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Mythology

Chapter 2. Mythology. Mythology. The most common mythology people think of is Greek: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v =eJCm8W5RZes. Introduction. But mythology is actually a broader term Myths are religious narratives that tell stories and are important to religious beliefs Origins

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Mythology

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  1. Chapter 2 Mythology

  2. Mythology • The most common mythology people think of is Greek: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJCm8W5RZes

  3. Introduction • But mythology is actually a broader term • Mythsare religious narratives that tell stories and are important to religious beliefs • Origins • Histories • Rules of behavior • Can be written or oral

  4. Myths and Worldview • All people experience things they can’t explain • The way we perceive reality is our worldviewand it colors all we see and how we interact with things • Ex. Navaho vs. Judeo-Christian view of nature

  5. Myths and Worldview • Read the Judeo-Christian and Navaho creation myths on pg.34-35 & pg. 45-46 • Analyze for themes: • Nature-human interaction • How humans are created • View of animals • Interaction between humans and supernatural • Element of time

  6. Myths and Worldview • So how would we summarize the different worldviews from these two creation myths?

  7. Myths and Worldview • Navaho: interconnectedness with nature, living in balance, respecting living things • Judeo-Christian: controlling nature, humans were given the world and can exploit it

  8. Supernatural • Read the story on Snow White (pg. 30-31) • What is the ‘moral’ of the story? • What aspects are supernatural? • Is this a religious study? Why or why not?

  9. Supernatural • This story is a folktale • It entertains and gives a lesson, but is not a religious text

  10. Supernatural • Legendsare stories that people believe really happened, but have been embellished • Urban legendsare stories that supposedly happened in the recent past

  11. Supernatural • What are some examples of urban legends?

  12. Supernatural • Bloody Mary • Big Foot • The escaped killer with a hook hand • Basically anything that people think is a hoax or tabloid story

  13. Myths • These are sacred stories • They explain: • Human’s origin • Creation of the universe • Values and norms • Good vs. evil • They are religious and used in religious rituals • Bible stories, Qur’an, Torah, etc. • (Table 2.1, pg. 32)

  14. Myths • Be able to distinguish what makes folktales, legends, and myths different • Use table in book

  15. Written and Oral Texts • Some cultures do not have written histories • They use oral traditions to pass down cultural knowledge • Oral texts are performed, not recited • Slightly altered each generation • Can be adapted to new events • Others are written • Qur’an means “recitation” and is literal word of God and so not changed in any way

  16. Example • Genesis from the Bible is a creation myth • Part 1: • God makes the world in 6 days • He makes plants, then animals, then humans • Importance of the Sabbath • Part 2: • Creates Adam and Eve • Fall from Eden • Makes humans first and then animals • Creates Eve out of Adam

  17. Example • These myths reflect worldview and social charter (human interactions) • Male dominance • Humans given control over nature • Correct and incorrect behavior • Punishments

  18. Myths • There are different forms of written traditions • How many versions of the Bible are there? • Some keep traditional language (it sounds more “religious”) and some use current language

  19. Understanding Myths • Myths are found in all societies but vary widely • There are different ways to approach studying them • Most of these are connected to theories we discussed in chapter 1

  20. Approaches to Myths • 1. Evolutionary • (incorrect) idea of unilineal evolution • Evolve from simple to complex • Primitive to civilized • Frazer (The Golden Bough) NO!

  21. Approaches to Myths • 2. Fieldwork and Functional • Can use myths to understand cultural system • See what function myths have in society • Boas (Father of American Anthropology) • Malinowski (Essential needs of humans)

  22. Approaches to Myths • 3. Structural • Look at structure of the myth • Dualism: light/dark, good/evil, male/female • No focus on meaning or content • Levi-Strauss

  23. Approaches to Myths • 4. Psychological • Unconscious projections • Collective consciousness • Archetypes: orphan, creator, fool, etc. • Freud • Jung

  24. Common Themes • Know common themes to use on homework!!

  25. Common Themes • Common themes may come from diffusion of knowledge or from collective consciousness • Birth Metaphor • Supernatural creating something • Chaos • Things created out of chaos or darkness • Emergence • Things created by emerging from under the earth • Holy People • Holy beings create people

  26. Apocalyptic Myths • Center on the destruction of the world • Cycles of destruction and creation • Noah’s flood • Revelations • Four horsemen, lamb of God, lake of fire, etc.

  27. Trickster Myths • Some myths are for entertainment and some discuss serious matters • Trickster mythsare less serious and teach people how not to behave • Example: Haida story of the Raven (pg. 49).

  28. Hero Myths • Though stories all vary, there is a common pattern or story line (monomyth) • Hero leaves common world and enters supernatural world  receives training  encounters obstacles and is victorious  hero returns to help his friends and family • Common in our stories and movies

  29. Discussion Questions • 1. Define what worldview is. How does this impact how people see nature and the environment? • 2. What are some common themes among different religious creation myths? • 3. What is a monomyth? Why are popular movies (previous slide) not considered religious?

  30. Assignment • ICA #1 “Creation Myths” together in groups

  31. Videos • As you watch videos look for: • Similarities • Common themes • Connection to environment • Examples from lecture

  32. Videos • Egypt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTy49JlgJZE • Inca: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75kDb2OqBWI&list=PL32257ECAC08445A3 • Aboriginal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koxp_q46z0Q&list=PL32257ECAC08445A3 • Japan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIQ9Ea7WDSI&list=PL32257ECAC08445A3

  33. Greek Mythology Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQN1vGmHxs4

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