Category: | Our Mythical Childhood Survey

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Showing 28 entries for tag: Sisyphus

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Amanda Brack, Monica Sweeney, Becky Thomas

Brick Greek Myths: The Stories of Heracles, Athena, Pandora, Poseidon and Other Ancient Heroes of Mount Olympus

This is a retelling of many mythological stories using the creative imagination of the authors, using Lego© bricks. The myths are specially adapted for children. The myths presented in this book are:Creation and the Birth of Zeus; Prometheus’s Fire and Pandora’s Box; Phaethon and the Chariot of the Sun; Hades, Persephone, and the Story of the Seasons; Eurydice and Orpheus; Athena and Poseidon’s Contest for Athens; Arachne’s Web; Perseus’s Quest; Perseus and Med(...)

YEAR: 2014

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Arachne Argonauts Artemis Atalanta Heracles / Herakles Hercules Jason Medusa Minotaur Narcissus Perseus Sisyphus Zeus

Simon Spence

Early Greek Myths (Series, Book 7): Persephone

The Early Greek Myths series of children’s books presents myths for very young readers. The books tell the myths in simple language. Each double page includes a full-page illustration on the left page and a page of text on the right. Stephen Fry provides a forward to Persephone. He explains that myths tell us the stories of inspirational characters and of the way things came to be. Persephone is "one of the most delightful" myths, relating "how young Persephone got lost and (...)

YEAR: 2018

COUNTRY: Ireland

TAGS: Afterlife Cerberus Ceres Demeter Eleusinian Mysteries Gods Greek art Greek history Greek mythology Hades Hades' Throne Heracles / Herakles Hercules Hermes Hermes' winged boots Katabasis Mythology Persephone Pluto Proserpina Reception of classical antiquity Sisyphus Styx Underworld – souls of the dead Zeus

Séverin Millet, Michel Piquemal

Fabulous Mythological Tales [Récits fabuleux de la mythologie]

The book begins with two short introductions (each signed separately by the author, clearly a reprint of the introductions published in the two-volume first edition) explaining why the author decided not to rely on various mythologies but rather go back directly to sources, i.e. to ancient authors who transmitted mythological stories. As a result, Michel Piquemal produced a collection of myths divided in two parts (volumes in the 2006 editions): Des héros et des monstres [Heroes and Monst(...)

YEAR: 2006

COUNTRY: France

TAGS: Amphitryon Arachne Ariadne Atalanta Bellerophon Daphne Demeter Europa Greek mythology Heracles / Herakles Icarus Io Leda Lernaean Hydra Midas Myths of origin Narcissus Oedipus Orpheus Pandora Paris Pegasus Penelope Perseus Phaethon Prometheus Psyche Pygmalion Pyramus Sisyphus Theseus Thisbe Zeus

Eric Braun

Gods of Legend (Series): Zeus

This book is part of the Gods of Legend series, which include Athena, Hercules, Loki, Odin and Thor. This series, similarly to Capstone publishing's Legendary Goddesses series offers brief and basic information on various gods and heroes from Greek and Norse mythologies. This book explores Zeus' various powers and attributes, his family tree, the meaning of Greek mythology, a map of the Greek world, a tale of Zeus against the Titans, a two-page illustration of Zeus, some mythol(...)

YEAR: 2018

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Cronus Prometheus Sisyphus Zeus

Robert Burleigh , Raul Colón

This is a picture book retelling of the myth of Hercules’ descent into Hades and capture of Cerberus, aimed at children. The book starts with a list of characters, both humans and non-humans, and a short explanation of each. The book concentrates on the last and most dangerous labor of Hercules, namely his descent into Hades and abduction of Cerberus, but the author uses the opportunity to retell the rest of Hercules’ labours for his young readers as well. The overall frame(...)

YEAR: 1999

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Athena/ Athene Cerberus Charon Hades Hera Hercules Iphicles Persephone Sisyphus

Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, Christian Williams

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (Series, S02E01, S02E24): The King of Thieves / The Cave of Echoes

The second season of Hercules: the Legendary Journeys utilizes the same basic structure as the first season (see relevant entry) but builds upon the momentum of the franchises’ popularity to expand the number of episodes to almost double that of the first season (13 and 22, respectively). Each episode is self-contained and depicts Hercules and his companion, Iolaus, embarking upon a quest to defeat a villain/bad-guy and/or to resolve an issue of injustice that plagues a town/village. (...)

