Mythology:
Joseph Campbell’s
Four Functions
Steve Wood
TCCC
Four Functions of
Mythology
There are four basic functions of mythology,
according to Campbell.
1) The mystical function – stories that express the
awe and wonder of the universe
2) The cosmological function – stories that attempt
to explain the processes of nature
3) The sociological function – stories that support
and validate a certain social order
4) The pedagogical function – stories that explain
how to live a full, happy life
Mystical Function

The fact of that
matter is that the
universe in which
we live is a strange,
wonderful, aweinspiring, and
sometimes
terrifying place.
Mystical Function
Myths that fulfill the mystical function
are myths that remind us of how
strange and wonderful (and scary and
miraculous) the universe really is.
 Ghost stories are one example of this
function.
 Ripley’s Believe It or Not stories are
another.

Ghost Stories
One famous ghost story is the story of
the vanishing hitchhiker.
 This version of the story is from
Snopes.com.

The Vanishing
Hitchhiker

A dozen miles outside of Baltimore, the main road from New
York (Route Number One) is crossed by another important
highway. It is a dangerous intersection, and there is talk of
building and underpass for the east-west road. To date,
however, the plans exist only on paper. Dr. Eckersall was
driving home from a country-club dance late one Saturday
night. He slowed up for the intersection, and was surprised to
see a lovely young girl, dressed in the sheerest of evening
gowns, beckoning him for a lift. He jammed on his brakes, and
motioned her to climb into the back seat of his roadster. "All
cluttered up with golf clubs and bags up here in front," he
explained. "But what on earth is a youngster like you doing out
here all alone at this time of night?"
The Vanishing
Hitchhiker


"It's too long a story to tell you now," said the girl. Her voice
was sweet and somewhat shrill -- like the tinkling of sleigh
bells. "Please, please take me home. I'll explain everything
there. The address is ___ North Charles Street. I do hope it's
not too far out of your way."
The doctor grunted, and set the car in motion. He drove
rapidly to the address she had given him, and as he pulled up
before the shuttered house, he said, "Here we are." Then he
turned around. The back seat was empty!
The Vanishing
Hitchhiker



"What the devil?" the doctor muttered to himself. The girl
couldn't possibly have fallen from the car. Nor could she
simply have vanished. He rang insistently on the house bell,
confused as he had never been in his life before. At long last
the door opened. A gray-haired, very tired-looking man peered
out at him.
"I can't tell you what an amazing thing has happened," began
the doctor. "A young girl gave me this address a while back. I
drove her here and . . ."
"Yes, yes, I know," said the man wearily. "This has happened
several other Saturday evenings in the past month. That
young girl, sir, was my daughter. She was killed in an
automobile accident at that intersection where you saw her
almost two years ago . . ."
Urban Legend


In addition to fulfilling the mystical function
of mythology, this story is also an example
of an urban legend.
According to Jan Harold Brunvand, an
urban legend is a story that circulates from
person to person, that is retained in a group
tradition, and that can be found in different
versions through time and space.
Ripley’s Believe It or
Not
Ripley’s Believe It or
Not
These strange-but-true stories are another
example of Campbell’s mystical function.
Cosmological Function
Stories that are told to explain
something in nature fulfill the
Cosmological Function, according to
Campbell.
 In addition to many native American
myths, examples can be found in the
Old Testament.

The Tower of Babel

The story of the
Tower of Babel from
Genesis explains
why there are so
many different
languages.
Sociological Function
Stories told to back up, justify, or
promote a certain social order fulfill the
sociological function.
 These stories help bind people to a
certain social group, or help explain to
them their place within society.

Dishing the Family Dirt

For example, when
you tell a newcomer
stories about your
family to make
them feel welcome
or feel like a part of
the family, you are
using this function
of storytelling.
Pandora


Another example
would be the Greek
myth of Pandora.
Since the Greeks
were a patriarchal
society, they
naturally created a
myth to justify this
social order.


From The Gods Gallery
“Pandora, whose name means "All Gifts", was
fashioned when Zeus had her created by the
Hephaestus to punish the human race , to which
Prometheus had just given fire. Pandora was
designed in the image of the goddesses, and
became the first woman in a world of men. All
the gods came forward to endow her with gifts;
Aphrodite gave her beauty, Hermes gave her
cunning, and other gods and goddesses gave
her special qualities such as grace, dexterity,
cogency, and so on, while Hepaestus gave her
lying and deceit. Finally she was presented to
Epimetheus as a gift.”

“Although he had been warned by Prometheus
never to accept a gift from Zeus he forgot this
promise to his brother and married her. She brought
with her a covered earthen vessel (box or jar or
barrel), which she was forbidden to open. But its
unknown contents plagued Pandora (she had been
given curiosity along with everything else). One day
she could stand the temptation no longer and lifted
the lid to peek inside. Out swarmed all the calamities
of mankind, from tidal waves to premature balding.
It was too late to stop them as they spread out
through the window and across the world. Pandora
dropped the lid back in time to prevent the escape
of the final occupant of the vessel. This was Elpis
(hope), and no matter how bad things became for
people there was always hope remaining.”
Pedagogical Function

The most important of the four
functions, according to Campbell, is
the pedagogical function. These are
stories that tell us how to live, how to
be happy, how to be good, how to
love.
The Parables of Christ

One example of this can be found in
the New Testament. Throughout his
ministry, Christ often taught by telling a
story – the story of the Good
Samaritan or the story of the Prodigal
Son, for example.
Luke 15:10-32
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth. And he said, A certain man
had two sons: And the younger of them said
to his father, Father, give me the portion of
goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto
them his living. And not many days after the
younger son gathered all together, and took
his journey into a far country, and there
wasted his substance with riotous living. And
when he had spent all, there arose a mighty
famine in that land; and he began to be in
want.
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of
that country; and he sent him into his fields to
feed swine. And he would fain have filled his
belly with the husks that the swine did eat:
and no man gave unto him. And when he
came to himself, he said, How many hired
servants of my father's have bread enough
and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will
arise and go to my father, and will say unto
him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and
before thee, And am no more worthy to be
called thy son: make me as one of thy hired
servants. And he arose, and came to his
father. But when he was yet a great way off,
his father saw him, and had compassion, and
ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And the son said unto him, Father, I have
sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and
am no more worthy to be called thy son. But
the father said to his servants, Bring forth the
best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on
his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring
hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat,
and be merry: For this my son was dead, and
is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And
they began to be merry. Now his elder son
was in the field: and as he came and drew
nigh to the house, he heard musick and
dancing. And he called one of the servants,
and asked what these things meant.
And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and
thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he
hath received him safe and sound. And he was
angry, and would not go in: therefore came his
father out, and intreated him. And he answering
said to his father, Lo, these many years do I
serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy
commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a
kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
But as soon as this thy son was come, which
hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast
killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto
him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I
have is thine. It was meet that we should make
merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was
dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is
found.