Mythology Is So Much More Than A Collection Of Stories

A myth is defined as a traditional or legendary story, collection, or study. It is derived from the Greek word mythos, which simply means "story." The Greek myths had many purposes to the Greeks such as teaching a moral lesson, explaining the origins of the world, explaining the origins of the gods and their relationships with humans, and why certain events occurred in nature. The authors of each myth were said to be divinely inspired by the Muses. The Muses were the goddesses of artistic inspiration. These Muses were thought to whisper in the ear of the author the adventures of the gods. Thus, myths held a sacred place in ancient Greece as they were seen to be divinely inspired and were meant to express an important message about life or the gods to the people.

Mythology serves to create an explanation for why the world is the way it is. All religions have mythology in them and myths help people understand history. Myth can mean so many different things to different people. Some myths are total fiction, while others may have a hint of truth in them. But most myths are more of a symbolic and metaphoric truth, rather than a literal truth, because most of the time myths cannot be proven and people are not trying to prove that they are true. Myths become true to the people who believe in them and they use them as a sort of lens through which they see the world. They use myths to create explanations for themselves as to why the world is the way it is and they use them to help cope with the difficulties of life. Myths are a natural outgrowth of our imagination and our passions.

Myths and religious doctrine are generally recognized as two entirely different things. Myths are usually referred to as a fictitious story or a half-truth; often they are stories shared between groups of people that are part of a cultural society. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, and purpose of the universe, and often containing an ethical code dictating appropriate human conduct. Although they differ in certain aspects, they still hold similarities. Comparable to parables within the Bible, myths have different versions which are both motivating, as well as entertaining. There are not only parallels to the idea of the stories but specific tales hold similar morals and equivalent characters.

Mythology is word derived from Greek ‘mythos’ (means story of people) and ‘logos means (the spoken story of people). It is the study of sacred tales of culture which we called ‘Myths’. Myths are supposed to be real stories and they are usually observed as truthful explanations of history. Myths passed from one generation to other and can be grown to take several versions and diverse stories. The ultimate characters in mythology are mostly considered supernatural beings like gods and goddesses. Over these unseen characters there is a visible effort to describe the evolution and the mysteries of the cosmos. Some might accept an indifferent attitude towards myths and reject them any truth-value, while others might be generous and consensus some cognitive-value to them.

     Mythology is a way that the ancient societies explained why things are the way they are and how they came to being. Two ancient societies are infamous for their mythology. These societies are Greece and Rome. Great authors were made be the mythological works they wrote. Homer was a famous author who is best known for his epics. It is from these epics that most of the gods and actual myths well known. I am writing of two of these gods in particular, Saturn and Dionsysus.

The culture of mythology is originated as the means of documenting what the culture thinks to be real and have many facts about the beginning of the universe around them. For example, over time and documentation the word of religion took up other meaning for different cultures. When a brand new religion dominates over the previous religion the old book or documents become myths and legends so then beings regarded past recordings as false or fantasy but with no real historical value. That’s when the word myth comes in to play.

Greek mythology, as in past ways humans detailed lives, was used as a way to explain the environment in which everything around us happened and lived. The natural wonders they witnessed and the passing of time through the days, months, and seasons. Myths were also in a way connected to religion and explained where they came from and what are the lives of the gods. Also stated where humanity had come from and what it they should expect after death. It gave almost a rule on the best way to be in a happy life.(History Staff) Myths were used to tell historical events so that people could maintain contact with their ancestors, the wars they fought, and the places they explored. (Cartwright)

Myths have been a part of humanity since as far back as we can imagine. Most of the myths or stories you hear today are modern takes on ancient oral tales. These tales have been retold many times. Each time a myth is retold it is reflective of the time and place it is being retold. The author and the audience must relate to the story, therefore it will be told in such a way that the people of its era can easily understand and relate to the theme. Myths are often used to help us understand many different aspects of our lives. Love, death, hatred, compassion, religion; these are all topics commonly found in myths. These are also topics which are hard to define. Rationalized versions of a myth represent the storyteller and audience, their beliefs, traditions, and everyday lives.

Just like today, there were things known to be true, believed to be true, man's relationships with the unknown (myths) and man's relationships with the gods (religion). The latter two are frequently intertwined, with a great deal of Roman and Greek mythology revolving around man's interactions with the gods. Myth and religion break ranks when it comes to an overarching philosophy as to how an individual or society should behave as mandated by their god(s). Myth contains allegory while religion contains instruction. Both play a significant role in helping people deal with life and the world. As an example, most societies have myths surrounding death, and these myths serve the purpose of helping us accept death as a part of life. Religion goes a step further and addresses what happens to us after we

Mythology is the study of myths and it plays an important part in many cultures. Myths were often used to explain an unknown phenomenon or to help cope with an unexplainable situation. Myths are stories that can contain men, women, gods, goddesses and animals. Myths also can pertain to the Earth and in that of the water, wind, rain and even volcanoes. There are two main divisions of mythology, Greek and Roman. Though they are somewhat related, they are also different.

Mythology is mainly about storytelling in both mythology and storytelling have been an esstiental art form since the dawn of time. They are bound to have some common similaritys in themes.

Mythology is the traditions that have been passed down orally, among a culture, for many generations. Myths can include several different elements, often varying slightly. Most include fantasy or unnatural characters, such as monsters, dragons, gods and goddesses. Myths generally tell a story which is the basis for many beliefs among a culture. Greek and Roman myths encompass the gods that the cultures worship. Myths often serve to teach a lesson or play on superstitions. The origin is unknown and because it has been handed down orally, there are variations in the story. The story often travels around to other cultures also. This leads to similar myths among cultures. Similar situations and characters

Reading a good story makes me lose track of time and some of the best stories I have read are those of mythology. Not only is the story itself enjoyable and interesting, but each type of mythology is unique in its own right and each type gives a different experience.

Myths to most people, appear to be just stories people tell for entertainment. But for centuries, these myths have been told for centuries and serve a specific type of purpose. There are so many myths in our world today that come from so many cultures and nations, one can only assume how much of an impact it has had on our world. For example, the Greek myths such as the Olympians or Prometheus were prominent myths because they explained the origins of our world. In addition to Greek mythology, we have Egyptian myths where the gods fought each other for power. These myths and legends, although are just stories, Joseph Campbell sees them as a significant part of life.

Have you ever wondered why the seasons change? Why there’s thunder? Where the stars come from? The Greeks created their own beliefs to answer their questions. Greek mythology is a belief of ancient civilizations. Greek mythology gives information on the Olympians, Heracles, origin of Greek mythology, and more. They made up stories called myths to explain why things were the way they are. They called these collections of Greek stories, Greek mythology.