Tracking Myth to Geological Reality

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Kevin Krajick’s article “Tracking Myth to Geological Reality” was published by American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2005. This article examines how many myths can be linked to geological evidence. Geologists have been investigating how ancient geological phenomenon are able to shed light on the origins of many myths. Scientist have even uncovered evidence that may serve as the inspiration for biblical stories. Many are hoping that understanding these myths and the geological phenomenon they depict will reveal important information about natural disasters like: tsunamis, floods and volcanic eruptions. It is hoped that this information will save human lives in the future. With all of these new discoveries it is important to remember that it is easy to go too far. Myth cannot account for all geological phenomenon and vice versa. It is crucial to make sure that scientific integrity remains the focus when linking myth and geology. It is important that people learn from history. Recently, it has become apparent that myths and folk lore may be an important part of history to consider. Convincing geological evidence has been discovered that link major geological phenomenon with myths from that region. In the Pacific North West there are legends of a boulder that is haunted by A’yahos, a spirit that can turn a person to stone and shake the ground. Geophysical images from the 1990s showed that there is a hidden fault line traversing Seattle that would have caused earthquakes. Myth may be able to help understand repeating geological events as well. Much like the people of the Pacific North West, the Norse people also had a way of explaining reoccurring earthquakes. They believed that that Loki’s evil power was so immense... ... middle of paper ... ...ic records have shown that many mythological tales describe large scale natural disasters. It turns out that these legends may have been how ancient people described geological phenomenon that they did not fully understand. This can be seen is myth like that of A’yahos and Loki would cause earth quakes. This new research leads to new questions. How frequently are myths linked to geological phenomenon? How will these new finding change the way people view/value mythological stories? Linking myth to geological phenomenon will cause people to see myth as a record of past events. No longer will myth be classified as simple stories. They will hold direct knowledge of the real world. Work Cited Krajick, Kevin. "Tracking Myth to Geological Reality." American Association for the Advancement of Science. 310.5749 (2005): 762. Print. .

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