Mythology #23
Beasts, dragons, natural disasters ... modern-day zombie thrillers just don't measure up to ancient apocalypse stories! The 23rd video from the Crash Course World Mythology series is all about the end of days. Scholars learn about...
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Hermes and Loki and Tricksters Part 2: Crash Course World Mythology #21
Cunning characters are so much fun, and that's no trick! The 21stt video in the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology series discusses how tricksters are culture heroes. Pupils learn about the trickster gods Hermes, from Greece, and Loki,...
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Tricksters: An Introduction: Crash Course World Mythology #20
From Bart Simpson to Bugs Bunny to Jack Sparrow, people love a good trickster. With the 20th video from the Crash Course World Mythology series, scholars explore the mythological trickster archetype. Viewers also listen to the story of...
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Yu the Engineer and Flood Stories from China: Crash Course World Mythology #17
Ancient China is flooded with myths about deluges. Scholars explore Chinese flood myths using the 17th video from the Crash Course World Mythology series. Learners meet an emperor named Yu the Engineer, who worked tirelessly to end...
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Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #12
The 12th installment from the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology series addresses the topic of interpreting myths. Viewers learn all about the theories of myths according to philosophers like Plato, Tertullian, and Clement.
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African Pantheons and the Orishas: Crash Course World Mythology #11
Ogiyan is the African god of crushed cassava—how specific! Using the 11th video from the Crash Course World Mythology series, scholars learn about African pantheons. They explore some of the orishas from the myths of the Yoruba religion...
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Freud, Jung, Luke Skywalker, and the Psychology of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #40
How were modern thinkers influenced by ancient mythology? Scholars investigate the topic with the 40th of 41 videos in the Crash Course World Mythology series. Viewers meet two psychologists, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, and learn about...
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Serpents and Dragons: Crash Course World Mythology #38
What role do giant, winged, fire-breathing dragons play in ancient mythology? The 38th installment in the 41-episode Crash Course World Mythology series is all about slithering serpents and fiery dragons. Learners explore dragons from...
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Mythical Horses: Crash Course World Mythology #37
Horses have been instrumental to human cultures, so it's no wonder they are so abundant in mythology. Scholars explore the topic in the 37th of 41 videos in the Crash Course World Mythology series. Learners meet the mythical horses...
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Monsters. They're Us, Man: Crash Course World Mythology #36
A wendigo is a man-eating, yellow-eyed ogre from Canadian folklore that puts all other monsters to shame. Viewers discover the terrifying creature, and many others, in the 36th video of the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology series....
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Mythical Mountains: Crash Course World Mythology #33
Ain't no mountain high enough to keep scholars from watching the 33rd installment in the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology series. Viewers consider stories and myths about mountains and their meanings. In particular, they learn about...
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Mythical Caves and Gardens: Crash Course World Mythology #32
Myths often have meaningful settings, from cities and temples to mountains and forests. The 32nd video of 41 in the Crash Course World Mythology series takes viewers on an interesting exploration of mythical caves and gardens. Scholars...
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Ma'ui, Oceania's Hero: Crash Course World Mythology #31
The demi-god Ma'ui in Disney's Moana is more than a charming character—he's actually based on an ancient mythical character. With the 31st installment in the Crash Course World Mythology series, viewers meet the hero from Oceania....
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Herakles. Or Hercules. A Problematic Hero: Crash Course World Mythology #30
Hercules must complete 10 tasks to gain immortality—what a Herculean feat! The 30th video of 41 in the Crash Course World Mythology series is all about Hercules' heroic journey. Scholars follow along as the god captures a boar, collects...
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The Mwindo Epic: Crash Course World Mythology #29
A murder scepter, banana beer, and a superhuman newborn. Welcome to the 29th installment of the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology series! Scholars explore the Mwindo epic, an oral tale from the Congo about Mwindo's journey to the...
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Galahad, Percival, and the Holy Grail: Crash Course World Mythology #28
Discover the stories of two mythological knights who quested after the Holy Grail. Viewers uncover the secret of the so-called cup of Christ in the 28th installment of the 41-episode Crash Course World Mythology series. Scholars also...
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Rama and the Ramayana: Crash Course World Mythology #27
What do a 10-headed demon, a monkey king, and a fire god have to do with ancient India? Scholars find out using the 27th video from the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology set. Viewers explore the hero archetype in ancient myths and...
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The Hero's Journey and the Monomyth: Crash Course World Mythology #25
How did the cluster of stars known as the Pleiades get the nickname The Seven Sisters? The 25th video in the Crash Course World Mythology series has the answer! Viewers explore mythological heroes and learn about Joseph Campbell's theory...