Mythful Meanings

In the English language, many meanings come from myths. This blog considers many of those words.

Myths are stories people tell to explain the great mysteries of life, such as birth and death, why the sun rises and sets, and why the moon changes in a predictable pattern.

I decided to start over from the end of the alphabet and work toward the beginning. I have a stack of index cards with information typed on them, all in alphabetical order. When I started this blog, I started at A, because I didn't realize that all the entries would be pushed down.
Showing posts with label prophecy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prophecy. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Sibyl

To the ancient Greeks and Romans, a sibyl was a woman who lived in a cave and uttered prophecies. Ten Sibyls were known by the places where they lived. For example, the Sibyl of Cumae lived in a cavern near Naples. My brother and his wife gave me a drawing of this cavern from when they lived near there.

English word: We still use the word sibyl to refer to a prophetess, and the adjective sibylline means "oracular."

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Cassandra

In Greek myth, Cassandra was a princess of Troy. Apollo fell in love with her and gave her the gift of prophecy. She rejected his advances, so he changed the gift so that nobody would believe her, even though her prophecies came true.

English word: A Cassandra is a prophet/ess of evil who is not believed.