Blog for the international research project "Our Mythical Childhood… The Reception of Classical Antiquity in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture in Response to Regional and Global Challenges", financed by the ERC Consolidator Grant led by Prof. Katarzyna Marciniak, Faculty of "Artes Liberales" of the University of Warsaw. Team members: Prof. Susan Deacy and Steve K. Simons, University of Roehampton; Prof. Elizabeth Hale and Dr Miriam Riverlea, University of New England; Prof. Lisa Maurice and Dr Ayelet Peer, Bar-Ilan University; Prof. Daniel A. Nkemleke, Dr Divine Che Neba and Dr Eleanor A. Dasi, University of Yaoundé I; Dr Elżbieta Olechowska, Dr Hanna Paulouskaya, Dr Sonya Nevin, Dott. Edoardo Pecchini, Marta Pszczolińska, Angelina Gerus and the Project Officers: Magdalena Andersen, Maria Makarewicz, and Olga Strycharczyk from the Faculty of "Artes Liberales" UW.
During this difficult times we are all searching for interesting activities for children to help them learn through play. Lately, we discovered that Candlewick Pressis publishing online very helpful materials about mythology for children of age 8 and up, that you can easily download and print. Everything in relation to the children’s book published by the publisher in 2007, titled “Mythology: The Gods, Heroes, and Monsters of Ancient Greece”, written by Lady Hestia Evans and illustrated by Nick Harris, Nicki Palin, and David Wyatt. For example, you can find there“Mythology Activity Sheets” and “Mythology Teachers Guide” (preview below):
Ubisoft, the French (and multinational) video game giant, decided to go one step further. After creating the last part of Assassin’s Creed (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey) set up in Ancient Greece, the company developed another game inspired by Antiquity and Greek mythology. The launch planned for February 2020 was postponed until the fall of 2020.
Gods & Monsters brings us to an unusual land, the Isle of the Blessed. There, we help the Greek Gods who fell victim to Typhon.Typhon is the horrible monster whom we have to defeat in the game. The beautiful fairyland reveals to be less friendly than it seemed in the beginning. We have to fight other scary mythological creatures such as Gorgons, Hydras, Harpies, or Cyclopes. Luckily we have powerful allies – the Greek Gods who give us magical powers.
For now, we do not know much about the game and its tactics, but we can watch the trailer which gives us a sensational preview. We see there a wonderful land with mountains and lakes. We can also sight an ancient temple with white columns and one of the Gorgons – Medusa walking nearby and looking up at the mountain where the protagonist called Fenyx – the player – stands. S(h)e is being attacked by a terrifying winged creature – is it a monstrous Harpy, or possibly Typhon himself?
The story on which the game is based is told by Homer to his grand-children, with the use of a magical storytelling lyre. The creators of the game were assisted in building the mythological content by an ancient historian and mythologist, Dr. Stéphanie-Anne Ruatta.[1]
Marc-Alexis Côté, Senior Producer at Ubisoft Quebec says:
The stories of the gods and their misadventures have existed through generations of storytellers and audiences and have transformed into the myths we still know and love today. With Gods & Monsters, those tales take on a life of their own, to become a reality to be explored like never before.[2]
How the hero’s quest will end? It will certainly depend on us – the people who will decide to play the game and save the Gods of Olympus from Typhon. This mission will teach us about the mythological world in a pleasant, easy way, full of entertainment and surprises.
[1] S.-A. Ruatta is the author of La monstruosité de Typhon chez Eschyle et Pindare : Réflexion sur l’emploi et le sens du mot Teras, presented at the annual congress of the Classical Association of Canada, May 8, 2014.
[2] Marc-Alexis Côté talks about the God & Monsters during the game presentation at the E3 2020 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). You can find out more about the game at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h-OAPaDxFE&t=208s
Post prepared by Agnieszka Maciejewska, proofread by Elżbieta Olechowska and posted by Olga Strycharczyk
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