We explain what myths are, how they originated, the types there are and their functions. Also, what are its characteristics and examples.
What is a myth?
It is called a myth a type of traditional story, considered sacred and symbolic in nature. It generally tells of extraordinary and memorable events that involve magical or supernatural beings, such as gods, demons, monsters, etc. It is part of the imaginary of a mythology and cosmogony (conception of the universe) of a specific culture.
Unlike other stories, myths They are not historical testimonies, and therefore are not verifiable.. However, they are considered true or valid, or at least partially, within the culture that tells them. However, they rarely function outside of their respective belief systems: religious, mythical, epic, etc.
They are taken as true because they are imaginary explanations for those questions that a culture cannot answer. On the other hand, They serve to transmit beliefs and values to future generations.
See also: Epic
How did the myth originate?
The myths They have an oral, informal and traditional originas an inheritance generally from primary (primordial) stages of cultures.
In these stages, the fabrication of a story and a narrative imaginary were necessary. to order and explain the universe.
In this way, it gave an origin to things or certain codes of conduct were explained. For this reason, myths can vary enormously over generations and there are different versions of the same myth.
Myth classification
Myths can be classified according to their narrative content, into:
- Cosmogonic myths. Those that tell the origin of the universe and all the things that are, generally telling the story of ancient and primitive creatures that gave rise to time and the world.
- Theogonic myths. Those that relate the birth of the gods, either through the creation of the world itself, or through the defeat of other older gods or more primitive creatures.
- Anthropogonic myths. Those that relate the origin of humanity, either as a creation of the gods, as an accident in their wars and confrontations, or as part of the phenomena that gave rise to the world and life.
- Moral myths. Those who explain through a story the origin of good and evil.
- Etiological myths. Those that narrate the origin of specific things or knowledge, such as certain techniques, certain institutions, ritual practices or knowledge.
- Founding myths. Those that relate the creation of cities, empires or capitals of importance, usually as the fulfillment of a divine plan.
- Eschatological myths. Those that recount the future of humanity or the world, usually through a more or less symbolic premonition of what its end will mean.
What is the function of myth?
Myths have the function of to give narrative form to the way cultures understand themselvesthey understand the universe and define what is right and what is not. This form is usually pleasant, easy to remember, with a logic of cause and consequence.
Its function, in this sense, is to to transmit to the new generations a non-explicit teaching. For this reason, it is nothing like advice or morals, but rather it transmits something much deeper: a set of meanings, values, stories and rituals that form its cultural system.
Properties of myth
According to the French anthropologist and ethnologist Claude Levi-Strauss, myths have the following fundamental properties:
- They deal in a narrative way (through a story) with the existential questions of humanity: the creation of things, the origin of traditions, death, the destiny of humanity, etc.
- They have as their central theme irreconcilable contrary concepts, for example: creation-destruction, life-death, gods-men, good-evil, and these define the philosophical poles of the culture to which they belong.
- They provide a reconciliation of such irreconcilable opposites, to soothe the existential anxieties of the culture or to provide some sense of harmony, justice or peace, often leading to ritual or religious practices.
How is the myth interpreted?
Myths in ancient times were taken as a true wordbut today we know that they are little more than fantastic tales, firmly rooted in the cultures that composed them. Therefore, today we interpret them through three fundamental perspectives:
- Functionalist. According to the studies of the Austro-Hungarian anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski, who examined what role they play in everyday life, as reinforcement of behavior, argument of authority, etc.
- Structuralist. According to the ideas of the Frenchman Claude Lévi-Strauss, who proposed searching in mythical stories for the poles of meaning or evaluation that make up the relationships of meaning of the myth.
- Symbolist. According to various theorists (CG Jung, Gaston Bachelard, etc.) who value the symbol of myths, their archetypal concepts that are linked to the human psyche at an almost universal level.
The mythical time
Myths, by not telling factual or verifiable events, They occur in a temporality different from the time of history, which is known as the mythical time. It is an imprecise temporality, generally located before the existence of time itself, and therefore is not part of the continuity of human history, but rather gives rise to it.
The mythology
A mythology is a complex set of founding myths and storiesof a magical-religious type, which make up the cultural universe of a community, nation or group of them. It is an imaginary universe.
It is rarely found compiled in its entirety in a single book, but rather is addressed in hundreds of stories, anecdotes, artistic works and/or sacred texts. Each great civilization had its own mythology, and one of the best known and popular today is that of Ancient Greece.
You may find this useful: Greek mythology
Why is myth important?
The myths They respond imaginatively to fundamental human questions and they give them form, they turn them into a story and a series of values. Therefore, they are important to the cultures from which they emerge.
But also, reflect and contain the values, principles and reasoning of the culture where they originate. For this reason, they are important for history and anthropology, since they allow us to understand how societies of the past thought and felt; or how societies that are very distant culturally do so today.
Differences with the legend
The difference between myths and legends lies in the function they fulfill within the cultureMyths offer narrative and fantastic explanations for events of philosophical or religious significance. Legends, on the other hand, usually narrate fantastic and often sinister versions of real or historical events or characters.
Unlike myths, which They are not verifiable and are usually located in time immemorialLegends often have a firm root in reality, even if they later lead to the realm of fantasy.
Furthermore, myths are part of the complex frameworks of a culture, belonging to its way of conceiving the universe and itself. The legends on the other hand They can simply fantastically narrate a certain eventwhether from one’s own culture or region, or from distant regions or already extinct cultures.
Follow on: Legend
Example: Medusa and Perseus
From Greco-Roman antiquity we have inherited lots of myths. People say that They remain valid because they continue to operate in some way. in our contemporary culture. However, we no longer consider them as real but rather appreciate their symbolic and figurative value, as a kind of metaphor or moral.
One of them is that of Medusa, one of the gorgons. She was a woman whose beauty led her to rival the gods and as punishment she was transformed into a monster with a reptile body and snakes for hair, which turned anyone who looked in front of her into a stone statue.
After petrifying thousands of heroes who tried to kill her, Medusa was defeated by Perseus. The hero used a shield polished like a mirror so he could look at the monster’s reflection and not turn into stone. Perseus beheaded Medusa and then used her head to defeat his enemies.