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What is Myth?

Profile image of Jack HunterJack Hunter

Abstract
sparkles

AI

This paper explores the essence of myth, defining it as a narrative that conveys sacred history, explains the origins of the world, and describes the relationship between humans and gods in creation. The relevance of these stories persists in contemporary society, showcasing the timeless nature of myth and its continued impact on culture.

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Wade Tarzia

indigogroup.co.uk

A myth is a story that is sacred to a group of people; to those people, the story is true and concerns foundational events–from the origin and organization of the cosmos to the origin and organization of fundamental human institutions (examples: kingship, gender roles). In ...

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The Concept of Myth
ubaldo lugli

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In search of a scientifically useful minimal definition of the term "myth", this article traces the development of the concept from the cultural environment of classical Greece, in which it was born, until its modern use in the framework of socio-anthropological studies. Of all the terms of the vocabulary of religious anthropology "myth'' is certainly the most used one. Unfortunately, its wide-spread use is directly proportional to its indeterminateness. Moreover, it regards not only the everyday lexis (what is exactly intended, when, for instance, people call an actor or a soccer player "mythic"?), but also academic communications: various authors can intend by this concept diametrically opposed things.

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Meaning, Origin and Functions of Myth: A Brief Survey
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Myths are traditional tales which are shared by a group of people. Every culture has its own myths which transfer the beliefs of primitive people about the creation of the universe and its content. Knowledge, like a river flowing down a mountain, has a source. Thus, Myths are regarded as the first source of knowledge for the primitive people to acquaint themselves with the world around. The origin of the word myth and its different interpretations along with its uses has to be surveyed briefly for giving a complete idea about myth. This survey is an attempt to shed the light on the origin of the word myth, to review the different meanings of myth and to present into light the various uses of myth.

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Myth
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In The Challenge of Folklore to the Humanities, ed. Dan Ben-Amos, a special issue of Humanities 7(4), 14: 1-39, 2018

Myth has become a fundamental frame of reference for Western thinking. This paper explores the term and category " myth " from the perspective of folklore studies, with concern for the use of myth as a tool in research. The ways in which myth has been used in both academic and popular discourses are discussed. These are viewed in a historical perspective against the backdrop of the origins of the modern term. Attention is given to how historical patterns of use have encoded " myth " with evaluative stance-taking, building an opposition of " us " versus " them " into myth as something " other people " have, in contrast to us, who know better. Discussion then turns to approaching myth as a type of story. The consequences of such a definition are explored in terms of what it does or does not include; the question of whether, as has often been supposed, myth is a text-type genre, is also considered. Discussion advances to aesthetic evaluation at the root of modern discussions of myth and how this background informs the inclination to identify myth as a type of story on the one hand while inhibiting the extension of the concept to, for example, historical events or theories about the world or its origins, on the other. Approaching myth as a type of modeling system is briefly reviewed—an approach that can be coupled to viewing myth as a type of story. Finally, discussion turns to the more recent trend of approaching mythology through mythic discourse, and the consequences as well as the benefits of such an approach for understanding myth in society or religion. There are many different ways to define myth. The present article explores how different approaches are linked to one another and have been shaped over time, how our definition of myth and the way we frame the concept shape our thinking, and can, in remarkably subtle ways, inhibit the reflexive application of the concept as a tool to better understand ourselves.

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Myth Legend and Folklore
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Related topics

  • Mythology And Folklore
  • Mythology
  • Comparative mythology
    • What is Myth? Jack Hunter What is Myth? Just for a couple of moments, have a think about your own definition of Myth. What does the term mean to you? ‘Myth as Story’ ‘Myth as Story’ muthos (‘speech’ or ‘story’) ‘Myth as Story’ muthos (‘speech’ or ‘story’) logos (‘reason,’ ‘argument,’ ‘discourse’) But, is Myth ‘just a story’? But, is Myth ‘just a story’? More than ‘just a story’ Mircea Eliade (1907 –1986) More than ‘just a story’ ‘one thing strikes us immediately: [...] myth is thought to express the absolute truth, because it narrates a sacred history’ (Eliade, 1960 p. 23). Mircea Eliade (1907 –1986) Cosmogonic Myths Cosmogony: stories, myths, and theories relating to the origin of the universe, and of human beings (Bowie, 2002, p. 119) Cosmological Foundations ‘myth happens to be the very foundation of social life and culture’ (Eliade, 1960, p. 23) Myth is ‘the expression of a mode of being in the world’ (1960, p. 24). Mircea Eliade (1907 –1986) Cosmological Foundations ‘[...] creation myths, far from being some kind of objective or scientific snapshot at the beginning of time, display a very strong tendency to “slip in” all sorts of cultural values and activities that are specific to the particular culture telling this particular story’ (Kripal, 2014, p. 120) Jeffrey J. Kripal Many Different Narratives There are thousands of variations in mythic plot lines. Hero Myths Hero Myths The Epic of Gilgamesh Hero Myths ‘A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from his mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow men’ (Campbell, 2003, p. 28) Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) Trickster Myths So, what is myth? A story that tells a sacred history, that explains the origins of the world and the role of human beings and the gods within creation, and that still has relevance today. Bronislaw Malinowski ‘Myth [...] is not merely a story old but a reality lived. It is not of the nature of fiction, such as we read today in a novel, but it is a living reality, believed to have once happened in primeval times, and continuing ever since to influence the world and human destinies’ (Malinowski, in Dundes, 1984, p. 198) (1884–1942) Robert Graves ‘Myth has two main functions. The first is to answer the sort of awkward questions that children ask, such as: 'Who made the world? How will it end? Who was the first man? Where do souls go after death?' [...] The second function of myth is to justify an existing social system and account for traditional rites and customs.’ (1895– 1985) Some food for thought... Bowie, F. (2002). The Anthropology of Religion. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Campbell, J. (2003). The Hero’s Journey. Novatao: New World Library. Dundes, A. (1984). Sacred Narrative: Readings in the Theory of Myth. Berkeley: University of California Press. Eliade, M. (1960). Myths, Dreams, and Mysteries: The Encounter Between Contemporary Faiths and Archaic Realities. London: Harper Torchbooks. Graves, R. (1972). ‘Introduction.’ In New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. London: Hamlyn. Kripal, J.J. (2014). Comparing Religions. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Levi-Strauss, C. (2006). Myth and Meaning. London: Routledge.