THE INESCAPABLE

STORY

Myth and Human

Culture

Image: @AdiPancaWH

Myth: What is It?

• When you think of “myth,” you might think of:

• Greek epics

Myth: What is It?

• When you think of “myth,” you might think of:

• Greek epics

• Fairy tales

Myth: What is It?

• When you think of “myth,” you might think:

• Greek epics

• Fairy tales

• Urban legends

Myth: What is It?

• When you think of “myth,” you might think of:

• The Greek pantheon

• Fairy tales

• Urban legends

• Religious parables

Myth: What is It?

• A “myth” in terms of academic research is a “defining

narrative.”

• People define themselves as a group around the stories they

share.

Myth: What is It?

• A “myth” in terms of academic research is a “defining

narrative.”

• Cultures transmit

their values through

these stories.

Myth: What is It?

• A “myth” in terms of academic research is a “defining

narrative.”

• These narratives explain where a people came from and where

they are going.

Myth: What is It?

• *All* cultures produce

myths. Defining narratives

assign meaning and

coherence.

Myths: Pop Quiz*

• Choose which of these narratives are “myths:”

a) Many gods inhabit

the cosmos, and

humans are often

their playthings.

(No worries: This is not a graded quiz.)

Myths: Pop Quiz

• Choose which of these narratives are “myths:”

b) A pantheon of gods

emerged from one or

two deities, and the

physical universe

followed. Human beings

must be mindful of their

subordinate role to the

gods.

Myths: Pop Quiz

• Choose which of these narratives are “myths:”

c) A single deity created the

physical universe and all

the creatures in it. This

deity holds a special

relationship with the

human portion of this

creation.

Myths: Pop Quiz

• Choose which of these narratives are “myths:”

d) The universe is governed by laws deduced by science. No deity

is necessary to explain life. Space/Time emerged out of nothing

via natural forces in a rapid cosmic expansion.

Myths: Pop Quiz

• Choose which of these narratives are “myths:”

a) Many gods inhabit the cosmos, and humans are often their

playthings.

b) The pantheon of gods emerged from a single deity, and the

physical universe followed. Human beings must be mindful of

their subordinate role to the gods.

c) A single deity created the physical universe and all the creatures

in it. This deity holds a special relationship with the human part of

this creation.

d) The universe is made up of scientific laws, and no deity is

necessary to explain human life. Everything is a product of

material forces, and supernatural forces are unnecessary.

Myths: Pop Quiz

• The answer is (e), all of the above.

Myths as Defining Narratives

• “Myths” are not just fantastical stories modern culture no

longer needs. Rather, human beings are hard-wired to

explain the world and their place in it through stories. Myths,

as defining narratives, are how we do it, even today.

Myth vs. Myth

• Throughout history, defining narratives have competed with

rival narratives in every culture.

• Local gods vs. universal gods

• Many gods vs. one god

• Transcendent god vs. god within everything

• Supernatural agents vs Material world is everything

Myth vs. Myth

• Throughout history, defining narratives have competed with

rival narratives in every culture.

• Each are regarded as “true”

by their adherents.

Myths as Defining Narratives

• People use ancient texts, philosophical systems, sacred

symbols, and physical experiments to examine the world

they inhabit.

Myths as Defining Narratives

• None of these tools provide an escape from “myth” defined

as a common narrative that provides meaning to a culture.

Instead, these tools are used to form raw materials for

those stories.

Myth in the World

• Identify elements of your own defining narrative.

• This includes:

• Your faith

• Your scientific perspective

• Your family history

• Your place as a citizen

• Your place in the world

Myth in the World

• Identify elements of your own defining narrative.

• What values do you derive from these elements?

• What stories do you identify with that are tied to these values?

Myth in the World

• Imagine what someone three thousand years ago would

think of your own defining narrative.

Myth in the World

• Imagine what someone three thousand years from now

would think of your own defining narrative.

Myth in the World

When studying “myth,” we run into the danger of viewing

ancient peoples or those outside our culture as

fundamentally different than ourselves.

Yet, we all have

defining stories -

narratives, myths - that

provide meaning to who

we are. It is a universal

part of the human

experience.

Myth in the World

• Questions to consider:

• What is the relationship between “myth” and “truth?”

• What is the difference between “myth” as defined in the class, and

fairy tales or urban legends.

• Why are stories such powerful vehicles for cultural values?

• What values do you derive from the stories that you most identify

with?

By Walter R. Ratliff