The exciting world of legend and mythology

Mythology has a history nearly as old as the human race, and it seems every society in history has had its own mythology, and its own stories of how we got here and where we are going.

Myths can take many forms, but they are usually narratives which are passed down through the ages. In most cases, mythology is used to explain universal truths, especially how the world and the society came to be. These tales of origin are generally referred to as either creation myths or founding myths.

Other popular subjects for mythology include explaining natural phenomena (like Zeus and his lightning bolts), cultural norms, and other things in the natural and manmade world for which no ready explanation was available. Mythology is by its very nature a sacred story, and in most cases they involve a deity or other supernatural force. For thousands of years myths of all kinds have been passed down from generation to generation through story telling, teaching and oral tradition.

There is a definite link between mythology and most major world religions, and many Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic creation stories have their roots in earlier mythologies. There are pagan and mythological roots in most religions, and these myths provide both a basis and a source of wonder as those religions continue to grow.

Even today, mythology continues to be taught to each new generation, and it can still provide a great source of knowledge for young and old alike. Many parents and children even think of the most beloved fairy tales as a sort of mythology. While fairy tales are often considered mythological, they are not strictly myths. Myths differ from legends, folktales, anecdotes and fables, but there are those who use the term interchangeably.

There are many forces that have a place in the creation of mythology. Perhaps the most important reason ancient people created mythology was to explain the world they found themselves inhabiting. To the ancient cave dweller, a simple thunderstorm must have been a terrifying and mysterious event. Most scholars agree that the desire to put these mysterious natural events into some sort of structure played a strong role in the creation of mythology. Using myths to explain the natural world gave these early humans an insight into the world around them, and even a sense of control.

The desire to explain the creation of the world seems to be a universal human desire, and nearly every society that has been studied has its own creation mythology. From the far east to the modern west, every society seems to have an insatiable need to understand where they and the world came from, and this need is often satisfied through creation myths.

Mythology has a number of cultural uses as well. For instance, myths are frequently used to authorized existing cultural institutions. By connecting the existing social state of the tribe, the city or the country to universal truths, mythology can be used to justify the status quo and keep people from challenging it.

Nearly every culture on earth has developed its own mythology, including narratives detailing the history of the tribe and society, descriptions of various deities, and of course tales of heroes. The heroic journey is a frequent theme in mythology, from the ancient tales of Hercules to the heroes’ journey personified in the Star Wars and Lord or the Rings trilogies.

Mythology is a fascinating subject, and it would be possible to spend a lifetime in its study and still not know everything. From the ancient myths of the Greeks and Romans to the neopagans of today, mythology continues to captivate each new generation with explanations of how we got here, what our purpose is, and where our ultimate destiny lies.

Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com

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