Mythology

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The traditional stories of a people, often orally transmitted. They usually tell of unbelievable things in a deliberate manner, so that a 'myth' can mean both 'an untrue story', and 'a story containing religious truth'. The subject-matter of myths is either the gods and their relations with human or other beings, or complex explanations of physical phenomena. Until recently mythology meant Greek mythology, which is distinct in its concentration on stories of heroes and heroines, and its avoidance of the bizarre episodes in contemporary Near Eastern myths.

Greek mythology was largely derived from Homer; it referred to a specific historical period (before the Trojan War); and it was, to a certain extent, rationalized and beautified by later writers. The use of this mythology in Elizabethan and Romantic poets indicates a wish to break out of narrowly Christian patterns of behaviour.

Some writers (such as Blake, Tolkien, and Yeats) have created mythical systems of their own by synthesizing disparate materials. Recent scholarship has been either folklorist or structuralist, finding unexpected parallels in myths from widely different sources, and showing their function in determining social behaviour.

Myths are stories that narrate the structure and origins of a culture. While the figures and deeds that myths portray may seem fanciful or bizarre, myths reveal the symbols, meanings and values that make up the foundations of a culture. The term mythology can describe a body of myths, as in those of the Romans, Greeks, Native Americans, or Egyptians. Mythology also means the study of myths.

While some references describe ancient myths as illogical or irrational attempts to define the physical and spiritual world, myths actually dealt with the very real and essential concerns of the cultures that created them. Cultures developed their mythologies to answer questions that we still ask today, like "where did we come from?" "what is our purpose for being here?" and "what happens to us when we die?". Mythology gave people the means to understand, as best they could, nature and the spiritual realm.

When myths are studied, researchers may seek to understand the characters and actions within the myths, or they may examine why the myths were necessary to the cultures that created them. Myths are often considered to be the expression of the human psyche and the response of a society to the unknown, therefore they reveal much of a culture or society's foundations.

Myths are often classified by the dominant theme of the story. The four most important themes found in myths are:

• The story of creation;
• The beginning of the gods;
• Rebirth and renewal, as shown in the cycles of nature;
• The afterlife.

Myths of Creation

The stories of the creation of the earth and its peoples are considered to be a culture's most important myths. There are almost as many variations of creation myths as there are cultures, yet many common themes flow through them. In some cultures, the universe is seen as being created by a deity (god) out of nothingness or from the midst of chaos. Another common theme attributes creation to wars between the gods. Sometimes a god, or even a human being, is said to have dived deep into a massive ocean covering the planet and brought up a piece of earth, on which life could develop. Another myth holds that creation was born from a cosmic egg created by the gods.

Creation, or cosmogonic (relating to the origin of the universe) myths often portray creation as a break or separation of humans from their gods - whether through ignorance or disobedience on the part of the humans. Many rituals and religious practices seek to repair that breach and bring individuals back into connection with the gods. Creation myths are also said to set the tone and characteristics of a society's beliefs and its symbolic meanings.

Myths of the Origin of Deities

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Gods take on many forms in mythology and their roles are varied. Some deities are a part of the creation myths - like those who create the cosmic egg or those who engage in violent battles. Often these creation deities are symbolized as earth and sky and their coming together creates life.

Other deities have their origins in the aspects of nature, where lightning, rain, wind and other natural phenomena are said to be the physical manifestation of the gods. Other gods are said to live in nature itself - in trees, springs, mountains and vegetation.

Many cultures also used the concepts of deities to symbolize order, representing at times both the social order and the rhythms of day and night. Deities were also said to have taught humans the techniques and skills vital to survival, like how to build fires, how to plant and harvest crops, how to weave - even how to communicate through writing.

Myths of Renewal and Rebirth

In most ancient societies, time was considered to be cyclical - meaning that it moved in cycles with clear beginnings and ending of intervals. The rhythm of nature, from the new life of spring through the dying away of winter, created distinct intervals of time. Rituals and specified behavior often took place during certain points of the cycle to ensure that time would continue to move forward - that winter would indeed give way to spring the same as night would always end again in day. Rituals such as these were especially important to agricultural societies, which depended on their crops rising again from apparently dead fields.

Myths of the Afterlife

The cyclical view of time led ancient cultures to develop myths about the afterlife - of being born again, perhaps into another world or realm, or to reestablish their connection with their gods. Witnessing the rebirth of nature each year, people created myths to explain what would happen after they themselves died.

The ancient Egyptians left perhaps the most visible evidence of belief in the afterlife with the massive pyramids and intricate tombs that they built for their rulers. The tombs were filled with treasures and representations of the gods, but they also held food, clothing and common utensils that the dead would need in the afterlife. In Mesopotamia, the tombs were sometimes filled with the bodies of servants who were killed just so they could see to the needs of their rulers in the next life.

The study of mythology has given scholars a better understanding of the origins of culture and language and has revealed much of the history of modern religions. Understanding myths also enables us to gain a sense of the lives and beliefs of even the most ancient societies.

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