We explain what myth and legend are and what their similarities and differences are. Also, its general characteristics and examples.
What are myth and legend?
Humanity, from very early times, has felt the need to tell stories to itself. These stories They help to exist, to deal with a huge and unknown worldor to explain phenomena that were still beyond their perspective. Some of these stories are myths and legends.
By myth we understand a series of traditional stories with a strong symbolic load. They may not have any historical support, but they still have a strong explanatory character. The latter means that They try to explain various phenomena in the world through an extraordinary anecdote, starring deities or supernatural beings.
Instead, A legend is a popular narrativealso focused on magical or supernatural events, which are nevertheless presented as real or at least credible. They occupy an intermediate place between myth and historical events. They almost always have a moralizing ending.
As he Both are important forms of cultural transmission. from one generation to the next, and have played vital roles in the formation of the imaginaries of different civilizations.
See also: Magical realism
How did myths and legends originate?
Both myths and legends They have their origin in the human need to tell stories; it is one of the characteristics that differentiate us from animals.
Since ancient times, Human beings created these stories and taught them to their descendants. for various purposes, always closely related to the particular way of life of the community.
Thus, the people constructed stories that They explained their vision of the worldhow the universe was created and natural phenomena, which are myths.
On the other hand, they created stories about alleged past or distant eventswith instructive content or more or less explicit warnings, which are the legends.
Differences between myths and legends
The differences between myths and legends can be summarized as:
- Its creation. While myths are supposed to be primary, religious stories that contain in their imagination a way of understanding nature or explaining the real world, legends are born from probably real (or possible) events that, with the passage of time, accumulate a magical or symbolic content. When deformed, they also acquire a certain moralizing (pedagogical) emphasis. Thus, while myths are religious, legends are usually popular.
- Its function. Myths are foundational stories that create a cultural tradition and serve as a common imaginary for an entire community. Legends, on the other hand, serve to transmit certain life warnings to future generations, usually transformed into monstrous or supernatural beings, or magical or implausible situations.
- Its context. Legends are usually inscribed in a specific, real, place and time. On the contrary, myths are located in a time and space outside of reality, known as mythological time and which is assumed to be distant, ancient or primeval.
- Their characters. Mythical characters are always well-defined individuals, with their own name and an assigned tradition, whose ancestors, place of origin and death are known. They are generally assigned certain cultural traits that are considered valuable or respectable. Characters in legends, on the other hand, are usually anonymous or have nicknames, and are archetypal, mere excuses for the story.
Similarities between myths and legends
In both types of story you can find supernatural or wonderful stories, populated by fantastic, magical or supernatural creatures, or by heroes capable of extraordinary feats. Furthermore, both have an oral origin, generally prior to writing. They are transmitted from one generation to another and change in the process.
On the other hand, Neither myths nor legends usually have a specific author. At most, someone can put down in writing a specific version of the myth or legend, but this is usually much earlier, the collective property of the community.
Examples of myths and legends
Some Examples of myth are those from Greek Antiquity, which were part of their religious tradition. Thus, many of them survived to this day, generally focused on their mythical heroes such as Hercules (Heracles), Ulysses (Odysseus), Oedipus, Achilles, etc. These myths are collected in works such as Iliad wave Odysseyas well as various pieces of Greek theatre.
Legends, on the other hand, are those originating from particular rural environments, which vary in terms of details but maintain a more or less common form. For example, The legend of Sayona or La Lloronacomes from Spain and had deep roots in Latin America.
This legend tells the story of a mother who lost her children for various reasons. Depending on the reason, she is considered a culprit, a bad mother, or a victim, a poor mother. When she died, she became a specter that wanders eternally in search of young children to serve as replacements (or unfaithful husbands, or abandoning parents, depending on your version of the legend).
Types of legends
Legends are usually of the following types, according to their origin:
- Rural. Coming from feudal times, or from rural contexts (from the countryside). They are closely linked to folklore and tradition. Such is the legend of the “stone thrower” of the Colombian plains.
- Urban. Those that are created within cities and belong to a rather modern, industrialized imaginary. Such is the legend of area 51, a top-secret department of the US government, where an extraterrestrial autopsy is supposedly carried out and the remains of alien technology are preserved.
Types of myths
Myths are classified based on their anthropological purpose, that is, what they try to explain. We are then talking about:
- Cosmogonic myths. They explain in mythical terms how the world, time or the universe originated, or how the things that exist came to be.
- Theogonic myths. They relate the origin of the gods, and usually the origin of their respective cults.
- Anthropogonic myths. They narrate the origin (generally the creation) of the human being at the hands of higher or accidental forces.
- Etiological myths. They explain through a story the origin of beings, things, techniques or institutions.
- Moral myths. They relate the origin or the existing relationships between good and evil.
- Founding myths. Those that tell the story of the founding of cities, towns, countries or regions.
- Eschatological myths. Those that relate the future events of the universe, generally pointing towards the end of the world or the end of all things.
Why are myths and legends important?
Both myths and legends They are forms of storytelling of profound anthropological importancesince they have provided humans since time immemorial with a way of explaining natural phenomena that impressed or intrigued them. This occurred long before the development of the scientific research method.
Besides, gave the opportunity to create a mystical worldsubjective, in which the human being could connect with the sacred or the divine. These types of stories in many cases gave rise to religions. Some of them survived independently of religions, and transmitted their message to the following generations.
What is the imaginary?
One speaks of imaginary when referring to the set of stories, considerations, explanations, illustrations and other types of representations with which a particular human community chooses to think about itself, explain itself or from where it thinks and tells what happens to it.
It is a cultural, imaginary construction, which It originates from a group that shares a tradition and a historyIt has a central importance in the development and cohesion of civilizations.
What is mythology?
A mythology is an organized and interrelated set of mythsthat is, foundational, religious or explanatory stories. This set responds to the point of view of a specific culture. Greek mythology, for example, was different from Egyptian mythology, but very similar to Roman mythology, etc.
What is the fable?
A fable is a form of story usually intended for children (although not exclusively). They usually feature animals or fantastic beings. Reading them generally leaves a moral, ethical, pedagogical, etc. lesson. Unlike myths and legends, fables usually have a defined author.
Continued on: Fable