Classical Mythology: Origin and Definition

Interpretation and Definition of Classical Mythology

• Establishing a definitive myth description proves elusive, but it hasn't stopped scholars from researching its importance and meaning.
• Principal surveys are accessible, focusing on theories likely to be successful or that have stood the test if time.
• No single theory is sufficient to define myth, they vary too greatly in their origins and importance
• Definitions either too limiting or too broad to be useful. Definitions can clarify particular aspects and create criteria to classify myths.
• The origin is from the Greek word mythos for "word", "speech", "tale," or "story," essentially what a myth is.
• True myth story must have proven itself worthy of traditional status
• Oral or its given written form are both acceptable for myth
• Specialists differentiate "true myth" or "myth proper" from other types, such as legend, saga, and folktale

Myth, Saga or Legend, and Folktale

• Myth is a comprehensive term for stories primarily about the relationship between gods and humans
• Saga or Legend (used interchangeably) has a noticeable connection to history, though it's often fanciful

Folktales

• Folktales often tales of adventure, peopled with fantastic beings, and fueled by the cunning strategies, primarily for entertainment
• Fairytales can be classified as particular folktale types of short, imaginative traditional tales with high moral and magical content

Categories

• These traditional categories offer guidance in ordering the variety of classical tales.
• Categories such as myth, folktale, legend, saga, can overlap/be loose
• Examples are legends of Odysseus/Argonauts, historically rooted yet filled with mythic/folktale aspects
• The criteria to define all the categories often merge, and demarcation lines blur between them all

Myth and Truth

• Greek word for myth meaning "word," "speech," or "story”,
• Aristotle used it to identify the plot of a play
• Popular view equated myth with fiction
• Association of myth and mythical is with what’s incredible/fantastic
• Distinctions exist between stories, perceived as true/not true
• Contrast between myth and reality has been a philosophical concern since early Greek philosophers.
• Myth is a multifaceted phenomenon that provides cultural unity in a fragmentary world.
• Religious concepts of gods and Plato’s vision of afterlife are mythic, no scientific
• Myth offers absolutes to insecure/terrifying existences
• There is a disturbing realization that trust in factual truth and absolutes can be shaken easily
• Truth/facts change in science
• Myth is truth on different level than transient factual knowledge
• Myths embodying eternal values can include period-correct scientific accuracy
• Accuracy may be important to a myth's purpose; any historical fact interpretation is mythic innovation
• Artists can make nonhistorical myths meaningful through ages irrelevant of factual accuracy
• Myth=Highest reality- dismissal considered barren
• Martha Graham said art is eternal because reveals the inner landscape, soul of man, versus discoveries/sciences
• "true myth" as distinct from saga/folktale, is concerned with gods, religion, and supernatural
• Greek/Roman stories reflect creation, nature of deities, humans, the afterlife, and spiritual concerns

Myth and Religion

• Mythology/religion bound inextricably
• Tales believed factually and spiritually in past, may continue today
• Collections of material for studying world mythologies are dominated by religious texts
• Religion ceremonies/cults based on mythology re-occur
• Examples: Zeus at Olympia, Athena at Athens, Demeter at Eleusis, and other mystery religions from the ancient world
• Interpretations for myth origins are later discussed

Mircea Eliade

• One of the most prolific twentieth-century myth writers, emphasis of religious aura lies in its conception as tale satisfying yearning/orientation in sacred timelessness
• Fully satisfied by stories narrating beginnings/origins
• Believes god once created world
• Cosmogeny becomes origin myth, the model for creations/stories
• Concept develops into complex mysticism
• Like sacrament, myth provides spiritual freedom from historical time
• True myths fundamentally important to society
• Embrace explanatory universe, to universal theory

Myth and Etiology

• Narrowly-Myth interpreted as explanation of origin of fact/custom
• Theory- Etiological, from Greek for cause
• Mythmaker- Primitive scientist, explaining unknown w/ society knowledge at time
• This theory fits certain myths like the account for ritual/cosmology origin
• Doesn't allow metaphysical/imaginative scope of mythological thought if interpreted literally/narrowly
• Explanatory broad definition might find theory most applicable of all monolithic theories
• Myths try to explain physical, emotion, spiritual literally, realistically, figuratively, metaphorically
• They try to explain world, beings, body/soul dichotomy, good/evil source, with all matters like love
• Hard to tell story not revealing/explaining anything
• Universally, imaginative response is theological/scientific somehow
• Issue- It doesn't identify myth specifically, distinguished, and religious/scientific/artistic
• Many stories are basically etiological

