How long have myths appeared in our lives? Perhaps, from that stage of human development, when he had a need to explain certain phenomena, but for obvious reasons he could not do this scientifically. We still need to believe in something. What can we say about the ancient people who turned out to be one on one with a huge soulless world. In order not to go crazy and explain the strange behavior of nature, they gave soul to the phenomena and objects surrounding them. A similar way of thinking is inherent in ancient people with mythological thinking.
What is a myth?
A myth is knowledge of the world, which is considered to be its true bearer and serves to simplify the understanding of the world and to preserve traditions in a constantly changing reality. The myth, although closely intertwined with folklore, differs from it in that it is perceived as true knowledge that does not tolerate doubts about its veracity. Folklore, on the other hand, is the artistic creation of the people, which, although based on mythology, contains more details and embellishments that are not perceived by carriers as pure truth. Mythological consciousness is an integral part of the religious system. It is thanks to mythological thinking that all known religions arose.
The rise of myths
They form an integral part of human consciousness. Only myths can build an understanding by an uneducated person of processes that, in a few centuries, he will be able to explain with the help of science. When the formation of human consciousness took place, a person began to perceive himself as an individuality, but inextricably linked with the world; when then a person began to believe that he is unique and equal in peace, it was during these periods that mythology appeared as a reflection of the mentality of our ancestors. On the basis of myths that appeared in the past, a person with mythological thinking builds all subsequent events. Ancient man seriously believed that he was mentally connected with nature, since his whole life depended on it. To have an advantage over her, he began to influence her with the help of the word, and then the action. So the myths and rituals accompanying them appeared.
Rituals as a defense
When a person is afraid of something or someone, he creates rituals in order to avoid the situation in which he does not want to be with them. Rituals are needed so that a person feels confident and protected, so that he no longer feels fear. They are undoubtedly a feature of mythological thinking. Since rituals are inherent in many of us today, it means that to this day it has not lost its significance. We all know superstitions about a black cat, about empty buckets, about a bird flying into an open window, etc. We, people of the twenty-first century, though logically understand that it makes no sense to take this ancient knowledge on faith, but mythological thinking our ancestors prevail over us, and we again perform various strange rituals, which, in theory, should protect us from trouble. Only in this way we become calmer.
The stability of mythological consciousness
Since the human mentality changes little over time, all the characteristics of mythological thinking are inherent in many people now. They are most clearly manifested in the inhabitants of villages, in the settlements of Old Believers. Until now, in Russia you can find places where residents fully adhere to pagan customs and raise children in the same spirit. The stability of this phenomenon suggests that even the perception of the world through a myth can not become obsolete at any of the stages of human development. Everyone has the right to decide what to believe in him, and the fact that a person adheres to the pagan faith, rejecting Christianity and science, does not speak of its limitations.
Mythological creatures
In the life of ancient people there was a clear division into one's own and another's. He considered his own person to be good and good, and someone else's - not evil, but incomprehensible, and therefore frightening. In order to find a connection with a stranger and derive some benefit from this connection, a man came up with a myth for each frightening phenomenon. This behavior was explained by the peculiarities of the mythological thinking of our ancestors. The first and most important mythical creatures were gods and deities - they could be anthropomorphic, zoomorphic or even amorphous. For an ancient person, faith in the gods was tantamount to breathing. Without gods, there is no life, and therefore, man himself. Hunting was a vital craft for the archaic man. Therefore, in order for it to pass successfully, it was necessary to feel a connection with the animals that were being hunted. Also, man felt connected with the world of the dead. The spirits of the deceased relatives helped him in the hunt, a man asked them for advice in a difficult situation.
Opposing views on one phenomenon
Another of the main characteristics of mythological thinking is opposing views on any phenomenon, the relation to which has a persistent emotional connotation. In simple terms, there are objects to which a person’s attitude is ambiguous. This is something that has a strong energy and thus differs from the objects of the ordinary, human world. Such options cannot be taken indifferently - they require either love or hatred. As we know, from love to hate is one step. A person feels that this phenomenon is alien to him, but it affects his life too much.
As an example of modernity, you can consider the custom at a wedding associated with a cat. In one Ukrainian village, a cat must be present at the wedding so that the future joint life of the newlyweds was successful. In a neighboring village, located about 50 kilometers from this, a cat should never be at a wedding for the same reason. In both villages, cats are considered ordinary animals, not endowed with any supernormal abilities. But during the wedding, the cat becomes a mascot, and the success of this enterprise depends on it.
Using the above example, we can understand that a cat, on ordinary days considered a simple animal, is credited with magical abilities on a crucial wedding day. The attitude towards the animal at this time from indifferent turns into very emotional, which translates into a complete acceptance or complete rejection of the emotionally colored object.
The contrast of phenomena
In general, for the thinking of an ancient person, as well as for the thinking of children, the separation of objects and phenomena into black and white is characteristic. For ancient people, there were only extremes. They did not perceive average values. A clear division into one’s own and another’s, male and female, life and death, heaven and earth, etc. is the specificity of mythological thinking. Our ancestors were not subject to abstract thinking, as in modern man. Therefore, the first image with which a person began his mental development is precisely mythological.
Types of Myths
Since everything that exists on Earth, man gave his definition and invented his story, mythology affects almost all aspects of life and perception. Myths are classified by subject and global:
- Cosmogonic myths - myths about the creation of peace and life on Earth. This also includes myths about creating space from chaos. The most common creation myths are: the emergence of the world from a world egg, the creation of the world by God or the appearance of land on Earth, which until then was covered only by water thanks to the demiurges in the form of animals or birds.
- Anthropological myths - myths about the origin, creation of man. Closely related to cosmogonic myths.
- Eschatological myths - myths about the end of the world, future or already come.
- Calendar myths - myths about the change of time cycles. Since calendars are used to this day, it can be said that myths and mythological thinking are to some extent characteristic of modern peoples.
- Heroic myths - myths about heroes - children of gods or simply legendary fictional figures. Heroic myths are widespread in folklore.
- Myths about animals - animals have surrounded humans since ancient times, therefore myths about them are widespread to this day.
Thus, we told you about the features of mythological thinking that are inherent not only to ancient people, but also to some contemporaries.