Introduction to Mythology

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Introduction to Mythology

• Mythosstories logythe study of
•  Why study mythology? 
• Myths are humanitys earliest imaginative attempt
  to explain the universe, its creation, and its
  writing. The study of the mythology of a
  particular culture reveals the way of life and
  thought of that culture. Since Western
  Civilization traces its roots back to Greek
  culture, it would seem that a knowledge of
  classical mythology is essential.

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Mythology

• Also, literature is filled with allusions to
  Greek gods and goddesses. Artists and sculptors
  throughout the ages have used mythological
  stories as subjects. The modern world, while
  seemingly far removed from Greek culture, has
  only to turn on the TV to see mythology come
  alive.

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Mythology

• Myths are a reflection of the culture that gave
  rise to them. Through myths, cultures often
  explore and express the way people think about
  themselves and the world. The myths therefore
  give us insight into how the ancient Greeks and
  Romans thought and felt about nature, society,
  gender, and many other aspects of their culture.

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Mythology

• Myths are generally stories that have been handed
  down for generations and are popular tales that
  embody a collective knowledge. Myths belong to a
  primitive or pre-scientific people as their
  cultural heritage.

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Mythology

• What are the functions of mythology?
• The reasons for myth making vary, but the four
  primary functions of myths are as follows
• To entertain
• To morally instruct
• To explain the unexplainable
• To reveal our deepest hopes and fears as a
  society/culture

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Mythology

• To entertain
• Storytelling was a valuable skill. Myths are
  stories and stories get told. Stories that are
  passed down from one generation to the next are
  stories told in the oral tradition. In places and
  times where people dont use written language,
  oral tradition is a way of preserving knowledge.

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Mythology

• To morally instruct (religious function)
• Myths can explain the correct form of behavior,
  explain customs and traditions, codes, or laws to
  follow. If a person did not follow the law, he or
  she would be punished. The gods looked favorably
  on the faithful and rewarded them accordingly.
  Many myths have a didactic purpose (just like
  some stories in the Bible).

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Mythology

• To explain the unexplainable
• The Greeks attempted to provide an aetiology
  (the study of first causes, origins) for
  everything in nature. A lot of these occurrences
  in nature are answered by science today, but we
  can understand how they baffled the Greeks. The
  Greeks sought to answer not just the small
  questions, but the big ones as well. Ex. Where
  did we come from ( a universal phenomenon, or
  cultural question)?
• How was the world created, etc

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Mythology

• To reveal our deepest hopes/fears as a society.
• Fairy tales, fables usually address our hopes and
  desires as a culture.
• Ex. Cinderella motif
• Urban legends address our fears as a culture.

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Looking Forward
ESSAY ASSIGNMENT As we work through various
creation myths and tales of gods, you need to
question what we are learning about the Greeks in
terms of culture, social value, attitudes and
beliefs. You will be writing an essay after
about three weeks in response to the following
prompt Definition Essay What, exactly, is
mythology and what relevance does it still serve
today?