1 Definition of Myth
What is myth?
Simply stated, myths are traditional tales about supernatural powers, cosmic origins, and relationships between divine and human. However, just this simplicity brings complexity into the equation, because this statement only describes what myth appears to be. It does not at all explain how these elements (supernatural powers, cosmos, relationships of man and divine) shape myth, or, more importantly, what we can learn about these elements from myth, and how these influence our understanding of myth, and, consequently, of ourselves. Therefore, perhaps, it would be better to explain myth with some possible definitions and explanations.
Origins of the word:
Myth is derived from the Greek word mythos (or muthos), which literally means utterance, or ‘something one says.’ So, originally myth was oral and distinct from the Greek word Logos, which means Word or Story. Also, in Greek culture, mythos was inspired by the Divine, whereas, logos was the ‘word’ used in everyday discourse of the traditional. In combination then, divine utterance when translated into ‘word’ (mythos + logos) evolved into the myths, which the ethos of the respective society and, ultimately, we, the students of myth, came to imbibe.
It can, perhaps, be concluded then, that myth is the word, (or utterance) about a traditional story set in the remote past. It describes actions of divine beings/and or human heroes involved in situations that relate to cosmic origins and the relationship of man and divine.
It is important to note here that the ‘divine’ in myth is not God (as in monotheistic religion); it is any cosmic , god-ly perception of a higher spiritual power with which man connects. In myth, there are many divines. What each one represents and how man forges a connection with each one is one of the key subjects of mythology. Therefore, when you see the term, ‘man and divine’ in mythology; it does not mean man and his connection to the monotheistic Supreme God; it means man and his connection to a higher power that can be spiritual, elemental, cosmic, etc.
Some possible meanings of myth
(a) Why do we need to know about the actions of divine beings and how can our knowledge of these divine behaviors enhance our understanding of the world and ourselves?
The divine beings in myth were most often the anthropomorphic (human-like) forms that ancient man gave to mysteries (such as of nature) that he didn’t understand. (For example, Zeus, the king of Greek Olympians, is the god of thunder and lightening). However, as man began to gain scientific understanding of these mysteries, the divine beings became more a concept of ‘the transcendent’ or higher power within man himself. Hence, the actions and behaviors of the mythical divine beings began to connote that which was transcendent in man himself. For example, The Valkyries in Norse mythology represent bravery of a warrior, and they carry the souls of the warriors to Valhalla–Odin’s hall of the greatest warriors. Therefore, warriorship came to be seen as a ‘divine quality in Norse men. . (NOTE: the divine beings in myth can be seen as part of a religious experience, but they are a-theistic. See below for more explanation about this)
(b) Why does the word have to be traditional?
These myths were passed down from generation to generation as a people’s cultural legacy, because they were seen as ‘important’ to a particular society and culture. They defined the way of living and goals of that society. Moreover, even after the myths were told or written, often they were open to new additions and interpolations by various myth-tellers. New characters, new events, new traditions were added to keep the myth current and dynamic so that people could continue relating to it.
(c) Why do myths take the shape of a tale or story?
From the earliest times, we humans have been story-tellers. It is through stories that we can explore the ambiguities of our worlds and learn valuable lessons. It is by relating to stories that we see revelations of our lives, our feelings, the way we should act, etc.
(d) BUT a story then is a lie–fictitious–made up. Is myth a lie, a fabrication?
Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty says myth is not a lie. It reveals a truth deeper than a literal truth. It is a ‘TRUE story, but the truth is implicit.’ What that means is that the story of the myth may be fictitious but what that story tells us about ourselves, our relationships, our behaviors is more true than the relative truth of our everyday lives. Even Plato, who banished all myth from his polis, because he thought them to be fabrications, said myths say that which cannot be said in a logical or even a metaphysical way.
O’Flaherty also believes that myths are not lies but that they can be good myths and bad myth. Good myths help people develop good tradition and bad myths create bad tradition. Hence, myth is the foundation of traditions. O’Flaherty defines myth as “a story that is sacred to and shared by a group of people who find their most important meanings in it; it is a story believed to have been composed in the past about an event in the past, or more rarely, in the future, an event that continues to have meaning in the present because it is remembered; it is a story that is part of a larger group of stories.”
(e) It is sacred and it is a shared experience, so it is anonymous.
Even if it is authored by a single author, it becomes a shared experience, and, thus, has many authors. They become anonymous once they are seen as tellers of myth, because their ‘stories’ become a collective experience. Also, since no single myth exists in itself, it is also part of a collective.
(f) Another important aspect of myth is that it is never heard for the first time.
Myth begins from the ‘second time’ when it is remembered. Then it is lived again and again. To use the very simple example for Christmas–with every celebration of the birth of Christ, he is born again and again in our minds, through our stories, our dramas, our retellings. Our spirit of Christmas brings the myth back to life.
Why are myths remembered?
The narrative of myths encodes meaning that is natural, simple, and fascinating. Their content deals with human questions of perennial importance, and through them, the present, somehow, fulfills the past, and the past dictates the present. That is why myth cannot be understood simply by being told. It has to be interpreted. In a culture, when a myth is told over and over again, it is interpreted and reinterpreted. Thus, even if a culture says the myth is in tact, just by the telling of it, it has undergone changes. But if a myth does not change with time, it loses its value, because then it stops relating to a people.
Hence words such as ‘truth’ and ‘lie’ are really inadequate for myth. All myths that are alive are true. But, this truth is really a representative truth for a particular culture. And, for this reason, the totality of a myth is not universal. Its intrinsic meaning pertains to all people, but its metaphor, its visuals, its verbalization is particular to a culture. It is the shared experience only of the people of that culture. So myth is remembered, not so much because of its universality, but because it defines the traditions and experiences of a culture and helps keep it alive, and, in a cyclical manner, the culture keeps its myths alive.
FYI:
Myth is not folklore or legend or classic
Legend: a story about humans (e.g. Davy Crockett), perhaps with some basis in truth. Myth, most often, includes the gods (not God)
Folklore: involving witches, elves, ghosts, etc., as compared to the gods. They are simple, one dimensional tales, as compared to myth, which deals with human spirit struggling against mortality. So while folklore can be about the supernatural, myth deals with spirituality (man’s higher self).
Classic: comes from past and is accepted by tradition. It is in narrative form. In fact, it cannot survive without narrative. Myth can. For example, it is seen in architecture and all art forms, and, these days, in popular culture. And myth does not lose in translation. Even in its most profane form, most kitsch form, myth survives.
