Search results
Sep 10, 2024 · Myth - Origins, Rituals, Beliefs: Myth and history represent alternative ways of looking at the past. Defining history is hardly easier than defining myth, but a historical approach necessarily involves both establishing a chronological framework for events and comparing and contrasting rival traditions in order to produce a coherent account. The latter process, in particular, requires the ...
- Myth
myth, a symbolic narrative, usually of unknown origin and at...
- Myth
- Overview
- The nature, functions, and types of myth
myth, a symbolic narrative, usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relates actual events and that is especially associated with religious belief. It is distinguished from symbolic behaviour (cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (temples, icons). Myths are specific accounts of gods or superhuman beings involved in extraordinary events or circumstances in a time that is unspecified but which is understood as existing apart from ordinary human experience. The term mythology denotes both the study of myth and the body of myths belonging to a particular religious tradition.
As with all religious symbolism, there is no attempt to justify mythic narratives or even to render them plausible. Every myth presents itself as an authoritative, factual account, no matter how much the narrated events are at variance with natural law or ordinary experience. By extension from this primary religious meaning, the word myth may also be used more loosely to refer to an ideological belief when that belief is the object of a quasi-religious faith; an example would be the Marxist eschatological myth of the withering away of the state.
While the outline of myths from a past period or from a society other than one’s own can usually be seen quite clearly, to recognize the myths that are dominant in one’s own time and society is always difficult. This is hardly surprising, because a myth has its authority not by proving itself but by presenting itself. In this sense the authority of a myth indeed “goes without saying,” and the myth can be outlined in detail only when its authority is no longer unquestioned but has been rejected or overcome in some manner by another, more comprehensive myth.
The word myth derives from the Greek mythos, which has a range of meanings from “word,” through “saying” and “story,” to “fiction”; the unquestioned validity of mythos can be contrasted with logos, the word whose validity or truth can be argued and demonstrated. Because myths narrate fantastic events with no attempt at proof, it is sometimes assumed that they are simply stories with no factual basis, and the word has become a synonym for falsehood or, at best, misconception. In the study of religion, however, it is important to distinguish between myths and stories that are merely untrue.
Myth has existed in every society. Indeed, it would seem to be a basic constituent of human culture. Because the variety is so great, it is difficult to generalize about the nature of myths. But it is clear that in their general characteristics and in their details a people’s myths reflect, express, and explore the people’s self-image. The study of myth is thus of central importance in the study both of individual societies and of human culture as a whole.
Students save 67%! Learn more about our special academic rate today.
- The myth of the Great Flood. The Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament contain the story of Noah, the Ark, and the survival of humanity and the animal kingdom from the Great Flood.
- Romulus, Remus, and the founding of Rome. The image of a she-wolf suckling human infants, twin boys, remains a symbol of the City of Rome in the 21 century.
- The Trojan Horse and the conquest of Troy. The myth of the Trojan Horse, in which Greek troops hid in order to deceive and eventually conquer the Trojans, may well be based in fact, at least partially.
- The Divine Wind which destroyed Mongol invasions of Japan. In the late 13 century, two separate invasions of Japan by massive Mongol fleets and armies found themselves thwarted.
Oct 31, 2018 · Mythology (from the Greek mythos for story-of-the-people, and logos for word or speech, so the spoken story of a people) is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a culture known as myths or the collection of such stories which deal with various aspects of the human condition: good and evil; the meaning of suffering; human origins; the origin of place-names, animals ...
- Joshua J. Mark
Mar 15, 2019 · The British Isles have a very long history, stretching back well before written records began. Much of what we might think of as early history is really legend – tales about the Druids, the story of Cædmon (the ‘father of English poetry’, who lived at Whitby Abbey) and the exploits of King Arthur for example.
Sep 29, 2016 · Scientists Trace Society’s Myths to Primordial Origins. Analyzing how stories change in the retelling down through the generations sheds light on the history of human migration going as far back ...
People also ask
Why is history based on myths?
What is the difference between myth and history?
Why are myths important?
What is a myth based on?
Are myths based on a true story?
What are 'origin myths'?
Myths are stories that are based on tradition. ... The subjects of myths reflect the universal concerns of mankind throughout history: birth, death, the afterlife, the origin of man and the world ...
