The aim of this essay is to present you with an argument on the invaluable power of mythology as a positive influence on the world today. Mythology, like a number of other fields holding a legendary past, has provoked lots of heated debate concerning the usefulness of something which has remained throughout the centuries more thanks to its past rather than its present evolution. But what seems to slip lots of people’s minds involved in such arguments is that any kind of progress made in humanity’s life is not made with an aim at rejecting the past.
It is true that most innovations, inventions and discoveries result in changing entrenched beliefs and adopting new methods of treating humans’ problems and finding their solutions. This is especially evident in the scientific field. When at the dawn of prehistoric years humans tried to approach the mysteries of their world they believed in lots of different interpretations which resulted from their gradual evolution. For example, people at one point of their evolution believed in the earth being flat. But scientific progress proved that the Earth is spherical. It was this kind of progress which started generating doubt concerning the value on mythology. The question addressed to those who keep on studying mythology, reading it, being attracted to its stories and becoming avid readers of them, is something like ‘What do we need mythology for?’ those disregarding mythology stick to their belief that since humans have stepped on the moon it is illogical for them to believe in stories about gods whose anger causes earthquakes.
This essay will present you with these qualities of mythology which have been put aside, resulting in people forgetting or disregarding its significant value. It will begin by reminding you what mythology really is, what its functions are and how these functions can prove to be of positive, beneficial effect on humans’ lives.
Mythology and its functions
Mythology as the gathering and study of myths, no matter their national or geographical identity, has always appealed to people. ‘Myths’ etymologically derive from the Greek word ‘mythos’, meaning any kind of information expressed within the borders of the first human societies, aiming at providing people with advice or guidelines concerning their everyday survival. During the evolution of humans’ language as a code of communication, myths took over another role, the one they still possess nowadays. They acquired their own power, turning into the stories of older generations and surviving as a useful knowledgeable background through oral and written speech. Each nation developed its own myths in their effort to approach life’s mystery, in such a way that fears and agonies, involved in the whole procedure of their survival, could be rationalized and dealt with successfully. Physical phenomena, like floods or earthquakes, and eternal questions on human existence such as the nature of death, love, soul - to mention but a few - were explained through myths.
Mythology according to the American mythologist, writer and lecturer Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) has four functions, the Metaphysical, the Cosmological, the Sociological and the Pedagogical. All these functions are characterized by their individual identity and traits but they all cooperate and harmonically coexist so that the beneficial effect of Mythology on people’s lives is more than evident. The Metaphysical refers to the ability of Mythology to awaken a sense of awe before the mystery of being. Despite all technological and scientific progress the mystery of life cannot be fully rationalized. Questions of metaphysical nature, can find shelter in mythological symbols which " touch and exhilarate centers of life beyond the reach of reason and coercion" (Joseph Campbell, The Masks of God, vol.4). Mythology operates as a healing machine for the incessant wounding questions: What are the existing powers, not visible or tangible at first sight - if there are any - leading our existence? What is the mystical, divine knowledge acquired during our journey in universe? What gives life to life itself? Fate and Destiny in Ancient Greeks predestine people’s lives but never predefine it. Humans ultimately meet their universal destiny, whether carrying internal knowledge of their forthcoming experience or not.
The Cosmological function of mythology is justified if the explaining of the shape of the universe is to be taken into account. Cosmos as a shape, its creation, the occurrence of physical phenomena, elements of nature, are approached differently, in terms of nations coping with their need for rationalizing them.
Myths also operate as a way of validating and supporting the existing social order throughout humanity’s history. They support the belief that members of any social group are expected to behave properly, otherwise punishment is to come. Operating like a law system, myths declare demand for preserving social order. Escaping the law or treating injustice individually, is wrong and unethical behavior.
Last but not least the Pedagogical function of mythology refers to its ability to guide the individual through the stages of life. Myths can be incorporated in the educatory means, contributing in the development of human maturity, through different stages of life.
The appliance of Mythology’s functions to nowadays’ world
All the above mentioned functions open up new paths of research into mythology’s unexplored richness. All these stories of different nationality, era and historical circumstances serving either or all of the above mentioned functions are the living proof that Mythology has its own place in people’s lives nowadays. In a society which seems to have lost its compass towards its humanistic approach of things, people, events, situations, problems, Mythology comes to remind people of their ability in terms of imagination, of making their world a better and more balanced place to live in, of trying to come in terms with all elements of their either known and familiar or unfamiliar environment.
Both the Metaphysical and Cosmological functions of Mythology can be beneficial today no matter the scientifically proven and valid explanations of our world and existence. The universe may have become a bit familiar and all scenarios of inhabiting it may be possible and easily feasible. Nevertheless the eternal question remains. What is that which gives life to life itself? Life is a mystery, and no matter the logical explanations given there will always be a palce where logic doesn’t fit. It’s the land of feelings and emotions. People are not just logic and experiments and measures. People are foremost the inexplicable well of the incessant conflict of feelings and thoughts. But even if someone is to be a more than passionate supporter of humans’ logic, then again these functions of Mythology cannot be disregarded. How could the imagination, innovative thinking and incessant effort of preceding humans to survive and control their world could ever be disregarded? It would be as if one decided to write off humans’ achievements. And the undeniable truth is that these ‘mythological’ achievements can cause nothing but admiration. Mythology should also be seen as one extra reason for people’s unity. If one is to look into as many myths as he / she can on the explanation of the cosmological and metaphysical nature of humanity and the world, then it comes as a very nice surprise to witness that people regardless of their nation, gender, race, religion, tend to share common worries and interests. Nations share a common mythological background showing this way that all people share the same inner needs for logical explanations of mysteries, for familiarity, for finding peace and happiness. So mythology can contribute to empowering multicultural bonds of people nowadays which is an era facing the threat of even more well-disguised dangers.
But the most powerful effect of studying Mythology lies in its sociological and pedagogical functions. Myths offer a rich knowledgeable background which can be applied in all fields of life. Their knowledge although imaginary or magical has real based value. Myths depict through vivid colors, imaginary situations and stories the importance of the preconditions required if sociological order and peace are to be achieved. Myths operate equally to the way that fairy tales affect people’s thinking, especially at an early age. When children are taught to pay attention to unknown people or surroundings and listen to their parents’ advice through fairy tales like the one of the red hood girl or they become familiar with the idea of acting in the name of common wealth like in the tale / legend of Robin Hood, then how could it ever be argued that myths cannot and ought not to be treated the same way? Myths carry within them the notions, the beliefs, the feelings, the traditions, the needs of past societies who managed to deal with everlasting troubling questions and issues. Myths are the eternal breath of past generations who never die but are always carried in the genes of their descendants.
Societies are asked to define their people’s role and responsibilities in a constantly changing environment where even widely accepted ethical values and traditions are put in jeopardize. Following what has been said by Jacobson on mythology ‘A Paraphrasing what Marcus Tullius Cicero once said on the significance of books ‘A myth does not shrivel at the first dry touch of science.’ I would say that disregarding mythology is like disregarding the eternal breath of past generations who are to accompany their descendants in what has come to be called a journey in life.
Works cited
Campbell Joseph,The Masks of God, vol. 4: Creative Mythology(New York: Viking, 1965), p.4
‘Cultural myths in the Making of a Teacher: Biography and Social Structure in Teacher Education’, Journal Harvard Educational Review, Volume 56, Number 4, Winter 1986, retrieved from http://her.hepg.org/content/mv28227614l44u66/
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/01/jacobson-creation-science
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Greek_Mythology/Stories
