Greek Mythology: Metamorphosis :: essays research papers

Greek Mythology: Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a key element in Greek mythology. This ability to change shape or form is a major development in the stories of Arachne, Zeus, and Daphne. Almost all of the gods had the power of metamorphosis. The first story was the one of Arachne. Arachne was a mortal, who was a great weaver. She was the best of all the mortals. She even thought she was as good as one of the gods. Nobody was as good as the gods at anything. She thought she was as good as the god Athene. Athene was the god of arts. When Athene heard Arachne say she was better than her, Athene challenged Arachne to a contest. The winner would chose the losers punishment. Arachne accepted and went first in the competition. Hers was very beautiful, but she was no match for Athene. Athene was weaving about things that happened to the gods. While the crowd watched Athene, Arachne new that she had lost, so she went and hung herself. She soon shriveled up and had eight legs. That is how the Greeks explained the way spiders came to be. Another example of metamorphosis is Zeus. Zeus was the king of all gods. He had probably the most changes in Greek mythology. He was always changing to get a girl to marry him. The most important change was when he got his first wife Hera. Zeus had ask Hera to marry him every year for three hundred years. One stormy night Zeus changed into a pigeon, and flew onto a window seal near Hera. She let what she thought was a helpless little pigeon in through the window. She did not know it was Zeus at the time. Hera petted the bird and told it she loved it. At that time Zeus changed into himself and Hera had to marry him. That made her the queen of all gods. The Greeks believed in having many wives. And the sneaky god Zeus was he had over one hundred wives, none of them where as important as Hera. Daphne was another example of metamorphosis. Daphne was not one of the gods of the Pantheon. One of the gods from the Pantheon loved her, his name was Apollo. Apollo liked chasing Daphne. Daphne did not like to run, so one day she cried out "please turn me into a tree". Her wish was granted. She was turned into what we know today as the laurel tree.

African American and Haitian Heritage Essay

There are many different beliefs and values with the African American Culture compared to the Haitian Culture relating to child bearing and pregnancy. Both of the cultures have history of having large families in the rural areas, which was viewed as a necessary necessity because of the economic pressures each culture went though. The African American choice of birth control was oral contraceptives compared to the Haitians who used a variety of contraception methods such as the â€Å"birth control pill, female sterilization, injections, and condoms† Kemp (2012) states. The Haitians are mostly Catholic which makes them unwillingly to engage in conversations about pregnancy, and their fertility practices. Compared to African Americans who willingly to speak to older family members about their behavior during their pregnancy, or will help guide them with many of the practices and beliefs of a pregnant women. The African Americans view and belief on abortion is that many oppose abortion because of their â€Å"religious or moral beliefs†, and others oppose abortion because of moral, cultural, or â€Å"Afrocentric beliefs† WHO (2011) states. These beliefs will cause a delay in decision which makes abortions unsafe, compared to the Haitian Culture who does not talk about abortion openly, it is considered a women’s issue. Pregnancy is not considered a disease, or a â€Å"health problem, many Haitian women seek no prenatal care†, work fulltime until delivery, and celebrate their pregnancy as a time of joy. Haitian women also â€Å"do not eat spices†, but are encouraged to eat vegetables, and red fruits to increase the fetus blood Kemp (2012) claims. Compared to the African American women who seek prenatal care early in their pregnancy, also they respond to being pregnant as any other women in an ethnic group. Furthermore each one of the cultures has views, and beliefs that they follow during their pregnancy. The â€Å"Haitian women historically would walk, squat, or sit†, during labor, practice natural childbirth, but since migrating most Haitian women have adopted other practices. The fathers do not participate in delivery, but other female families members offer support Kemp (2012) states. The African American women have many beliefs or myths they believe in during their pregnancy. â€Å"Pica is the eating of a nonnutritive substance† such as soap, needles, dirt, and etc., this practice will help ease pain during delivery, and reduce nausea Galanti (2012) states. Furthermore African American women believe in many beliefs because it will cause harm to them and the unborn baby, during delivery they believe it is ok to be vocal. In addition during delivery African American women will have granny midwives deliver their unborn baby, and others will arrive at the Hospital in advanced labor to reduce the time spent there. Emotional support is provided by other women especially their mother, because men believe it is a private issue between women. The Haitian women believe that postpartum is a crucial period of childbearing, immediately after birth they will dress warmly to become more healthy, and clean. After delivery Haitian women believe that their â€Å"bones are open which makes them stay in bed 2-3 days postpartum† Galanti (2012) states so the bones can close. Another postpartum practice is the â€Å"three baths†, the first three days the mother will bathe in hot boiled water that will have leaves, bought or picked from the field. Then for the next three days the mother will bathe in water and leaves warmed by the sun. At the end of the third week the mother takes the third bath which is cold, Haitian women also avoid white foods during this period. Compared to the â€Å"African American women during postpartum period family support is needed to care for them six to eight weeks† after delivery Galanti (2012) states. Babies were not named until after they were known to survive, and the placenta has a spirit of its own which has to be buried after birth to avoid having a connection to the baby. Increased â€Å"vaginal bleeding is a sign of a sickness†, and tea is believed to have healing powers Kemp (2012) states. References Galanti, G. (2012) â€Å"Cultural Diversity in Health Care† African American. Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.ggalanti.org Kemp, C. (2012) â€Å"Haitians† Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.baylor.edu World Health Organization (2011) World Global Cultures† Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.who.org

