What is a Myth?
Myth is the foundation of life. It is the timeless pattern,
the religious formula to which life shapes itself.
Thomas Mann
What is a Myth?
In my post for February reading plans I was talking about my curriculum plans. As regards literature, I have finished a couple of books, mainly about the Greek myths. I had a feeling I was just reading from a random list without an aim, and the question of what I want to learn from it all came up.
Well, I had a eureka moment. I needed a subject to study with the initial reading. Having started with Ancient Greece, it was not farfetched to come up with the subject of the Myths. And the big question is: What is a myth really about? This is what I hope to discover.
I started by reading A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong, and here are a few reflections on the subject.
Myths are seldom simple, and never irresponsible.
Robert Graves
The meaning of a Myth
To start from the beginning there are three big questions the myths try to explain. We might think that the myths were more important in the old days, but we are still struggling with some of the questions.
How was the world created?
Where did humans come from?
Why do death and suffering exist?
A myth is a traditional story that a culture uses to explain important questions about life, the world, and human existens. Often they explain the origin of the world, nature or humanity. It involves gods, supernatural beings, or heroes. (Do I sense a fantasy novel inspiration here?) It usually takes place in a distant or symbolic past.
A myth should not be taken as de facto history, even if you can find some symbolic truths about how people understand life, nature, and the universe. One could say that a myth is a meaningful story that helps people understand the world and their place in it. It is a little bit away from my own interpretation of a myth, but, you always learn something new.
When we talk about a ‘myth’ today we usually think of it as a story that took place in a distant past, and is something that is not true. We might think that some myths have a substance of truth in it, but it is difficult to know for sure. In our modern days we rely heavily on science, archeology and history when determining what is true or not. We can only believe in things proven true by one of the sciences. In the pre-modern word, people were more concerned with the meaning of an event.
This never happened, but it always is.
Sallustius
1. Why do all cultures create myths?
Armstrong explains that myths exist in every human culture because they help people deal with the deep questions of life—such as death, suffering, meaning, and the origins of the world. Even today these are important questions and not always easy to answer.
Mythology can be defined as the sacred history of humankind.
Gerald Hausman
Myths are there to help us understand events that cannot be explained logically, like death or the beginning of the universe. They also give mening and structure to life, since we can relate to it. The myths are a guide showing us how to live and behave. They are often connected to rituals and ceremonies which make the stories real and meaningful. We only have to turn to religion to see what this means.
Armstrong argues that humans naturally create myths because of the need for stories that explain the mystery of our existence. I think we can all relate to that. After all, is our existence not the biggest question we have? What are your ideas about this?
Myths aren’t fairy tales or legends—they’re an honest attempt to explain mysteries.
John J. Geddes
2. What is the difference between myth, legend, and religion?
Myth
A sacred story explaining origins, gods, or fundamental truths about life.
Often takes place in a distant or timeless past.
Focuses on meaning rather than historical fact.
Legend
A story about historical or semi-historical people.
Often exaggerated over time.
Example: stories about heroic figures or kings.
Religion
A broader system that includes beliefs, rituals, ethics, and community practices.
Myths are often part of a religion, but religion also includes practices like prayer, worship, and moral rules.
Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life.
Joseph Campbell
So:
Myth = sacred explanatory story
Legend = story about historical heroes
Religion = belief system that can include myths
I think that for most of us, all three examples exist in our lives, in one way or the other. What do you think?
Myth is not about what happened in past times;
myth is about what happens to people all of the time.
Michael Meade
3. Are myths true in a symbolic way?
Armstrong argues that myths are not meant to be scientifically or historically true. Instead, they are symbolically true.
Meaning:
Myths express psychological and spiritual truths.
They help people understand human emotions, fears, and hopes.
Their truth lies in the meaning they communicate, not in literal facts.
For example, a creation myth may not describe how the world is actually formed, but it can reveal how a culture understands its place in the universe.
Armstrong emphasises that in the past, people did not expect myths to be based on facts; they understood them as stories that reveal deeper truths about life. Maybe it was easier in the old days. Today we live in a society where we have to have an answer to everything, preferably proven.
The first chapter of the book looks at the definition of myth. The next chapters are divided into different periods. Each period seems to have their own myths, surprisingly alike. The following periods will be covered.
The Palaeolithic Period: The Mythology of the Hunters (c. 20000 to 8000 BCE)
The Neolithic Period: The Mythology of the Farmers (c. 8000 to 4000 BCE)
The Early Civilisations (c. 4000 to 800 BCE)
The Axial Age (c. 800 to 200 BCE)
The Post-Axial Period (c. 200 BCE to c. 1500 CE)
The Great Western Transformation (c. 1500 to 2000)
I was not familiar with Karen Armstrong, so I looked her up on the internet. What a fascinating woman and what a life she has had. Please look her up, you will be surprised and full of admiration for this lady. She has written several books on history and religion, and I am eager to read more from her.
To me personally, the word myth means an historical event or story, that might or might not be true. After this introduction I can easily see how the word extends into the questions raised above; our existence in the world, and its creation, stories of gods and heroes from Ancient Greece and the Norse Gods as examples, and its path towards religion. I see interesting reading ahead.
Please let me know what is your experience with the myths and their interpretation.
This sounds like a great book.
People can believe in myths as much as they like. Or in legends and religion. As long as they don't think it's scientifically proven. I'm sure you know what I mean. But it would certainly be great to read the book in order to have some good points in discussions with people who don't want to understand.