Foundations of Mythology

Foundations of Mythology

LaTricia Simpson

HUM/105

10/26/15

Charlotte Babb

Foundations of Mythology

     A lot of myths are just made up stories that people believe because most myths have been told so many times over the years that there is no way to determine their true origin and if they are true or false. In our everyday English language, myth to us means fiction or lie. There are some myths that are total fictions. Although myths can have a very powerful influence on a society, they also can be debunked by facts. When they are debunked by facts it places some limit on their influence.

     When it comes to academic context, a myth is considered traditional or a legendary story. It is usually concerning a hero, or event or some being. They usually are with or without a knowledgeable basis of facts or a natural explanation. Some are concerned with demigods or deities and also explains some rite, phenomenon of nature, or practice. Brazil, Peru, Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand all share the animal-to-other shape-shifters which is one of the common motifs in folklore.

     The myths they hear about mermaids come from Cameroon, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan. There are myths around the world that often address similar themes. One of these are the beginning of the world and the meaning to life. It’s because these are the things that matter to people regardless of their backgrounds or their cultures. When it comes to religion it relies on belief and myths to hold the attention of its followers. Knowledge consists of acquired information, such as facts, stories, truths, and concepts.

     Mythology and religion differs but they also have an overlapping aspect. Both of these terms refer to systems of concepts that are of high importance to a certain community, making statements concerning the sacred or supernatural. In religion, mythology is generally considered an aspect or component. Within religion besides mythological aspects, it includes aspects of mortality, mystical experience, ritual and theology.

     There are also contrasts even though there are similarities among most religious mythologies. There are many mythologies that focus on explanations of the universe, natural phenomena, or other themes of human existence. They are often ascribing agency to one or more deities or other supernatural forces. There are some religions that have very few of this kind of story of the cosmic explanation. The Buddhist parable of the arrow warns against speculations as “[Is] the world eternal or not eternal? [Is] the soul different from the body? [Does] the enlightened exist after death or not?”, viewing them as irrelevant to the goal of escaping suffering.

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