Myth, and the maintenance and recreation of the socio-cosmic order, is a seemingly paradoxical occurrence in religion, yet their relationship to one another becomes established as the evolution of belief flourishes and the intricate understanding of the cosmos coupled with the allegory of myth become increasing interlinked.
Boas, a pioneer and a dominant influential figure in the discipline of anthropology stated that, ‘mythology reflect[ed] culture, implying something of a one–to-one relationship’ (Boas, 1910, pp. 371- 384), insinuating that mythology placed upon a culture, exists not as a single consciousness, but rather different people holding distinguishable myths, and socio-cosmic beliefs of one specific entity.
Malinowaski, who favored studying one culture at time, in depth, argued upon similar lines, stating that ‘…alive myth… is not symbolic, but a direct expression of its subject matter’ (Malinowaski, 1954, pp.101). Interestingly enough, Sigmund Freud, the founding father of psychoanalysis, thought upon identical lines. Freud stating,
I believe that a large portion of the mythological conception of the world, which reaches far into the most modern religions, is nothing but psychology projection to the outer world. The dim perception of psychic factors and relations of the unconscious was taken as a model in the construction of a transcendental reality. (Freud, 1938:164)
This is an indistinguishable aspect in Alan Dundes paper: Earth-Diver: Creation of the Mythopoeic Male, who analyses and comprehends the understanding that a ‘myth may be analysed with knowledge of a particular mythmaker, or a myth may be analysed without such knowledge’ (Dundes, 1962, pp. 1033), in an anthropological sense it suggests the fact t...
... middle of paper ...
...B.C.E, Phaedo: Plato’s o the soul, The school of Athens
Roheim, Geza, 1951, ‘The gates of the dream, New York, International University Press
Rooth, Anna Birgitta, 1957, ‘The creation myths of the North American Indians, Anthropos 52: 479-508
Saville, Marshall, H, 1920, ‘The goldsmiths art in ancient Mexico, Indian Notes and Monographs, New York, Heye Foundation
Schwarzbaum, Haim, 1960, ‘Jewish and Moslem sources of a Falasha creation myth, In studies in Biblical and Jewish folklore, Raphael Patai, Francis Lee Utely, Dov Noy, eds, American Folklore Society Memoir 51, Bloomington, Indiana University Press
Silberer, Herbert, 1925, ‘A pregnancy phantasy in a man’, Psychoanalytical Review 12: 377-96
Wheeler-Volgelin. Erminie, 1949, ‘Earth-Diver’, In standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend, Vol 1, Maria Leach, ed, New York, Funk and Wagnalls
David, Adams Leening., ed. The World of Myths: An Anthology. New York: Oxford UP, 1990.
Further exploration of the myth teaches more about Northern Europeans who believed it as their creation myth and reveals their emphasis on structure and order as well as a belief in supernatural
Many Native American tribes share different spiritual and cultural views on the aspect of life. Belief in God and the things he created depend on what tribe you belong to. Tribes like the Onondaga and the Modoc have several stories that inform us regarding their religious customs and beliefs. The origin myths were written to point out the beliefs among tribes. “The Earth on Turtle’s Back” and “When Grizzlies Walked Upright” provides us with examples of what the Onondaga and Modoc tribes believed in. Since September, we have been learning about the different views of God that tribes have and all the different customs that take place within their cultures. The origin myths that have been chosen along with the “Song of the Hiawatha” and the Part- Time Indian teach us the cultural aspect of the Native Americans.
Williams Paden discusses the world building character of myths and their capacity to shape time and delineate scared and profane space for the communities that believe and transmit them. In William Paden, “Myth,” in Religious Worlds: The Comparative Study of Religion, he explains that within religious worlds, myths set a foundation that advance to shape a person’s way of life. Subsequently, they shape their belief and conscience. His theory relates to an element an indigenous story which is the creation story precisely the story of the turtle island. For the Ojibway and Anishinaabe people, the creation story was used as a grounding prototype to shape their belief and their outlook on how the world was created. The story shows how myth is being
From before the dawn of civilization as we know it, humanity has formed myths and legends to explain the natural world around them. Whether it is of Zeus and Hera or Izanami-no-Mikoto and Izanagi-no-mikoto, every civilization and culture upon this world has its own mythos. However, the age of myth is waning as it is overshadowed in this modern era by fundamental religion and empirical science. The word myth has come to connote blatant falsehood; however, it was not always so. Our myths have reflected both the society and values of the culture they are from. We have also reflected our inner psyche, conscious and unconscious, unto the fabric of our myths. This reflection allows us to understand ourselves and other cultures better. Throughout the eons of humanity’s existence, the myths explain natural phenomena and the cultural legends of the epic hero have reflected the foundations and the inner turmoil of the human psyche.
