Mythology of Evil: Deciphering the Darkness

1982 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The existence of evil

The act of studying mythology can be an extremely unifying thing. For humans as a species, myths connect us with our collective history by allowing us to see through the eyes of our ancestors. Potentially much more than in novels, myths allow us to enter into the ancient world on a deeper level; through them we are exposed to the popular worldview and superstitions of the day. The inner workings of ancient human beings are visible, and it becomes strikingly clear that they were not all that different than we are. They experienced similar hopes and fears, they felt the rapturous beauty of falling in love, and cursed the crushing pangs of loss. They missed loved ones when they were away, anxiously counting the days and watching the horizons for their return. Seeing, breathing, speaking creatures, they were living, emotional beings. Their hearts vigorously pumped lifeblood through their capillaries until the day of their death. (Ellwood, 9) It is easy to forget the place from whence we came. By reading and studying mythology we are reminded of the great journey embarked upon by mankind as a whole. We can follow developments in mindset and public opinion, customs and courtesies, biases and superstitions. We watch the human race grow and flourish. Every myth, and arguably every story, has one thing in common: an antagonist. The key to writing or creating a memorable story is to have an intriguing counterpart with whom the hero will duel. This can take many forms, the classic being the amiable and admirable protagonist who must conquer the evil antagonist and put an end to his despicable deeds. In cases such as this the reader will most often agree with the protagonist’s reasons for destroying the evildoer. Interestingly, though, the... ... middle of paper ... ...ce existing for the sole purpose of introducing pockets of Evil into our lives saves us from having to face a terrifyingly possible reality: that human beings actually are capable of being pure evil – that a person can hurt another person simply for the pleasure of watching them suffer. It is much easier to blame an invisible, ill-tempered foe than to consider that ‘Evil’ may come from within us. Works Cited Bernstein, Richard J. A Radical Evil: A Philosophical Interrogation. Wiley, 2002. Cole, Philip. Myth of Evil: Demonizing the Enemy. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. Ellwood, Robert. Tales of Darkness: The Mythology of Evil. New York: Continuum, 2009. Guin, Ursula Le. A Wizard of Earthsea. London: Penguin Group, 1968. Lewis, C.S. The Screwtape Letters. HarperCollins, 2009. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Two Towers. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1954.

Show More
Related

  • Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume

    3105 Words  | 7 Pages

    Harris, Stephen L., and Gloria Platzner. Classical Mythology: Images and Insights. 2nd ed. Mountain View: Mayfield, 1995

    Read More

  • A Portrait of Hell: Vignettes from Various Mythologies regarding the Darker Side of Death

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    Morford, Mark P.O., Robert J. Lenardon and Michael Sham. Classical Mythology 9th Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

    Read More

  • holocaust and lunatic fringe

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    Behrens and Rosen asked, “What sort of people were responsible for the Holocaust, and for the long list of other atrocities that seem to blight the human record in every generation? Is it a lunatic fringe, a few sick but powerful people who are responsible for atrocities?” and the responded with “If so, then we decent folk needn’t ever look inside ourselves to understand evil since ever lurks out there.” Behrens and Rosen use this to construe that evil does not lurk only in lunatics but the ordinary person as well. Everyone is capable any act possible, the circumstances and the environment play an important role on what a person is capable of doing.

    Read More

  • Mythology In Mythology

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    Myths relate to events, conditions, and deeds of gods or superhuman beings that are outside ordinary human life and yet basics to it” ("Myth," 2012). Mythology is said to have two particular meanings, “the corpus of myths, and the study of the myths, of a particular area: Amerindian mythology, Egyptian mythology, and so on as well as the study of myth itself” ("Mythology," 1993). In contrast, while the term myth can be used in a variety of academic settings, its main purpose is to analyze different cultures and their ways of thinking. Within the academic setting, a myth is known as a fact and over time has been changed through the many different views within a society as an effort to answer the questions of human existence. The word myth in an academic context is used as “ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions: How did the universe and the world come to be? How did we come to be here? Who are we? What are our proper, necessary, or inescapable roles as we relate to one another and to the world at large? What should our values be? How should we behave? How should we not behave? What are the consequences of behaving and not behaving in such ways” (Leonard, 2004 p.1)? My definition of a myth is a collection of false ideas put together to create

    Read More

  • Comparing Gilgamesh Epic, Nile-Documents, And Hymn

    1771 Words  | 4 Pages

    Creation stories have profound effects on humans. Those associated with ancient cultures/civilizations aim to ensure the successful survival or well-being of themselves and that particular culture/civilization of their association, but not all are beneficial, prosperous, or fortunate. Mesopotamia’s “The Gilgamesh Epic”, Egypt’s “Hymn to the Nile-Documents”, and Mesoamerica’s Mayan and Aztec creation stories/religion are influential to establishing significant relationships within society, whether that is between humans and nature or humans and their “god(s).”

    Read More

  • Theories Of The Monomyth

    1489 Words  | 3 Pages

    Coincidentally, when thought about, all mythological stories seem to be written with the same communal ideas in mind. Back in ancient times, all of the authors were oblivious to the fact that they were all writing stories that were hypothetically the same. Authors nowadays are much more familiar with the theory of the Monomyth. Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, describes the theory that all archetypical heroes follow a single supernatural journey throughout their story. The Monomyth consists of three main stages: The Departure, Initiation, and the Return. Joseph Campbell theorized that all mythological stories follow this outline one way or another.

