Myths: What and Why?
Every culture in the world has a
collection of myths recognized by
its people.
What is a Myth?
• A sacred story involving symbols.
• Many academics study these stories in
an effort to understand the various
cultures in out world.
A Myth…
• contributes to and expresses a culture’s
thoughts, beliefs, and values.
• is "true” for its culture
• is a form of questioning and making sense
of the world.
Making Sense of the World
• Ancient people had no understanding of
science to explain what they saw.
• So, how did they explain natural
phenomena?
• Earth, sun, moon, sky…
The Search for Answers
• The early human societies tried to explain
what they saw in terms they understood.
• The sun is the chariot of a dazzling god
traveling across the sky.
How did Myths Grow?
• The art of storytelling!
• Most early societies did not have a written language.
• As a result for a long time myths were not written down.
They were passed by word of mouth from father to son,
from one generation to the next.
• What do you think was the result?
How did Myths Grow?
• Often times a clever storyteller altered the
story with touches that others in their area
accepted. (movie- 300)
• As a result versions of the same myth told
in different locations differed dramatically.
How did Myths Grow?
• Sometimes a notable poet took a known
myth and told it his own way, and this
became the widely accepted version.
• Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are examples.
How did Myths Grow?
• It was with notable poets like Homer
(800 BC) that myths started getting written
down and consistently told the same way.
Types of Myths
1. Divine Myth:
o Concerns gods, set in a timeless early era
2. Heroic Myth (or Legend, or Saga):
o Concerns humans, but great ones, often the children of gods.
3. Folktale (or Fairy Tale):
o Tells of regular, everyday humans in a timeless and generic setting
Why Study Myths?
Reason #1
• Myths have influenced great works of literature.
• Many famous writers (Shakespeare) were
influenced by the myths of Greece and Rome.
• Even contemporary writers use the myths of
Greece, Rome, and other ancient cultures as
influences in their works.
• Do you have any examples?
Why Study Myths?
Reason #2
• Myths also have a strong influence on
music.
• The word music pays tribute the Muses
and many myths tell how musical
instruments were invented.
Why Study Myths?
Reason #3
• Myths have influenced other arts as well.
• Many painters and sculptors have used
myths for inspiration.
Why Study Myths?
Reason #4
• Myths link us to the past.
• Myths give us a window into ancient cultures.
What is an archetype?
• Original models, images, characters, or
patterns that recur throughout literature
consistently enough to be considered a
universal concept or situation.
Background: Leading
Researchers
• Joseph Campbell
- Mythologist
Author of “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”
• Myths from all over the world are built from the
same ‘elementary ideas’
• Demonstrates that all stories are expressions of
the same story-pattern, which he named the
"Hero's Journey"
Background: Leading
Researchers
• Carl Jung
-Swiss Psychiatrist
– Defined the ‘elementary ideas’ as archetypes
• The building blocks not only of the unconscious
mind, but of a collective unconscious (all people).
• In other words, Jung believed everyone in the
world is born with the same basic subconscious
model of what a "hero" is or a "quest."
• That's why people who don't even speak the same
language can enjoy the same stories.
Background: Function of
Mythology
• Identifies four functions of mythology (Campbell)
– to instill in us a sense of awe, humility, and respect at the
wonder of the universe
– to provide an understanding of the world according to the
knowledge of the time
– to support the social order through rites and rituals or to provide
individuals with moral justifications to challenge the existing
state of things
– to guide the individual through the psychological crises of life
The Myth of Hercules
Hercules, son of the Greek God, Zeus,
is turned into a half-god, half-mortal
by evil Hades, God of the Underworld,
who plans to overthrow Zeus. Hercules
is raised on Earth and retains his godlike strength, but later learns he is the
son of gods, and in order to return to
Mt. Olympus he must turn into a "true
hero". He is trained by Phil the satyr
and becomes the most famous hero in
ancient Greece after battling monsters
.
of all kinds He even saves Mt.
Olympus from Hade's take-over, but he
only becomes a god again after he
offers to exchange his life in order to
save Meg, his love, from Hades'
underworld and shows that a true
hero must have a strong heart and not
only physical strength.
How does this myth fulfill
Campbell’s four functions?
– to instill in us a sense of
awe, humility, and respect
at the wonder of the
universe
– to support the social order
through rites and rituals or
to provide individuals with
moral justifications to
challenge the existing state
of things
– to provide an
understanding of the world
according to the knowledge
of the time
– to guide the individual
through the psychological
crises of life