Foundations of Mythology

Foundations of Mythology

Kristin Martinez

HUM/105

September 28, 2014

Samantha Anderson

Foundations of Mythology

Myths by definition are stories that try to explain natural or social phenomena, involving supernatural beings or events. (Wikipedia, 2014). With that definition we automatically think of Greek or Roman mythology, involving Zeus or Apollo. It is also what most people understand when they hear the word myth. Academia defines myths as ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions. (Leonard & McClure,  2004). Both definitions say the same thing; that Myths are stories that are used to make sense of things we don’t understand. Legends and folktales are both forms of myths. Legends are myths that are historical or involve historical figures, but they cannot be authenticated. Folktales are just stories passed down from generation to generation. Some folktales and legends can contain moral lessons or just be a fun or scary story.

One of the most common myths we find is of creation. Every culture that I can think of has a story of how the earth was born and how we came to be. Another common theme we find in many myths around the world is love. Even today love is used in Christianity to teach people to be more tolerant of other people. We also use it to explain that feeling we get when we see that person we want to be around. Stories of nature are another popular type of myth. Nature myths helped ancient people understand why the sun rose and set each day and why the stars shine at night. Native Americans used many myths involving natural occurrences to explain the world around them and to connect them to it. We find these common themes in many cultures because it doesn’t matter where you lived these are things that happen all around us. People believed this is how the world worked and made the world easier to except and understand. They knew that the mountain was there and fire spit out from the top and gave...