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

My memory of when I got into mythology (mostly Greek, Norse & Egyptian) dates back to at least 2nd grade, possibly 1st or preschool- somewhere between 5-7yo. D'Aulaires' & Bullfinch’s, among others.

That’s about the same time I was reading tons of comics, my Dad’s sci-fi & fantasy books, the Odyssey, and other stuff, too.

As a kid, I honestly can't remember when I first started learning about Greek and Norse mythology, but it would have been a couple years before junior high - I was reading Marvel comics, playing D&D, and saw a double feature of Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans at the drive in in 1981 when I was nine.
I did do a lot of reading about mythology in the junior high library while I was there, though.

trappedslider said:

But what about you fellow forum users?

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As far as formal education goes, I went through high school in Texas, and we spent a semester as freshmen going over Greek mythology, a semester of Arthurian literature as sophomores, and I think we read the Odyssey as juniors. At university, I read the Iliad for both my Literature course and again for my History of Ancient Thought class.

Informally, my earliest memory of mythology was watching Clash of the Titans at a drive-in theater in California. Jason and the Argonauts with Ray Harryhausen's skeletons left quite an impression. Come to think of it, he was largely responsible for Clash of the Titans as well.

I had some minor scatters of other culture's creation myths both formally and informally over the years. It's difficult to pinpoint when exactly. It was a long, long time ago.

I completely forgot about Nordic myths. We read Beowulf as seniors in high school and at some point in college I read the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Greek mythology I encountered fairly early (I think I was 11 or 12) through a copy of Gustav Schwab’s book (and was absolutely captured by the stories). Nordic myths followed much later (early 20s), with my most loved book being the version by Tor Age Bringsvaerd.

One of my friend's daughters was really into Greek mythology when she was around 9 or 10. We were chatting, and she was reading about Cronus eating his children until Zeus showed up and castrated him.

Her: What's castration?
Me: Ask your mother.

When I first encountered it? No idea - it's always been in the environment around me in some ways. But we definitely encountered it in elementary school. Various stories would be in our reading instructing texts.

Started on Clash of the Titans (the original) and Jason and the Argonauts. Then I got a copy of this guy at the Getty Museum (now Getty Villa) while on vacation when I was 7:



The illustrations were too compelling not to pour over the text as soon as my reading level was up to it.

And then I went on to major in Classics.

Certainly in early elementary school. I don't recall the reason, exactly -- we got told a lot of Greek myths. Enough that when Clash of the Titans was released, we were all excited because we knew the stories it was based on. D&D added to, but it was already familiar territory.

The Iliad and The Odyssey were required reading in my high school honors English class freshman (?) year.

Random books of varying ages and quality (but almost uniformly old) I found in libraries, garage sales, and flea markets.

I did a little reading on mythology when I was 7-8 years old, 1970/71. Mostly Greek and Egyptian. It's part of what made me immediately doubt Von Daniken. Took Ancient and Medieval history in grade 10, in 1978, which covered Babylon/Sumeria, Egypt, Greece, a little Norse. Also had a friend in the "Wargaming Club" (named that way because calling it the "Dungeons and Dragons/RPG Club" would have ended it, back then) who as from Iceland and carried an old copy of "The Edda." I picked up a copy of "Le Morte d'Artur" in 1979. I had a girlfriend who was from Trinidad (1982-1984), but was culturally Indian Hindu, and whose father had a TV show on the Canadian religious network, so there are copies of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita on my bookshelves. Picked up a translation of "The Gilgamesh" in '85 and it's still on my bookshelf today.

I think that's it.