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9 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is Myth
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Ancient Greek:
Mythos = story, word or speech |
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Myth and Allegory
Max Müller: Myths are metaphors for natural phenomena |
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Myth and Psychology
Sigmund Freud and the Oedipus Complex Carl Jung and the collective unconscious: Myths contain archetype images which are universal to all humans. anima/animus The wise old man, the nurturing mother |
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Myth and Society
James Frazer, author of The Golden Bough: Myths help us understand ritualistic behavior. It is a shorthand to understanding what goes on in public festivals. Malinowski: Myths are “charters” for existing social customs and beliefs. |
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Myths are primarily concerned with the gods and humankind’s relationships with them.
Legends and Sagas are rooted in history (even if they are fantastical) Folktales are like legends, except their primary purpose is to entertain. Similarly, fairytales have a moral content and are aimed at the young. |
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Myth and Truth
“Myth is a many-faceted personal and cultural phenomenon created to provide a reality and a unity to what is transitory and fragmented in the world that we experience. Myth provides us with absolutes in the place of ephemeral values and with a comforting perception of the world that is necessary to make the insecurity and terror of existence bearable.” Example: the afterlife. |
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Myth and Truth
While certain concepts, such as the afterlife, are mythic, that is not empirically verified, they are also eternal and steadfast. Scientific “facts” are constantly under revision. Myth and factual truth are not necessarily mutually exclusive. |
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Myth and Religion
True myth is primarily concerned with the gods, religion, and the supernatural. Themes include creation, the relationship between the gods and humans, the afterlife, and other spiritual concerns. Note that most myths took place in the distant past, but have no actual dates. |
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Etiological Myths
Attempt to explain the origin or, less narrowly, the cause of certain phenomena. Genesis 3: Why snakes crawl on their bellies. Helios and the Chariot of the Sun. |
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