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A Short History Of Myths.edited 5

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Oakton Community College

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A History of Myths

1. In Armstrong's book and in our discussions, we have been trying to define the

question, "What is a myth?" How does Armstrong distinguish it from religion

it?

Armstrong (2008) uses the example of the Neanderthal's created stories to explain the meaning

of Myths. Myths are make-believe stories that count on a better life after death and beliefs that

are shared by a people of a certain culture, like the Neanderthals. The author describes the

meaning of myths in five ways. First that myths are derived from humans' fear of death and

extinction. This means humans create myths to explain a phenomenon beyond their

imagination to cover the fear of the unknown. What myths cannot be logically explained except

by those who believe in existence outside the natural life.

Religion, the author says, is spiritual and divine belief. Armstrong distinguishes myth from

religion in that he claims that myths are just stories of hope that human-derived to face the

unknown after death, but religion is a human way of connecting to what they believe was lost

to them. He uses the example of human beings trying to connect with the old gods and the past

cities that they believed existed. The author explains religion as people wanting something in

return from the gods they try to connect with through worship. While in myths, people just

believed and asked for nothing in return. The skies were beyond them.

2. Armstrong gives five functions of myth: what are they?

The five functions that Armstrong gives of myths. The first function is that myths are created

to suspense the human fear of the unknown, which means that humans bear the fear of not

knowing what will happen after they are gone. And for this reason, they create stories that help

them know where they will go after death. The second function Armstrong gives to myths is

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that Myths create a hope of a better living setting than the one the humans are used to. Myths

create a better world that people can look forward to and be hopeful. According to Armstrong,

the third function is that Myths explain what the human mind cannot explain. According to the

author, myths force us to go beyond our natural experience. The fourth is that Neanderthals

sacrificed animals for burials for their beliefs, meaning that myths are connected to rituals.

Myths explain rituals. And lastly, myths direct us on how human beings should behave. The

author uses the example of the Neanderthal burials ways and the direction of the corps to

explain how people go to the world beyond after death attaching meanings to actions.

3. What is your understanding of myth? How is it shifting since the beginning of

this class? Please use examples from class discussions and the book.

My understanding of a Myth is a story that human beings create to create meaning of certain

events, make sense of what they do not know, and, most importantly. Myths are stories created

to give humankind hope to cover the fear of death, the unknown, and their fear of extinction.

Since the class started, we have learned myths about make-believe stories that explain events

that human beings could not comprehend. Human beings totally believed in myths that guided

them through their daily activities. Then the myths shifted to logos which is the reasoning for

doing things. Why things are done the way, they are. This reasoning then created room for

spiritual growth when humans decided to attach themselves to a spiritual being far from their

reach. Trying to acquire that which they feel they lost. Creating room for civilians and religion.

Then myths, together with religion and Logos, created civilization and socio-political events

that led to scholars and then the loss of culture and myths.

4. The Palaeolithic age had some extraordinary spiritual beliefs. What were

some of the aspects of their spirituality that stood out to you? How did myth

play a part in these early traditions?

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The aspects of spirituality that stood out during the paleolithic age were the shamans. The

shamans were the traditional spiritual leaders. The shamans interpreted myths and conducted

the society on how to perform their activities, for example, hunts. Scholars even believe that

the first myths were born from this period. The shamans had the ability to see visions that

directed the hunt, a dangerous activity(Armstrong, 2008). These visions then led to giving the

hunting activities a spiritual meaning. Shamans have ecstasy training that allows them to

communicate with death. Making people feel spiritually connected to the afterlife.

Myths played a part in these early traditions as people believed in life after death. To help with

the fear of extinction and the unknown. That is where the shaman came into these traditions.

They believed in the directions of the shaman. A shaman during adolescence was even believed

to break down and wake up with spiritual powers that allowed them to visit the world

beyond(Armstrong, 2008).

5. What was the most significant development in the Neolithic Age for humans,

and how did this appear in their mythology? What was the most interesting

myth for you in the Neolithic Age? Explain.

The most significant development in the Neolithic age for humans is the discovery of the

science of farming, the significance of the earth, and the Art of planting according to

(Armstrong, 2008). Humans in that Age discovered mother nature and the significance of tilling

the land, planting, waiting, pruning, and awaiting the harvest. The humans explained this in a

spiritual myth. For example, they believed you have to give to receive and even created rituals

for planting and harvesting. Earth took a form of a naturing mother, opening up to swallow a

seed that will grow and sprout out. That earth gave birth to everything in the end. Humans at

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A History of Myths 1. In Armstrong's book and in our discussions, we have been trying to define the question, "What is a myth?" How does Armstrong distinguish it from religion it? Armstrong (2008) uses the example of the Neanderthal's created stories to explain the meaning of Myths. Myths are make-believe stories that count on a better life after death and beliefs that are shared by a people of a certain culture, like the Neanderthals. The author describes the meaning of myths in five ways. First that myths are derived from humans' fear of death and extinction. This means humans create myths to explain a phenomenon beyond their imagination to cover the fear of the unknown. What myths cannot be logically explained except by those who believe in existence outside the natural life. Religion, the author says, is spiritual and divine belief. Armstrong distinguishes myth from religion in that he claims that myths are just stories of hope that human-derived to face the unknown after death, but religion is a human way of connecting to what they believe was lost to them. He uses the example of human beings trying to connect with the old gods and the past cities that they believed existed. The author explains religion as people wanting something in return from the gods they try to connect with through worship. While in myths, people just believed and asked for nothing in return. The skies were beyond them. 2. Armstrong gives five functions of myth: what are they? The five function ...
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