Importance Of Mythology In Mythology

Myth, the word itself conveys a myriad of meanings depending on the person hearing the word. In today’s popular culture, the word means something unattainable or unbelievable. On the other hand, in academic circles, it relates to ancient stories that society’s told to explain matters that were not understood by man. To me, the meaning is somewhere between as a myth can be both a story to explain the unknown, but also embellished to the point that it becomes somewhat unbelievable. The ancient myths of Greek Gods and Goddesses, among others, could have their basis in truth or could sure-enough be made up stories, the plausibility remains up to the interpreter. There are numerous common mythological themes across different cultures to include, but not limited to, heroism, generosity, faith, love, and sacrifice. In these themes, there is a common ground that is not listed and that is hope. The heroes of mythology are almost always driven by the love of or for another, and inevitably are always required to perform an act of sacrifice for that love, even Gods such as Zeus …show more content…
In the case of religion, the answer would be a resounding yes. There are many cultures that still use mythology in their religion, an example of this is Shiva from Hinduism whose origins may very well lie in mythology. A new type of mythology is what contemporary culture calls urban legends, which are indeed stories to explain the unexplainable or to create a larger than life character to either inspire or strike fear into people. Our society uses mythology, urban legends, and religion to help them cope with all sorts of things in their life, whether it be the unknown or tragedy that appears. Society will always find ways to deal with both the unexplainable and hardships that come in life, and many of these ways are dealt with by the use of mythology in some form or