    Read More

  • Suzanne Collins´ The Hunger Games

    1486 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kirk, Geoffrey Stephen. Myth: Its Meaning and Functions in Ancient and Other Cultures. 1970. London: Cambridge University Press, 1973. Print.

    Read More

  • The Problem Of Evil

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    “…And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9-13) As it says in the Bible, we wish to be led astray from evil. However, evil is a very curious subject. For most intensive purposes, evil can be described as cruel, heinous, and unnecessary punishment. Evil is a relatively accepted concept in the world today, although it is not completely understood. Evil is supposedly all around us, and at all times. It is more often than not associated with a figure we deem Satan. Satan is said to be a fallen angel, at one point God’s favorite. Supposedly Satan tries to spite God by influencing our choices, and therefore our lives. However, this presents a problem: The Problem of Evil. This argues against the existence of God. Can God and evil coexist?

    Read More

  • The Teaching Of Evil Summary

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the “Evil Is More Than Banal: Situationism And The Concept Of Evil”, Berkowitz defines evil as an intentional will to harm another person. He establishes that evil must be interpreted in a form of a scale, as not all evil are of the same weight. Likewise, that same scale also applies to accountability, as the one who commits an evil act is most responsible. However, in The Lucifer Effect, Zimbardo examines that a portion of responsibility can still fall onto a separate individual or group. He illustrates that a bystander can be considered evil due to a series of situational factors. Subsequently, the role of a bystander is further substantiated with a historical account of the Rwanda Genocide. Staub’s description of the United States role details how inaction only further perpetuates the existence of evil. In "The Teaching Of Evil”, Bottery shatters the contention for an inherent evil, and affirms that evil is nurture. His argument demonstrates how forms of evil can exist on an institutional, societal, or even global degree - that rules and regulations should never be blindly trusted as it could intentionally be constructed for evil. Lastly, Calder details the atrocities of Hilter and Eichmann, and substantiates Berkowitz's and Bottery’s explanation of a evil with different degrees and forms. As a society, we must realize that

    Read More

  • Maori Myth, 'The Creation Cycle'

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rosenburg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Third Edition. Chicago: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 1999. Text.

    Read More

  • Olympian Gods of Greek Mythology

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Greek mythology is the myths and legends the ancient Greeks centred their lives around. The ancient Greeks used it to explain the events and components of the world around them. Their religion included gods and heroes, creation stories, and the origins of their civilisations and rituals. It is topic that had been studied and examined in great depth for thousands of years. This fascinating religion's messages and influences are reflected in today’s modern society, and many similarities can be found between Greek mythology and modern religions, such as Christianity. This proposal will outline the research and project I hope to successfully complete.

    Read More

  • Hitler's Crimes

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    We are all witnesses of the wicked “evil” that, unfortunately, inhabits the world. We see it everyday on the news, streets, and maybe even in our own homes. Almost always, I hear stories of a person that was murdered, a innocent and young child being kidnapped, or how someone was robbed. The corrupted people that have committed these acts, or others that support them, want to justify themselves by saying they have a mental condition, or were on drugs, or simply were going through a rough time, that “caused” them not to think rationally. But, what if these impulsive actions originate from more deeper and twisted roots?

    Read More

  • Evil and Human Nature

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is considered evil depends upon each individual’s view of morality, which constantly changes through the course of that person’s life. Roy Perrett’s “Evil and Human Nature” explains this by elaborating on the customary interpretation of moral evil. This evil, caused by an intentional bad action or harm, opposes another type of evil, natural evil, which occurs without intervention of a human agent. While natural evils, such as hurricanes and disease, may allude to the existence of a greater evil power, moral evils rather exist due to human decision and are more commonly recognized. However, Perrett claims that even the acknowledgement of moral evils, “does not seem to capture what many people have in mind when they talk of evil. Evil is instead often understood to be a very special kind of moral category: it involves not just wrongdoing, but a special kind of intentional wrongdoing” (304). This familiar definition of evil expands upon the vague topic of moral evil, in that the perpetrator of this sinister action enjoys and does not regret ever committing the action. Correspondingly, in order to comply with the currently recognized definition of evil, the action must be done solely because it is wrong and harmful. Therefore, it can be argued that the government in Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta is not evil in the modern sense. While some believe that murdering innocent peo...

    Read More

  • Mythology In Babylonian Mythology

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mythology is the basis of human nature. From the beginning of literature, mythology has defined what has been seen as the “unexplainable” or “unnatural”. Around the world, mythology has a strong impact on the beliefs of other cultures and affects their view of the world around them. Babylonian mythology and its themes of friendship and mortality explain the natural phenomenon that occurred in everyday life, the creation of the world and the creation of humankind.

    Read More

  • Prufrock Anti-Hero

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    For a time, the main characters in a story, poem, or narrative were easily classified as either being a hero or a villain. A hero would be easy to identify by the traits he'd possess, such as bravery, honesty, selflessness, trustworthiness, courage, leadership, and more. The villain would be easy to identify as well, possessing traits such as maliciousness, deceitfulness, immorality, dark, wishing harm upon others, and more. But what if the character lacked the natural heroic qualities but wasn't a villain either? What if the person displayed personality flaws that would traditionally be associated with a villain, but has heroic intentions? These questions were finally answered with the emergence of the anti-hero in literature.

    Read More

More about Mythology of Evil: Deciphering the Darkness

Open Document