Mythology Legends from Around the Globe

Legends, myths, speechesThe term mythology (mythologia) means the study relating to and dealing with the interpretation of myths, legends, and occasionally extending to logos, speech. Further on, a myth can be an allegorical narrative pertaining to the gods, demigods, and legendary heroes of a particular people and their branch of knowledge that deals with a popular belief or assumption that has grown up around someone or something.MythMyth is a traditional story about the past, often including religious or fantastic elements. Myths of some sort can be found in all societies, although they may function in different ways. They may be attempts to explain the origins of the universe and of mankind, the development of political institutions, or the reasons for ritual practices; on the other hand, they may simply be told for the love of a good story. Myths often describe the deeds of gods or supernatural beings, or of heroes, like the trickster, who have supernatural powers that enable them to change from human to animal form, or to perform extraordinary deeds. Anthropologists have spent a great deal of time trying to differentiate myth from history, but it is clear that history can serve the same functions as myth, and the two types of tale about the past blur into one another. Theorists like Frazer regarded myths as a form of early religious or scientific thought. This approach was later criticized by Malinowski, who saw myth as providing a justification for the social order. The Romanian-US historian of religion Mircea Eliade (1907-86) regarded myth as a religious phenomenon, man's attempt to return to the original act of creation. Levi-Strauss has argued that it is not the content but the structure of myth which is important, since it reveals universal mental processes. In psychology, myths are regarded as an important basis for human behaviour. Both Freud and Jung made extensive use of myths in their work. Whatever the theories regarding the origin and functions of myths, they remain fundamental to the human consciousness.Creation of mythCreation of a myth is a tale or myth recounting the origins of the natural world and human society. Myths about the creation of the world, whether they describe the operation of a creator god, the emergence of the world from primordial parents or a cosmic egg, sacrifice, or a primordial battle, have great importance within religious beliefs and associated rituals. Typical features include irreconcilable opposites such as light and dark, or water and earth. Some creation myths refer to the origins of particular clans or lineages; these typically tell the story of descent from a single common ancestor or founder. The Trobriand Islanders of Melanesia, for example, believe that the ancestors of their four clans originally sprang from a particular hole in the ground, and this myth is used to explain differences of rank within the society. Described by the anthropologist Malinowski as a charter for legitimacy, myths of this kind often act to justify the authority of elders or chiefs, and may be an important component in the political organization of society.