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My Favorite Theory Of Mythology

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Myths have been a part of human lives for as long as time goes back. They tell stories, explain how things came to be, and have formed the base of many cultures throughout human history. The most difficult thing modern people come across when reading a myth is interpreting it. For this reason, I will explain my favorite theory of mythology and talk a little bit about the other theories. There are four theories of mythology; the rational theory, functional theory, structural theory, and psychological theory. Of these four theories, I feel the psychological theory is the most effective and correct way to interpret myths. To show why I believe this I will explain the psychological theory and show how it is effective across many different myths. The psychological theory looks at myths through the human mind and subconscious. People who interpret myths using this theory attempt to connect ideas in peoples subconscious to themes seen in myths. This theory came about in the 19th century when the science of psychology was expanding along with the discovery of more myths. The paired growth of these two things made the psychological approach inevitable and the two big names that contributed most are, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. In Freud’s book “Totem and Taboo” he states his discovery of the human Oedipus complex. Freud believes that this complex forms in children at a young age, and causes children to have an unconscious sexual desire for the parent of the same sex and want to

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