Ancient Greek, Scandinavian, oriental myths are familiar to most of us from childhood. Fantastic creatures, the originality of plots, powerful heroes, which are their elements, are remembered for life as a part of the historical past of modern civilizations. The definition of myth and mythology in children does not cause much difficulty. This is something like a fairy tale, an invention of ancient people who did not know anything, but everyone tried to explain. However, the definition of the word "myth" is not so simple. Behind familiar stories lies a whole world.
Explanation of real events
The definition of “myth is an imprint of the worldview of its creators” may seem strange. Nevertheless, the analysis by many scientists of the heritage of various nations allows us to talk about its fidelity. For young mankind, mythology served as what science is for us today. She explained various phenomena, established norms, significant events. Features of the mythological understanding of the world are based on the nuances of thinking inherent in people of a particular historical period.
The images, names and narratives that are born in the minds of any people were called upon to explain real phenomena and events, as well as social norms.
The foundation
Features of thinking that make mythology a symbolic system of description and understanding of the world can be reduced to the following features:
- lack of ability to distinguish the real from the supernatural;
- low criticality, expressed in ignoring obvious contradictions;
- only the initial degree of development of abstract concepts;
- sensually specific knowledge;
- imagery;
- emotionality.
These and some other features of primitive thinking equate mythology with worldview.
The main treasure and immutable law
Such a definition of the word “myth” is also possible: it is a special concept that affirms a certain system of values and explains its appearance. Our distant ancestors did not have textbooks on ethics and multivolume reference books prescribing this or that type of behavior at a particular moment. To a certain extent, all this was replaced by mythology. It was she who was a powerful source, the waters of which paved the way for the development of philosophy, science, literature.
Each of the researchers who tackled the topic of myth considers it from a slightly different angle. So, one of the most significant scientific concepts was created by A.F. Losev. The author refuses to the subject of his research an explanatory and cognitive function. The definition of myth according to Losev is as follows: myth is an expanded magic name. This is an alloy of an idea and a sensual image, expressed and denoted by one word - a name.
Myth and religion
Mythology and religion are not the same thing. They appear separately from each other, but closely interact throughout the history of mankind. Mythology as a worldview includes religion, as well as primitive philosophy and knowledge. In this sense, it is primary. Myth as a name is expressed in a specific image or in a religious ritual. So he becomes not a familiar story, but a dance, song or other ceremonial action. However, the relationship between the two structures does not end there. So-called cult myths serve to explain rituals. They often appear when the original meaning of the action is lost. Such narrative myths are secondary to ritual.
Myth and Literature
In order to make the definition of the word "myth" more understandable, it makes sense to distinguish between this concept and its relatives. Among them - a fairy tale, a heroic epic, a legend. The first two grow out of a myth. A fairy tale to a lesser extent has an etiological function (does not talk about the origin of something), and is often supplied with conscious fiction. The narrator and listeners are aware of the unreality of the events described. Myth arises in the process of unconscious creation. Its content is perceived “as is” and is never questioned.
The main contribution that mythology made to the epic is the image of a cultural hero. On its basis, many characters known to us have grown. As the epic “grows up” from archaic to “progressive” forms, the proportion of mythological elements in it decreases.
Legends are most often based on historical events. However, the line between myth and similar narration is very arbitrary. Tales of various episodes of history are too closely intertwined with the narrative of the life and work of the gods and with other fantastic elements.
The definition of mythology as the ancestor of literature, therefore, is completely fair. On its basis, many famous narrative genres grow.
The definition of the word "myth" is somewhat different for different authors. However, all researchers agree that mythology is an impressive layer of culture that can tell a lot about the past of mankind.