COUNTRY: New Zealand United States of America

TAGS: Admetus Alcestis Alcmene Aphrodite Barbarians Centaur Centaurs Demeter Echidna Giants Gods Golden Fleece Greek mythology Hades Hera Heracles / Herakles Hercules Hero Hero’s journey Iolaus Iphicles Jason Judgement of Paris Medea Midas Orestes Persephone Prophecy Salmoneus Sisyphus Sparta Typhon

Natan Glücksberg

Mythology [Mitologia]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue, Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp., online: http://omc.obta.al.uw.edu.pl/omc_catalogue.One of the oldest books in Polish about mythology designed specifically for children. It is part of Biblioteczka dla dobrych dzieci [A Library for Good Children] — a seri(...)

YEAR: 1824

COUNTRY: Congress Poland

TAGS: Aeolus Apollo Argonauts Ariadne Atlas Bacchus Cerberus Ceres Daedalus Diana Heracles / Herakles Hercules Jason Juno Jupiter Mercury Minerva Minos Minotaur Nemesis Neptune Pan Pluto Proserpina Roman mythology Sisyphus Themis Theseus Venus Vulcan

Geraldine McCaughrean, Bee Willey

Myths and Legends of the World: The Bronze Cauldron

The book is offers a Retelling of myths from around the world, suitable for children of all ages. (Among the myth we have stories from Mayan culture, Papua New Guinea, Inuit tale, Japanese and more).(...)

YEAR: 1997

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Cupid Greek mythology Hades Jupiter Psyche Roman mythology Sisyphus Typhon Venus Zephyr Zeus

Grzegorz Kasdepke

Myths for Children [Mity dla dzieci]

The magical and amazing world of ancient gods and heroes shown in an accessible way in simple and amusing language. Each story focuses on a different god or hero.The ten presented myths include: Doktorze, pomocy! [Doctor, help!] about Asclepius, Śliczna i mądra – czyli Atena [Lovely and Wise – That Is Athena], Figlarz [Trickster] about Eros, Zakaz odwracania się [No Turning Around] about Orpheus, Proszę Pana [Sir Pan], Chimera, chi, chi [Chimaera, Ha, Ha] about Bellerophon, Głow(...)

YEAR: 2009

COUNTRY: Poland

TAGS: Amphitrite Andromeda Aphrodite Apollo Arachne Artemis Asclepius / Asklepios Athena/ Athene Bellerophon Chimaera Coronis Dionysus Eros Eurydice Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Kronos / Cronus / Cronos Medusa Orpheus Pan Pegasus Persephone Perseus Poseidon Psyche Sisyphus Syrinx Tantalus Thanatos Zeus

Wanda Markowska

Myths of the Greeks and Romans [Mity Greków i Rzymian]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue, Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp., online: http://omc.obta.al.uw.edu.pl/omc_catalogue.The book includes stories of ancient gods and heroes. We find there the most important myths about the origins of the world, as well as the most popular ones, e.g. about Promet(...)

YEAR: 1968

COUNTRY: Poland

TAGS: Actaeon Aeneas Alcestis Amor Aphrodite Apollo Ares Argonauts Ariadne Artemis Asclepius / Asklepios Atalanta Athena/ Athene Atlas Baucis Bellerophon Cerberus Ceres Cupid and Psyche Daedalus Demeter Deucalion Diana Dionysus Eros Europa Eurystheus Flora Fortuna Gaia / Gaea Genies Gods Golden Fleece Greek mythology Hades Harpies Hecate / Hekate Hephaestus Hera Heracles / Herakles Hercules Hermes Heroes Hestia Icarus Janus Juno Jupiter Kronos / Cronus / Cronos Lares Liber Libera Luna Mars Medea Medusa Meleager Mercury Metis Midas Minerva Minos Minotaur Moirai Neptune Niobe Olympian gods Orpheus Pandora Pasiphae Penates Persephone Perseus Phaethon Philemon Pomona Poseidon Priam Prometheus Prosperina Pyrrha Quirinus Remus Roman religion Romulus Sisyphus Sol Styx Sybil Tantalus Themis Theseus Typhon Venus Vertumnus Vesta Vulcan Zeus

Flora Juliette Cooke

Nature Myths and Stories for Little Children. The Teacher’s Helper

This is a collection of myths from around the world that ostensibly relate to nature, designed primarily as a reader for use in schools, although it resembles any other children’s myth anthology in form. Sometimes, the myth has been altered to make it more relevant to this theme – see ‘The Story of Sisyphus’ in the Analysis section. The Table of Contents orders the stories according to theme, dividing them into Animal Stories, Bird Stories, Cloud Stories, Flower Stories, (...)

