Discovering Mythology: Unlocking Ancient Stories and Beliefs

1. Quick Word onMythology Mr. Moccia’s English I: Honors/Pre-IB

2. Defining Mythology • OED (a great source!) • a. A traditional story, typically involving supernatural beings or forces or creatures, which embodies and provides an explanation or justification for something such as the early history of a society, a religious belief or ritual, or a natural phenomenon • b. As a mass noun: such stories collectively or as a genre

3. Defining some more… • Also from the OED… • A widespread but untrue or erroneous story or belief • A popular conception of a person or thing which exaggerates or idealizes the truth • Although these last two definitions are important to know and will be discussed, the former definition is the one that will be used in class

4. Why do myths exist? • To explain the inexplicable • Myths often use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity Myths usually express the values and/or beliefs of the cultural system from which they came

5. What myths are not… • Legends • stories about the (usually more recent) past, which generally include, or are based on, some historical events • Fairy Tales • focused on human heroes; stories which lack any definite historical setting and often include such things as fairies, witches, a fairy guide and animal characters.

6. Types of Myths • Creation myths: describes how the world or universe came into being • Origin myths (aetiologies): describe the beginnings of a custom, name or object • Ritual myths: explain the performance of certain religious practices or patterns and associated with temples or centers of worship

7. Types, continued • Eschatological myths: stories which describe catastrophic ends to the present world order • Social myths: reinforce or defend current social values or practices • Trickster myth: concerns itself with the pranks or tricks played by gods or heroes

8. Interpreting Myths • Many different ways throughout history • Jung: • tried to understand the psychology behind world myths. Jung argued that the gods of mythology are not material beings, but archetypes — or mental states and moods — that all humans can feel, share, and experience. He and his adherents believe archetypes directly affect our subconscious perceptions and way of understanding

9. Myth as form of Truth • Lewis and Tolkien believed in myths as expressing Truth

10. Why do we study myths? • To understand history • To understand our cultural heritage • To understand the symbolism, language, references, and much more that you will see throughout your educational lives – and beyond • To establish your foundational knowledge, upon which everything else will rest more solidly

11. Allusions Allusion: “An implied or indirect reference, especially in literature” A lot of important literature, past and current, take their root in different muthologies. We need to become experts at picking up and analyzing these allusions.