MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND FOUNDATION STORIES Introductory Lecture Please be prepared to TAKE NOTES!

What is a myth? Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary defines myth as “A traditional story, usu. focusing on the deeds of gods and heroes, often in explanation of some natural phenomenon, as the origin of the sun, etc.” The word myth comes from the Greek word mythos, which means “word, speech, story”.

What is a legend? Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary defines legend as “An unauthenticated story from earlier times, preserved by tradition and popularly thought to be historical.” The word legend comes from the Latin word legere, which means “to read”.

What is a foundation story? A foundation story is a story with modern religious connections. We need to examine these stories with sensitivity and understanding. Many people in the world today believe these stories, either literally or metaphorically.

What do these types of stories have in common? Tradition A history of being “passed down” through the generations They provide explanations of things (e.g. – natural phenomena, historical events, et cetera)

Why study myths, legends, and foundation stories? Historical Interest Why do we take history classes? Myths and legends are the beliefs of earlier cultures (in some cases – e.g. – Greek, Norse – these stories formed the basis for their religion) Comparing similarities between cultures is interesting

Why study myths, legends, and foundation stories? Shared Points of Reference Allusions to these stories in literature There is something fascinating about knowing what your ancestors studied; it gives us a sense of continuity Again, patterns are important here

Why study myths, legends, and foundation stories? Tradition Remember the dictionary definition of myth: “A traditional story…” These stories just keep getting passed along Is tradition a good enough reason to study these stories?

Why study myths, legends, and foundation stories? Moral Lessons Often, the stories are meant to teach us lessons about what is right and wrong (i.e. – values) Is there a universal “right” or “wrong”? Philosophers call this idea “absolute morality” versus “relative morality” We are on tricky ground here, though; moral lessons often reflect culture, and culture can change This idea speaks to many of the religious origins of the stories

Why study myths, legends, and foundation stories? Recognition of “Collective Unconscious” Idea formulated by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961) Symbol patterns (e.g. – father, mother, hero) are hard-wired into the human brain He called these symbol patterns archetypes Once again, we are studying the connections and similarities in the stories

Why study myths, legends, and foundation stories? They are Good Stories! They appeal to us at the “story” level (fun to read) Excitement, passion, interest Good authors (e.g. – Homer, Ovid, et cetera)

Why study myths, legends, and foundation stories? Appreciation of Metaphor Literature students need a keen grasp of metaphor Students who understand metaphor often have creative, intelligent minds Metaphor = a comparison, a way of thinking about the world that is not literal Examples: the sun is Apollo’s chariot racing across the sky; winter is Hades kidnapping Persephone and making Demeter sad

Things to remember about studying these stories… Historical Context The people who believed these stories were not “stupid”; these stories were often the best explanations at the time for the events they describe Remember that, a thousand years from now, future generations will look at some of our beliefs in the same way

Things to remember about studying these stories… Multiple Versions These stories were frequently transmitted orally; once created, they can change a lot What we study today is usually the best known and/or most popular version of the stories Example: the Disney film Hercules has a great many changes from the story we will read in Deeds of Gods and Heroes

Things to remember about studying these stories… Similar Things Today Sci-fi and fantasy (e.g. – Star Wars, Lord of the Rings Comics and superheroes (e.g. – Superman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Batman, Spiderman) Urban legends Modern religious tradition preserves some of these stories in various forms

The Focus of our Studies: 1) Recognition of Common Allusions 2) Recognition of Patterns 3) Relevance to Today

The Focus of our Studies: 1) Recognition of Common Allusions There are a certain minimum number of characters and ideas associated with these stories of which all educated people should be aware (e.g. – Adam and Eve, Hercules, Zeus, Thor, et cetera) We will use some of this knowledge later in the course when studying Shakespeare, who relied heavily on both biblical and mythological allusions

The Focus of our Studies: 2) Recognition of Patterns Similarities from culture to culture Recognition of our “common humanity” Verification of the Jungian theory of archetypes It is hoped that this study will lead to acceptance, understanding, and tolerance of other cultures and beliefs

The Focus of our Studies: 3) Relevance to Today Stories like these stories are still around Notice the patterns We will be studying the film Star Wars as an illustration of the universality of the hero story Modern religions (e.g. – Christianity, Judaism, Islam) are still very much with us today; being aware of some of their foundation stories is important

QUESTIONS?