YEAR: 1895

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aeolus Apollo Arachne Athena/ Athene Baucis Clytie Daphne Demeter Eos Hades Hermes Iris Persephone Phaethon Philemon Prometheus Sisyphus Tithonus Zeus

George O'Connor

Olympians (Series)

Olympians is a series of graphic novels that takes one deity per volume as the focus, retelling numerous myths related to that god.Volume 1. Zeus. King of the Gods. Featuring creation myths and the war between the Titans and Olympians. Narrator unspecified.Volume 2. Athena. Grey-Eyed Goddess. Featuring the myth of Athena's conception and birth; Pallas; the attack of the Giants; Medusa and Perseus; Arachne. Narrated by the Moirae (The Fates). Volume 3. Hera. The Goddess and her Glory. Fe(...)

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Achilles Aeneas Aesop Aesop’s Fables Afterlife Agamemnon Amphitrite Anteros Aphrodite Apollo Apples of the Hesperides Arachne Architecture Ares Argo Argonauts Ariadne Artemis Asclepius / Asklepios Athena/ Athene Athens Atlas Bacchus Baucis Centaurs Cerberus Ceres Charybdis Chimaera Classical studies Crete Cyclops / Cyclopes Daedalus Delos Demeter Diana Dionysus Divination Egypt Epimetheus Erinyes Eris Eros Europa Fable Furies Gaia / Gaea Galatea Gods Golden Fleece Greek art Greek history Greek language Greek music Greek mythology Greek philosophy Griffins Hades Hades' Throne Harpies Hecate / Hekate Hector Helen of Troy Hephaistos Hera Heracles / Herakles Hercules Hermes Hermes' winged boots Hestia Homer Horus Icarus Iliad Immortality Jason Juno Jupiter Katabasis Kronos / Cronus / Cronos Labyrinth Laurel wreath Lernaean Hydra Leto Lyre Mars Maze Medusa Menelaus Mercury Metis Minos Minos (King) Minotaur Mythology Nymphs Odysseus/ Ulysses Odyssey Olympus Oracles Ovid Ovid Metamorphoses Pan Pandora Pandora’s Box Paris Pasiphae Patroclus Pegasus Penelope Persephone Perseus Philemon Polyphemus Poseidon Priam Prometheus Ra Reception of classical antiquity Reincarnation Sirens Sisyphus Sphinx Stymphalian Birds Styx Theseus Thetis Trojan Horse (wooden) Trojan War Troy Twelve Labours of Heracles Underworld Witches Zeus Zeus' Throne

George O'Connor

Olympians (Series, Book 4): Hades: Lord of the Dead

Hades is the fourth instalment in the Olympians series. The graphic novel, told in a style akin to a modern super-hero comic, introduces the Greek Underworld and tells the myth of Persephone. The story opens in darkness, with words announcing that this is what happens when you die. The narrative follows Hermes, who goes on to the banks of the Styx. With the use of a perspective familiar from first-person computer games, the reader can see "their" shadow in the water; their greeny-white(...)

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Afterlife Apollo Ares Athena/ Athene Ceres Demeter Eleusinian Mysteries Erinyes Furies Gods Greek history Greek mythology Greek philosophy Hades Hades' Throne Hecate / Hekate Hermes Hermes' winged boots Immortality Katabasis Medusa Moirai Olympus Persephone Pluto Proserpina Reincarnation Sisyphus Underworld Witches Zeus

David Hair, Catherine Mayo

Olympus (Series, Book 1): Athena’s Champion

Athena’s Champion begins Hair and Mayo’s Olympus trilogy, which follows the early stages in Odysseus’ story. This novel details his discovery of his true parentage and divine lineage, and awakening to the world of the Gods as Odysseus is selected as Athena’s champion. As her champion, he is required to fight for her on earth alongside – and eventually against – Theseus, another of her celebrated servants. Odysseus begins the story as he attends a coming-of-age(...)

YEAR: 2018

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Afterlife Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena/ Athene Athens Gods Greek history Hades Helen of Troy Hera Hittite Empire Homer Iliad Ithaca Odysseus/ Ulysses Persephone Prometheus Prophecy Pythia Sisyphus Theseus Zeus

Luke Jurevicius, Nathan Jurevicius

Orpheus and the Underworld (I Love You to Bits)

In the animation’s opening scene, teenage Orpheus sits on a beanbag, strumming his lyre and singing. It is simultaneously an interior and external space, featuring a TV and overhead lighting as well as trees and wildlife. A host of strange creatures are gathered around him, enchanted by his music. Orpheus and Eurydice are a young emo couple, depicted with elongated heads and sad, tired eyes. He has red hair, a five o’clock shadow, and wears jeans, hoodie and headphones. Eurydice&rsqu(...)