The Battle Of The Civil War - 1850 Words

Although the Civil War is nearly 150 years the effects are continuously evident. For many the Civil War is still very prevalent in their everyday lives. That being said the effects are different now for different groups of people. For some the war has become a simple part of the past, for others their ties to the war have been warped by time, and still others feel the sting of the war as if it happened yesterday. An easy way to see the modern-day effects of the Civil War is in classrooms across the United States. Tony Horwitz in his book Confederates in the Attic found himself interacting with three different types of students. The first was a group of home-schooled children touring the capital building in Montgomery, Alabama. All white with conservative parents, they decided to create their kid’s curriculum from a Christian perspective, in this case teaching their children that slavery was not a big deal in starting the war. The kids were excited and visibly intrigued by the tour, but their gaps in knowledge became evident to Horwitz the longer he talked with the parents (355). The next class was taught by Rose Sanders, the director of the Voting Rights Museum in Selma, Alabama, a museum dedicated to commemorating the gaining of rights by African Americans. In an attempt to help the black out of the area Sanders created a high school specially for black teenagers who dropped out of high school. Horwitz, upon visiting realized the deep-seeded anger installed in theseShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of The Civil War1127 Words   |  5 Pagesshaken by the Civil War because some states wanted to separate themselves from this unity that had lasted for approximately 100 years. The American Civil War is a historic affair and one of the bloodiest battles in history of the US (Engle, Krick, 2003). It is considered one of the bloodstained happenings in the history of the US because more than 600, 000 people died. A majority of this number were soldiers. This fatal b attle happened between the years 1861 to 1865. The Civil War emerged becauseRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the years 1861 to 1865 the American Civil War took place and it is known as Americas bloodiest war. The cause of the Civil war was the debate between free states and slave states over the government trying to prohibit slavery. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States and ran on the platform to keep slavery out of the new unclaimed territories of the United States. Once Lincoln became president seven southern states seceded from the Union ultimately creating the ConfederateRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1666 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil war was one of the biggest turning points in United States history. The nation’s failure to compromise on the subject of slavery led to an outbreak of war. Battles such as Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Shiloh led to what we know of today as a free nation. Great technological advancements in weaponry led to mass c asualties among both north and south, often making death inevitable. Those who bravely served and those who were forced to serve lived a life of fear, starvation, and commitment toRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1191 Words   |  5 PagesWhen the Civil War started both sides thought the war would be over by Christmas. But little did they know this small war would turn into the deadliest war in American history. The Civil War was fought between the Confederacy and the Union. The Confederacy was consisted of Southern states that did not agree with the views of the Union states. After years of sectional differences in the United States between the north and south, tension between the states grew and a war between the north and southRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1073 Words   |  5 PagesThe Civil War was a war that was thought to would have lasted no longer than ninety days. After all was said and done, the war lasted more than four years and claimed tens of thousands of li ves of both The Union and The Confederate States. There were several battles fought on Northern and Southern soil, battles that forced bloody mortal combat between brothers in the fight for equality amongst all men. It tested the strength of the foundation that the United States was built upon. The Civil War wasRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War960 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever wondered why the Civil War happened or why it was so substantial to American History? What was the battle that changed it all; that made it the history it is today? Many people have made speculations on the causes of the war and what the major turning point was, but cannot really narrow it down. In James McPherson’s Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam he points out the pivotal moments in American history that led up to and changed the Civil War, so that the reader can get a better insightRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1197 Words   |  5 PagesMarianna, FL. The battle will be virtually unkno wn in the history of the Civil War, but its success marked the longest successful incursion of Union troops into Florida (Cox, 2014). This raid had two goals; the first was to rescue the reported Union prisoners and the second was to liberate and enlist any slaves that were found along the route (Calvin, 2014). The prisoners were not located, but more than 600 slaves were liberated along their route (Cox, 2014). The subsequent battle did not last longRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1163 Words   |  5 Pageshad already decided to secede from the Union. Those 7 states started the Confederate States of America, run by their own President, Jefferson Davis. This same issue was the catalyst for the Civil War which started on April 12, 1861. One of the major and well-known battles of the Civil War was the Battle of Gettysburg. It was on this backdrop that Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech that is â€Å"universally recognized by historians and scholars alike as the most famous and most important speech everRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1233 Words   |  5 PagesIt is evident that the Civil War helped shape America into the country it is today. The strong factional division -based on slavery- between the Union and the Confederacy guaranteed certain achievements of both sides. Much of what we consider history today remains a part of the outcome from these multiple bloody battles. Activist John Muir of the Civil War-era stated, â€Å"the traces of war are not only apparent on the broken fields, burnt fences, mills, and woods ruthlessly slaughtered, but also onRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1133 Words   |  5 Pagesfierce battles were fought to secure the rights and freedom of both men and women, irrespective of their religion, gender, and race. Of all of the battles, the American Civil War stands out. Divided into the Union and the Confederacy, the American civil war broke out after the southern states seceded due to slavery that spread in many parts of the country. The Civil War began in the year 1861 and ended four years later. The end result was the Union becoming victorious in 1865. The Civil War was a