Introduction to
Mythology
by James Harvey Stout
What
is Mythology?
Mythology is an organized collection of stories (i.e.,
"myths") by which we explain our beliefs and our history.
Beneath the story-lines, myths usually confront major issues
such as the origin of humanity and its traditions, and the way
in which the natural and human worlds function on a profound,
universal level. Other myths, however, seem merely to narrate
the deities' daily activities -- their love affairs and
pleasures, their jealousies and rages, their ambitions and
schemes, and their quarrels and battles.
Myths, Legends, Folktales, and Fables
We commonly use the word "myth" interchangeably with the
following terms, but some authorities have made distinctions
(which, like many definitions, might not be valid in all
cases):
Legends - Unlike many myths, legends
generally do not have religious or supernatural content.
Legends emphasize the story more than the significance of the
story; we might still gain a philosophical and moral meaning
from a legend, but we probably will not feel the archetypal
intensity which permeates myths. An example of a legend is the
tale of Atlantis.
Folktales - While legends and myths
might be embraced as true stories, folktales are generally
known to be fictitious. They are often told only within a
limited geographical area -- one town, one mountain range, or
one country. Examples include the stories of Paul Bunyan and
Rip Van Winkle from early American history.
Fables - Even more so than folktales,
fables are acknowledged to be fictional -- certainly when the
characters include talking animals. A fable's emphasis is on a
"moral." Examples include Aesop's Fables, such as the stories
of The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Fox Who Complained About
"Sour Grapes."
Mythology
serves many purposes
Myths grant continuity and stability to a culture. They
foster a shared set of perspectives, values, history -- and
literature, in the stories themselves. Through these communal
tales, we are connected to one another, to our ancestors, to
the natural world surrounding us, and to society; and, in the
myths which have universal (i.e., archetypal) themes, we are
connected to other cultures.
Myths present guidelines for living. When myths tell about
the activities and attitudes of deities, the moral tone implies
society's expectations for our own behaviors and standards. In
myths, we see archetypal situations and some of the options
which can be selected in those situations; we also perceive the
rewards and other consequences which resulted from those
selections.
Myths justify a culture's activities. Through their
authoritativeness and the respected characters within them,
myths establish a culture's customs, rituals, religious tenets,
laws, social structures, power hierarchies, territorial claims,
arts and crafts, holidays and other recurring events, and
technical tips for hunting, warfare, and other endeavors.
Myths give meaning to life. We transcend our common life
into a world in which deities interact with humans, and we can
believe that our daily actions are part of the deities' grand
schemes. In our difficulties, the pain is more bearable because
we believe that the trials have meaning; we are suffering for a
bigger cause rather than being battered randomly. And when we
read that a particular deity experienced something which we are
now enduring -- perhaps a struggle against "evil forces" -- we
can feel that our own struggle might have a similar cosmic or
archetypal significance, though on a smaller scale.
Myths explain the unexplainable. They reveal our fate after
death, and the reasons for crises or miracles, and other
puzzles -- and yet they retain and even encourage an aura of
mystery. Myths also satisfy our need to understand the natural
world; for example, they might state that a drought is caused
by an angry deity. This purpose of mythology was especially
important before the advent of modern science, which offered
the Big Bang theory to replace creation myths, and it gave us
the theory of evolution to supplant myths regarding the genesis
of humanity. And yet, science creates its own mythology, even
as its occasional secular barrenness threatens to strip us of
the healthful awe which other types of mythology engender.
Myths offer role models. In particular, children pattern
themselves after heroes; comic books and Saturday-morning
cartoons depict many archetypal characters, such as Superman
and Wonder Woman. Adults, too, can find role models, in the
stories of deities' strength, persistence, and
courage.
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