YEAR: 2002

COUNTRY: Australia

TAGS: Cerberus Charon Eurydice Hades Katabasis Orpheus Persephone Sisyphus Styx Tantalus Tartarus Underworld

Brynne Rebele-Henry

Orpheus Girl is the debut novel by Brynne Rebele-Henry. It follows the narrator Raya, a sixteen-year-old girl living in a conservative Texan town, and her best friend/first love Sarah, the daughter of their local pastor. Their story is one of many teens who live in conservative communities where homophobia dominates the perception of those with queer identities. Both girls have slowly come to terms with their own queer identities despite the knowledge that their town would reject them; an unders(...)

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Cerberus Eurydice Helen Orpheus Sisyphus

Terry Denton

Story Maze (Series, Book 2): The Eye of Ulam

The second in the "Storymaze" series follows the surfing adventures of Nico, Claudia, and Mikey through parallel worlds and across the universe. Nico is competing in the World Surfing Championships against a surfer named Hercules when help is requested by their Duryllium friend Icon, who is in the midst of a battle with his brother Vidor over the throne of their kingdom. They find and save Icon, who has been blinded and left for dead on the battlefield and take him to a gingerbread cot(...)

YEAR: 2001

COUNTRY: Australia

TAGS: Ammit Blindness Chorus Cyclops / Cyclopes Ganesha Gods Graeae Sisters Hercules Horus Ithaca Maze Nike Oedipus Olympic style games Prometheus Quest Ra Sisyphus Underworld

Diana Wynne Jones

Orphan Hayley Foss lives with her grandparents on the outskirts of London. Homeschooled under the strict control of her grandmother, she lives a lonely and isolated existence. She is not allowed to play with other children, and is only permitted to leave the house to accompany the maid on errands. When he is at home, her grandfather shows her amazing things in his study; from computers and televisions that monitor the daily news, to maps of the world and the solar system. He tells her about the (...)

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Atlas Golden Apples Harmonia Hermes Jupiter Maenads Merope Pleiades Sisyphus Titans Trojan War Troy

Paul Shipton

The Pig Who Saved the World

This comic adventure novel is a sequel to The Pig Scrolls, starring a pig named Gryllus. Gryllus was one of Odysseus’ crewmen who was transformed into a pig by Circe. When the rest of the sailors were returned to their human form, he hid in the bushes, and after being found by Sibyl, a courageous prophetess, and Homer, an awkward teenage poet, goes on to (unwittingly and unwillingly) save the world.In the sequel, The Pig Who Saved the World, Gryllus and his friends go back to the isla(...)

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Circe Homer Labyrinth Midas Odysseus/ Ulysses Odyssey Orpheus Polyphemus Proteus Sibyl Sirens Sisyphus Thanatos Tithonus Underworld

Otari Dumbadze

The Rock of Sisyphus [Камень Сизифа]

The film is made as a hand-drawn animation with colourful schematic pictures that smoothly flow into one another, changing colour patterns. It starts with a white dot on a blue and brown background that evolves into the figure of a man pushing a rock. During the entire film the man is rolling the rock or lets it fall.In the first part of the film, we see the face of Zeus, and the narrator announces the verdict to Sisyphus: “Not for wisdom, not for royalty, not for the care of his peop(...)

YEAR: 1980

COUNTRY: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

TAGS: Aphrodite Greek mythology Nike Sisyphus Thanatos Tyche Zeus

Cynthia Voigt

The Tillerman Cycle (Series)

The Tillerman Cycle follows the lives of four siblings – Dicey, James, Maybeth and Sammy Tillerman – abandoned by their parents and in search of a new home. Over the course of seven novels, spanning nearly a decade in the children’s lives, Voigt explores themes of family, home, resilience, and the relationship between individuals and society. Brief summaries of the novels are included below; for more detailed summaries, see the individual entries elsewhere in the OMC survey.Hom(...)

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aeolus Alexander the Great Ancient Greek Dance Apollo Aristotle Circe Classics vs. Modern in education Cyrus the Great Daedalus Dryades Fall of Rome Hippocratic Oath Homer Horace Icarus Lotus-eater Mortal/Immortal Nemesis Odysseus/ Ulysses Odyssey Orion Penelope Persian Empire Phaeton Pleiades Polyphemus Scylla Sisyphus Trojan War Venus

Jan Mazur, Unka Odya

The True Story of Sisyphus [Prawdziwa historia Syzyfa]

Prawdziwa historia Syzyfa is a retelling of the classical story of Sisyphus. This time we accompany the main character on his way to conquer a new world of economics. Sisyphus-economist is presented as the best in his job – so good, that even gods use his services in exchange for the benefits of the Olympian Bank Credit System and not less useful social gossips. Unfortunately, Sisyphus was not the best secret keeper – so gods punished him with death. Again – regrettably –(...)

