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Mythology IntroductionEssential Questions:1. What are myths?2. Myths, legends, fables, folktales: What
are the differences?3. When does myth become religion?4. Are myths all in our mind?
Purpose of mythAccording to Kenneth Davis, myths
were a human way to explain everything:◦How Earth was created◦Where life came from◦Why the stars shined and seasons changed◦Why there was sex◦Why there was evil◦Why people died &◦Where they went when they did
(23)
Define mythPresent day – something widely believed
to be untrue
Common – history layered with legend – “mythologized”◦ Old West◦ Founding Fathers
Most basic meaning“A traditional, typically ancient
story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors or heroes that serves as a fundamental type of world view of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs or ideals of a society.” (American Heritage Dictionary; emphasis added)
Why the word mythologyDerived from Greek mythos
meaning “story”Plato coined mythology meaning
stories containing invented figures, elaborate fictions that may reveal a larger “truth”
(Davis 24)
AllegoryGreek meaning essentially
“saying something in a different way”
Plato used allegories as teaching devices –
Allegory of the Cave
Mythology still plays a role in our everyday lives.Homer said, “All men have need
of the Gods.”Since ancient times myths have
been depicted through a variety of forms◦Cave paintings◦Carved pieces of bone◦Fertility figurines◦Household idols◦Ancient burial practices
Villages →Cities →StatesAssociated with the godsMyths become complex and
interconnected tales◦Organizing principles◦Dictating religious rituals◦Establishing social order◦Developing customs ◦Defining everyday behavior
Mythological charactersGods or other divine beings with
supernatural powersEssentially sacred or religious
significance separates myth from religion
Legends:
“Stories about historical figures, usually humans, not gods, that are handed down from earlier times.” (28)
Characteristics of legendKernel of truth (usually)Embellished to emphasize a
characteristic of the central figureUsed to build a shared trait such
as national pride or fraternityCreation of national heroes
George Washington King Arthur
Fable“simple, usually brief, fictitious
stories, typically teaching a moral, or making a cautionary point or, in some cases, satirizing human behavior” (31)
Characteristics of fableFrequently characters are
animals who talk and have other human traits
Moral usually told at the endInstructional – a morality tale
Folktales/Fairytales: Stories handed down orally;
involves common people and is intended to entertain rather than instruct. (32)
Characteristics of folktalesNot supposed to have happenedDo not have national heroes (like
legends do)Generally emphasize the
customs, superstitions and beliefs of ordinary people
Fairytales Include supernatural creatures
like elves, pixies, witches, fairies, etc.
Shared traits of folk and fairy talesCentral character usually a
person of low statusMistaken identityVictimized or persecutedOvercome adversity – often with
magical helpRestored to proper place in
society
Religion:“an organized
system of beliefs, ceremonies, practices and worship that may center on one supreme God or deity or on a number of gods
or deities” (44)8 major religions
◦Buddhism◦Christianity◦Confucianism ◦Hinduism◦Islam◦Judaism◦Shinto◦Taoism
Shared traitsReligion ritualsBelief in a deity or prophetSacred stories
◦“…in the modern study of religion, there is no implication that a myth is false.” (Smart qtd. in Davis 44)
According to PsychologistsMyth originated in the
unconscious mind.Carl Jung coined the term
collective unconscious◦Shared by all mankind◦Organized into basic patterns and
symbols called archetypes
From Man and His Symbols
“From time immemorial, men have had ideas about a Supreme Being (one or several) and about the Land of the Hereafter; Only today do they think they can do without such ideas” (Jung qtd. Davis 48).
Albert Einstein wrote,
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science” (qtd. Davis 49).
“Myth taken together is too complex, too many-faceted, to be explained by a single theory.”
− Barry B. Powell
“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers,” wrote James Thurber.