Every ancient society and civilization has creation myths that were passed down and keep alive throughout the passing of time by word of mouth. These myths are the world’s oldest stories and are vital to these cultures because they explain their beginnings and give purpose to their existence. By analyzing and interpreting different creation myths it becomes easier to understand different cultures and their connections and relationships with heir beliefs and god(s).
Throughout the history of the world there have been a number of civilizations which have had a longstanding influence not only their own people and culture, but also on various other societies and civilizations. The Greek and Roman civilizations are two such civilizations. Both Greek and Roman influences have permeated societies and cultures besides their own. While there are many notable similarities between ancient Greek and Roman mythology and religion, there are likely also many differences in their origins, beliefs, and practices. Still, ancient Greek and Roman mythology and culture have influenced people of the world from the medieval ages up to the present. Indeed, ancient Greek and Roman mythology and culture have influenced world theology through the ages.
Through studies such as comparative mythology, researchers and philosophers have discover hundreds of parallels between the myths that make up every culture, including their creation myths. As most are deeply rooted in religion, comparisons based on geographic area, themes, and similar story lines emerge as religions form and migrate. Campbell recognized these similarities an...
Ryan, John Barry. "Native American Creation Myths." Encyclopedia of American Studies. N.p.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
Hultkrantz, Ake. Belief and Worship in Native North America. Ed Christopher Vecsey. NewYork: Syracuse University Press, 1981.
As human beings, we are designed to belive in something. Although the belief in a higher power or religion is diverse, many theologies share common themes. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and the Hebrew book of “Genesis” are seemingly polar opposites. Christianity, demonstrated in Genesis, is monotheistic, and the Hebrews base their faith on their relationship with God. On the other hand, Sumerian philosophy, found in Gilgamesh, is polytheistic, and the Sumerian people base their theology on fear. Ancient polytheistic literature forms an archetypical pattern of the mortals trying desperately to please the gods. A mortal’s entire existence rests in the hands of the sometimes childish gods. In spite of this, these two stories
Religions of the ancient world were in a state of constant flux. Karl Jaspers states that between the eighth and fourth centuries B.C.E, “great changes took place in all the civilized world” (qtd. in Basham 36), and the great thinkers of these times began thinking independently and individually. Moreover, “after these great thinkers the world was never the same again” (qtd. in Basham 36-37). These times were dubbed the “axial period” (qtd. in Basham 37). The axial religions that emerged during this period were profound and lasting. In fact, the religions discussed in this paper—Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity—are considered the most practiced religions to do this day. Although these religions have changed over time, their underlying structure remains intact.
Rosenburg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Third Edition. Chicago: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 1999. Text.
This fable, created by the Mohawk Indians proposes that they believed in one higher power that created the world. It also implies they beli...
Throughout studying many myths, I came up with many new observations. Many questions came into my mind about these myths. Greek mythology takes us back to a time when people had a connection with nature and when nature played a major role in people’s lives. The religious beliefs of the people who wrote the myths are found in the background of these myths; however, they are not to be read like religious texts. The myths try to offer explanations of “how”, which makes us think deeply about the purpose of these myths and the questions they draw to our minds. According to the myths we studied in class, the world created the gods, not the other way around. The gods were always created in the image of man, which shows how much men were important in their society. Furthermore, many of these Greek myths show us the difference between the views of the Greek then and our view towards many aspects of the society, including nature. Monsters appear in Greek myths and have different representations and roles. Greek mythology reflects a view of the Greeks towards the world and how certain aspects of their lives are similar and different to modern society.