When and where did you learn about Greek/roman and others mythology?

[Tonguez]

I think living in NZ we are in a somewhat unique position, because we receive so much media from both UK and USA, it meant that we came across various European folklore and mythology but also American. I think I learned about Paul Bunyan as a kid, and a bunch of other mythological characters from the days of the European settlers. Could really tell you anything about them now though.

Though I should note that this was in the 80s, no idea what it's like now and would not be surprised in most NZers born in the last couple decades have no idea who they are.

yeah its mostly Nezha and Sun Wukong these days
Thor and Loki via MCU and Percy Jackson ropes in the Olympians

Robin Hood and King Arthur are evergreen

 

[jian]

yeah its mostly Nezha and Sun Wukong these days
Thor and Loki via MCU and Percy Jackson ropes in the Olympians

Robin Hood and King Arthur are evergreen

We really need a Monsterverse approach to mythology, starting with Hood vs Pendragon.

Arthur (draws the sword from the stone): By this sword, I am rightful King of all England!

Robin (draws bow): Not on my watch, sonny. No kings.

 

[briggart]

Here, Hebrew and Greco/Roman religion and mythology are taught starting in elementary school.

History and religion programs also included parts on ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptians, Norse, Indian, and Chinese religions, but I do not think they touched on actual myths as in individual stories (possibly with the exception of Gilgamesh), they just provided info on the main historical and cultural aspects. We did read some stories from a Thousand and One Night however.

Literature classes included parts on medieval literature and knightly epics (Arthur, Charlemagne and the paladins,..) but I don't think we were taught about Beowulf at the time.

I do vaguely remember watching a cartoon depicting folk tales from around the world.

EDIT: Also this, even though at the time I didn't know it was based on Journey to the West:

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yeah, TTRPG fans and not a representative sample. Of course we know about ancient mythology—it’s kinda in the job description!

One of my favorite classes in college was “Biblical Themes in Literature” with Bates Hoffer. I took it the first semester of my freshman year. It was exactly as advertised: he’d illustrate the passages from The Bible (or a selection of related texts) that authors throughout time and all around the world used as inspiration for their own works.

A couple of weeks in, he was talking about a passage from a book (I don’t remember which one) in which the writer was implying that a particular child was evil by describing him with attributes associated with various infernal beings. One bit described his luminous halo of reddish hair with cowlicks that stuck up like horns, so he asked which being was being alluded to. There was silence, and then he called on me- somehow, while my right hand was taking notes, my left had raised itself. “Ummmm…Lucifer Morningstar?”

“Yes.”

Then another passage where the kid was associated with swarming flies. Again, my left went up and I got called on, “Beelzebub, lord of the flies.”

“Yes.”

And as he continued reading passages, he kept calling on me- now by name- as I answered correctly each time: Pazuzu, Asmodeus, Dispater, Demogorgon, etc.

I finally looked up from my notebook and realized everyone in the class was looking at me. After a pause, we moved on to other works.

The “normies” in the class included 2 girls I knew personally, and they said some people thought I might be a Satanist. (It was 1986.)

I responded that I’m Roman Catholic and very well read…but almost all of the beings the writer drew inspiration from were in the AD&D Monster Manual.

TBH, I might have been better off being thought of as a Satanist.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I can absolutely not say where I learned something about the Greek or Nordic Gods and beliefs. I would say I learned more in depth-thing around the time I went into RPG (which was in my adolescent years), but first exposure was definitely sooner than that. Was it school? Was it just reading or some movies/TV stuff? In Germany, we had for example the "Was ist Was" series of books that contained various topics, but I don't remember one about Greek specifically (though it exists). It's even possible we learned about in Religion class (which in my case - since that was my denomination via my parents - evangelic/lutherian, but the curricilum also included sometimes other belief systems.). It could have been something like German or History class, too, though, covered as literature of the time?

My sisters got into Egyptian history in their teenage years from books (one of them enough to study at the university about that and related topics).

What about the tales of Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit stories of Uncle Remus? People tend to forget that they have an African origin via American slave culture.

Ive also wondered how much American people hear about Loa and similar 'Voodoo' myth - which make an appearance in a few early zombie movies.

A lot of Greek myth also veers in to Africa due to the old trade with Nubia and Punt (eg Andromeda was Ethiopian)

I know I learned about Voodoo and Loas from Shadowrun's 3E magic sourcebook. And my knowledge doesn't get much deeper than that, admittedly.


I just realize from the previous posts: I think some of my Greek mythology knowledge might have started due to my interest in astronomy and the constellations. While I never really "learned" the constellations, I read about the origins of their names.

And I also think some of them knowledge is basically because elements of Greek mythology are used in historical references, like associated Europe that was impregnated by Zeus as bull, which writers would pick up for symbology both in texts and illustrations, especially in satire. To understand such references, you need to go back to the Greek myths. (Why would you illustrate Europe as a young woman sitting on a bull?)

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

The Bookmobile came to my elementary school and I bought an encyclopedia of Greek mythology.

 

[kigmatzomat]

US - probably 4th grade in an extracurricular program. Other kids had some from comics (Avengers had both Thor and Hercules) and movies (Clash of the Titans, Hercules in New York) and later TV (Hercules Legendary Journeys). 1e Deities & Demigods was also a mythology gateway drug for a lot of people.

My kid had Disney Hercules, Percy Jackson, plays like "Tales of Olympus" at the children's museum, plus Thor & Wonder Woman movies. Oh and the "Epic" musical that is all over Youtube.

 

[Morrus]

I think living in NZ we are in a somewhat unique position, because we receive so much media from both UK and USA, it meant that we came across various European folklore and mythology but also American.

I don't think receiving media from the USA makes NZ particularly unique. US culture is ubiquitous in the Western world. At least, modern US pop culture. History and mythology not so much.

 

[Morrus]

Robin (draws bow): Not on my watch, sonny. No kings.

I think you're confusing Robin Hood with someone else.

 

[Willie the Duck]

As a kid, but I honestly can’t remember when or where. But I’ve known Greek myths as far back as I can remember.

Same with other ancient history/mythology -- Egyptian, Norse, etc. Mainly European though; I didn't know of any South American, African (except Egypt), Asian, etc. mythology as a kid. Plus biblical stuff and British stuff (Arthur, Robin Hood, the big ones).

Same.
As a boy growing up in the 1970s USA, I just kinda got into dinosaurs, cool rocks/gemstones, spaceships, firefighters, industrial equipment, race cars, wild animals, and folklore/mythology (if I was a few years older, that list would probably have included trains and cowboys as well), all without any real conscious effort or specific inciting incident. Mythology books started appearing in my reading about when picture books turned into chapter books (and the lines between 'I read' and 'my parents read to me' are very blurry for that era). I'm sure some of it was parents pushing those things towards me, my friends/classmates, and maybe even school lessons/field trips and books/tv/media; but I have no idea what the admixture or chain of events was.