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Defining Mythology
YOU CLICKED THE LINK BEFORE YOU WERE READY!!!
The first thing I'd like you to unlearn is that Myth=False. We've grown used to calling something that isn't true a myth and it's a shame that this has happened.
We can think of myths in a few different ways:
A Myth is a Story that Teaches or Explains
Many myths are closely tied to actual historical events. If we write them off as false then we lose a bit of our past. In the case of the Sagas, they often based on actual people (though some embellishments are made. This is not uncommon today when people write autobiographies or make films about historical events).
Myths can explain why things are the way they are; they can explain what things look the way they do or why natural disasters appear where and when they do.
When we can see the similarities in our own lives with the stories we tell we have a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other.
Myths Fill in the Gaps
The Scientific Method hasn't been around as long as humans. We have something in us that compels us to understand how and why things work. Our brains are meant to see patterns in things. It's what has helped us survive.
The more we learn about how things work, the less need we have to make up stories that explain.
Humans are the most creative species on the planet. We see signs and images everywhere. It's this skill that allows us to see pictures in the sky when we look up at the constellations or clouds.
A Myth is to Entertain
People weren't writing comments on Formspring, Google+, Facebook and Twitter after-all. Think of almost everything you do to entertain yourself or pass the time and then take it away. Telling stories to each other is what helped us get to this exciting time in history where we're seeing an explosion of knowledge. We had to start somewhere.
There are millions of people who have fought and died over myths and everyone has his or her own truth.
This is why I've asked you to approach this course with an open mind. One person's myth is another person's absolute truth. We gain nothing by mocking them.
Bruce Lee once said, "Through the contrast of comparison, some new thing might grow." If this is true then by seeing these stories for what they really are and incorporating them into our own lives we might gain a new understanding of another culture or the world around us.
Next Step: Norse Culture and the difference between Eddas & Sagas Background: The Eddas
Last modified: Friday, 17 February 2012, 1:54 PM