YEAR: 2013

COUNTRY: Poland

TAGS: Adapting the myth to modern times Economics Modern comedy for children Popularisation of mythology Sisyphus

Cynthia Voigt

Tillerman Cycle (Series, Book 4): The Runner

The Runner is a prequel to the other Tillerman books (reviewed elsewhere in this survey). Set in 1967-68, the novel focuses on Samuel ‘Bullet’ Tillerman in his final year at high school before signing up to go and fight in the Vietnam War. His siblings have already left the family home, leaving Bullet alone to deal with his abusive father and downtrodden mother, Abigail. At his recently desegregated school, Bullet, himself bigoted against black people, largely ignores racial con(...)

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Alexander the Great Aristotle Classics vs. Modern in education Cyrus the Great Daedalus Fall of Rome Mortal/Immortal Persian Empire Sisyphus Trojan War

Cynthia Voigt

Tillerman Cycle (Series, Book 6): Sons From Afar

Sons from Afar (1987) is the only Tillerman novel that focuses on two main characters, with the perspective alternating between James Tillerman and his younger brother Sammy. As they go through adolescence, the brothers (James in particular) struggle to cope with the lack of a father figure and begin a quest to find out more about their father, Francis Verricker. They visit Francis’s former schoolteachers and discover that their father was a gambler and a cheat. Eventually, the boys&r(...)

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aeolus Apollo Homer Icarus Lotus-eater Orion Penelope Phaeton Pleiades Scylla Sisyphus

Cynthia Voigt

Tillerman Cycle (Series, Book 7): Seventeen Against the Dealer

The final novel in the Tillerman series, Seventeen Against the Dealer, centres on Dicey, now aged twenty-one. Her brother James and boyfriend Jeff are both away at university, while Dicey has dropped out and started her own boat-building business. Dicey’s dedication and hard work are not enough to counteract a lack of experience or capital. After Jeff breaks up with her, and her grandmother Abigail becomes seriously ill with pneumonia, Dicey’s attention is brought back to h(...)

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Hippocratic Oath Nemesis Sisyphus

Aleksei Bitskoff, Maz Evans

Who Let the Gods Out? (Series, Book 1): Who Let the Gods Out?

Who Let the Gods Out? is the story of an ordinary boy, Elliot Hooper, who discovers that all of the Greek myths are true and that he is the only person who can save the world. Elliot has a secret: his mother, Josie, is unwell. She has trouble remembering things and is often confused. Sometimes she goes missing and Elliot finds her doing strange things, like planting vegetables in the middle of the night. And on top of it all, Virgo, the youngest member of the Zodiac Council, crash lands in the c(...)

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aphrodite Athena/ Athene Cerberus Charon Erebus Gods Greek mythology Hades Harpies Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hermes' winged boots Hestia Hypnos Immortality Pegasus Sisyphus Styx Symbols of the Zodiac Tartarus Thanatos Underworld Virgo

Aleksei Bitskoff, Maz Evans

Who Let the Gods Out? (Series, Book 2): Simply the Quest

Simply The Quest picks up the story of Elliot and his mortal and immortal companions, a few months after the end of Who Let The Gods Out. In this instalment, the English boy Elliot Hooper’s troubles seem to haunt him still. Thanatos reawakens and wishes to get the Earth stone Elliot managed to take a hold off last time. Elliot’s mother is still sick, his history teacher is still out to get him and a mysterious incident on Christmas Eve has left the gods on house arrest.&nbs(...)

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Aphrodite Ariadne Athena/ Athene Cerberus Charon Erebus Erebus gods Greek mythology Hades Harpies Hephaestus Hera Heracles / Herakles Hercules Hermes Hermes' winged boots Hestia Hypnos Immortality Jason Nyx Pegasus Persephone Sisyphus Styx Tartarus Thanatos Theseus Underworld Virgo Zeus Zodiac

John Dougherty , Georgien Overwater

Zeus Sorts It Out

Zeus Sorts It Out is a chapter-book with illustrations, the third in a series of stories about a boy named Alex who has accidentally summoned Zeus, king of the gods, into his life, through a classroom project. In Zeus Sorts It Out, Alex and his friend Charlie are being bullied by Eric Lees. When Eric puts Charlie’s head in the toilet, Charlie calls for help from Zeus. Zeus commandeers the boys’ toilets as his temple, demanding veneration and sacrifices from the boys, who try to persu(...)

YEAR: 2011

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Heracles / Herakles Hercules Prometheus Sisyphus Tantalus Twelve Labours of Heracles Zeus