The Purpose Of Myth

In the article “Redefining Myth and Religion: Introduction to a Conversation,” Dr. Loyal D. Rue discusses how science, religion, and myth are related and how they coexist. Some people may argue that science and religion should not coincide and that they are opposites. However, Rue argues, “…In an ideal world, the vocabulary of science would inform the myth that binds together the culture.” In this statement, Rue claims that science can be used to help explain the supernatural phenomena that religion and myths describe. Science is not anti-religion; it helps us to explain religion in ways that humans can understand.

The sin stories in the Book of Genesis address theological, cosmic, social, and ethical questions. These sin stories, The Fall of Man, Cain and Abel, and Noah and the Flood, and The Tower of Babel show the functions of myths and demonstrate man's likeliness to sin. These myths let the readers learn of the culture, beliefs, and foundation of the time.

Myth A traditional story about Gods, ancestors, or heroes, told to explain the natural world, or the customs and beliefs of a society.

1. How is the word myth used popularly? For example, what does the statement, “It’s a myth” mean? In contrast, how is the word myth used in the academic context? After considering the definition in your textbooks and course materials, write a definition in your own words.

In the decades after the “Good War,” many attempts have been made to extol this generation in the media. Myth and the Greatest Generation: A Social History of Americans in World War II by Kenneth D. Rose, attempts to shine light on how life actually was for the generation that survived World War II, and came to be known as the greatest generation, rather than how that generation appears to us today.

In The Bible Among the Myths, John N. Oswalt, opens up his book by establishing his expertise in the subject of the Ancient Near East (ANE). Oswalt started his study into the ANE at Asbury Theological Seminary. After attending Asbury Theological Seminary, he went to Brandeis University. This is where his fascination with the subjects and Ideas of the ANE started to grow. Oswalt eventually went on to teach at Asbury Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Wesley Biblical Seminary.

‘In Rome myth was primarily a public and political tool.’ Do you agree with this statement?

There once was a god named Perculus, he was one of the three lost gods that were destroyed by Zeus. He was the god of education; he was responsible for teaching all the citizens of Greece the basic ways of living. Once Zeus got into power he was jealous that someone other than himself was teaching the citizens so he sent him to Hades, along with two other gods for other personal reasons, Diminutive the original god of Truth and, Gargantuan the god of punishment.

Chapter 7 of Power of Myth is all about love and marriage. Because love is such a broad topic, Moyers begins by asking for Campbell to tell us where he starts, which is the Troubadours. Campbell introduces them as the founders of modern love. Campbell also tells us about how ancient love was based around sexual desire, and this is how the Troubadours are different. They set the grounds for how we think of love today.

Bart Ehrman believes the chapter of Genesis is a myth. The term myth has many different definitions though so let’s see what he meant when he said myth. Ehrman’s definition of a myth is, “a story about God or gods and their activities, which tries to make sense of the world and our place in it”, In Ehrman’s eyes, the book of Genesis (in this case chapters 1-11) is just a story, no more real than the story of Cinderella. Looking at McCutcheon’s list of different definitions of the word myth, I find that Ehrman’s definition best fits with ‘Pre-scientific explanations of natural phenomena’ which basically says that myths are people trying to explain what they observe around them, their environment. Ehrman believes that creation is a myth,

Greek mythology is the myths and legends that the Greeks built their lives around. Hermes is the goddess of herds, flock, traveller, hospitality roads, trade and laws. He was born in a cave at dawn, and his mother wrapped him in swaddling wraps. Sirens were creatures that had a head of a woman and body if bird. Tiresias lived for seven to nine years, and in those years he lived as man and woman. Hermes, Sirens, and Tiresias are important in Greek mythology because they reveal the values of Greek culture, all of them have an important story, and they all appear in the Odysseus.

Are great myths merely silly, superstitious tales, or do they give us insights into the nature of our world?

Mythic reality is a way of looking at the world through a specific lens that creates a reality that demands absolutes, as compared to a sensory reality which is the world seen as it is, in other words reality. We go back and forth between these worlds throughout life. Mythic reality transforms events such as war into a chain of events directed by a will greater than our own. A fairytale like view is created that has war perceived as a hero and damsel in distress type scenario. Man sees himself as the prince fighting to save the princess from the gruesome, evil dragon by only means of completely killing the dragon. Once the dragon is defeated, the princess is saved and all harmony is restored. This does not happen in real life, but instead war often brings about new points for further conflict rather than harmony. The title of Chris Hedges’ book in itself, War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning demonstrates how a mythical reality type of thinking in war can serve as an intoxicating elixir that lures people in, because it allows them to find purpose, meaning, and a reason to live.

Myth functions as a source of expression in our lives, whether it be value, worldview or even how our very own gender roles are impacted. Myth can allow particular behavior in response to how we perceive and deal with the myth itself. If we accept the myth, we could potentially use it to cope with life in general. Though fiction, myth gives our lives this sense of an exterior, or hidden human life that is capable of giving our lives more meaning. Often times, and in the case for this paper, a sense of feminism, the symbolism of the woman warrior speaks as the theme of myth.

This excerpt from Live-in Myths, written by Ellen Goodman is a fabulous example of all the different kinds of relationships and their participants who have an excellent sustainability to spend their lives living their own myths. A very evident character that the author uses to bring out the true meaning of this piece is her friend. Her friend is continuously apologizing for her husbands unapologetic behavior, saying, “He is not really like that,” when he most definitely has been this way since the time they first started dating. The woman uses the word “cranky” is order to describe her husband and his actions. But the author uses more serious and much heavier words like, “erratic outbursts of anger”, which helps us understand the nature of