HU300: Myth

Welcome to our third seminar! We will begin on time. Feel

free to chat until then

Finding inspiration

• Old myths, old gods, old heroes have never died. They are only sleeping at the bottom of our mind, waiting for our call. We have need for them. They represent the wisdom of our race. –Stanley Kunitz

Unit 3 Work

• Read the chapter “Myth and the Origin of the Humanities” in The Art of Being Human.

• Discussion Board – Answer the questions and post responses to at least two

classmates. – Notice that there are 2 threads this week, so you’ll post a

total of 6 messages (2 original, 4 peer responses).

You do not have a formal project due this week!

What is a myth?

“a traditional story of unknown authorship, ostensibly with a historical basis, but serving usually to explain some phenomenon of nature, the origin of humanity, or the customs, religious rites, etc., of a people” (textbook, p. 43).

Archetypes

• “Archetypes are mythic characters, events, symbols, and buried assumptions transmitted from one generation to another through what Jung labeled the collective unconscious” (text, p. 44).– Myths similar across cultures• Spread along trade routes• Scientific explanations for flood stories• Myths reflect common needs/human condition

Archetypes

What are some examples of archetypes we encounter in myths?

Examples of Archetypes

Hero Magic Language Numbers Circle Journey Garden Greek Gods

Myth in Contemporary Culture

Where do you see these archetypes in our culture?

Can you give specific examples?

Wizards and Mysterious Strangers

Chapter 3 discusses the myths of the wizard and the mysterious stranger. Are these outmoded now? Still relevant? Found but in different forms?

Myth as Explanation

How was/is myth used to explain?

Myth as Explanation

Scientific mysteries Creation Evil, disasters, and human

suffering

Myths as Coping Mechanisms

Childhood myths and fairytales How do these help us cope? What kinds of values do they impart? Can you give specific examples? What are the advantages and

disadvantages? How does myth transmit cultural

values? Are there other ways to do so?

Myths and Childhood

Need for reassurance Attractiveness and wealth Importance of names Darkness and violence

Myth and psychology: Bruno Bettelheim

Childhood Myths

What were your favorite childhood myths or fairytales?

Why? Do you think fairytales can be

damaging to children (violence, gender roles, racial or social stereotypes, etc)?

Why do we study myth?

Part of general knowledge—understanding allusions to myth.

Show us how those before us explained the world around us

Entertainment and enjoyment Important relationship between myth

and the humanities Inspiration for literature, music, and art

Myth

Myth affects the world around us Myths affect how we see ourselves

and our society Many sayings and popular beliefs

have their origins in myth. Myth is embedded in our language

“Leda and the Swan” by William Butler Yeats

A sudden blow: the great wings beating stillAbove the staggering girl, her thighs caressedBy the dark webs, her nape caught in his billHe holds her helpless breast upon breast.

How can those terrified vague fingers pushThe feathered glory from her loosening thighs?And how can body, laid in that white rush,But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?

A shudder in the loins engenders thereThe broken wall, the burning roof and towerAnd Agamemnon dead.

Being so caught up,So mastered by the brute blood of the air, Did she put on his knowledge with his powerBefore the indifferent beak could let her drop? (1924)

The Show is Over!

• Please email me with any questions or concerns you have about the course.

• See you on the DB!!