Rationalism Versus Metaphor, Allegory, and Symbolism

• Rationalizing classical mythology goes back to classical antiquity
• Especially Euhemerus claims gods= Men deified for deeds
• Zeus was mortal king in Crete who deposed Cronus
• Opposite extreme from Euhemerism is metaphorical interpretation story
• Antirationalist prefer metaphorical interpretations/traditional tales in deep meanings
• At best metaphor sees myth as allegory (sustained metaphor), story's details= universal truth
• At worst metaphor is barren exercise in cryptology
• Explain myth, clouds, weather =not enlightening/ennobling.

Allegorical Nature Myths: Max Müller

• influential 19th century, myths=nature myths, all meteorology, cosmological/developing allegorical approach
• Hard to explain why are all allegories of daytime/night/winter/summer
• Some true myths/gods, represent sky/natural order
• a lot of the true myths have no relation at all to nature

Myth and Psychology

• Freud: metaphorical approach took many forms in the 20th century through Psychology/psychoanalysts.
• Freud- Views not completely new
• "determinism,"- is found in Aristotle
• Human inner-world remains stamp of genius.
• All things as imaginative alleviating, directive are confirmed validity premises.
• Endless critical controversy merely confirms his contribution.

Carl Jung

• Jung, student but was deeply indebted to the master
• relevant appreciative theories mythology
• Freud's contribution are sex emphasis
• The unconscious theory
• Dream and interpretation

Freud

• Oedipus tale
• Is used due to our own fate/same impulses still extant now if are suppressed
• Masculine form but also relationships between his mother+behaviour/also daughter, father/ becomes hostile to her rival
• Jung- This is Electra complex
• Dreams are fulfillment wish repressed/disguised

Jung: Dream-work

• To protect/sleep anxiety, the mind three mental activities-
• "condensation" of elements- are abbreviated
• "displacement" of elements- Particularly emphasis
• "representation"- transmission imagery with sexual
• Similarly, the origin/myth evolution, insight-mind creative artists. Freud discoveries-dream lead similarity follow/analyze significance myths and to reveal what dream symbols are
• Example: stick, swords= sexual symbols phallic
• Freud, waking systematize neurotics are similar in sleep. revealed of sleep
• Patterns like the unconscious the eating a sacrilege. Oedipus primal
• Freud connection/dreams illuminate all myths; complex beginning, ethics.

Carl Jung and the Collective Unconscious

• Jung to interpret dream of unconscious revelation
• Made distinction:unconscious/conscious
• Personal is and questions
• Myths have Archetypes, embraced dreams, years depends discovered Archetype there; many thought, are
• patterns inherited humans patterns in behaviors and are born/identifiable mythological myths
• Modals teaching show. image the in a it first man
• Olds etc
• Jung emphasize traditional Sophisticated examined theories limitations.

Legacy of Freud

• Theories attracted criticisms
• Classical speak would; remains and are for with language, etc.
• Historical language remain.
• Theory dream repressed
• Desire incest first enforced that theories.

Freud with Theory

• Are with concerned have
• Work fundamental; variations.
• We theory in.

Myth and Society

• ritual one influential
• Frazers limitations
• Similar in that comparative same established 20th attitudes. valuable fascinating Literary types.

Myth and Social Charters

• important Maliki world, explain traditions traditions
• Such theory may be

Structuralists

• enriched important between societies
• like music the codes existence other total

Burkett

• the has time
• Myth
• The of tradition.
• Then
• To biologial program to collective.
• These approach

Comparative Study of Classical Mythology

• studies literature.
• is insist and time vision tribe humankind passed.
• Tales the which for those literariness .
• Is and texts and there similar this traditions
• Myth mythology.
• It what succession.

Feminism, Homosexuality

• Feminist controversial psychological human opposition.

In Greek Society

• The impossible Athens fifth gained.
• It the is do is direct we have civilization women
• The the on centuries there or the what their they about for the women.