Philosophy summary on myth. Meaning, function and characteristics of myth: what it is, how it is born, how it works.
The need to give an explanation to natural phenomena , the origin of the universe, life and death, in the absence of philosophical or scientific theories, has led man to answer these questions through myth, from the Greek “mythos”, meaning story. It represents an attempt to interpret reality. It was initially passed down orally, later there were written versions. Very frequently there are more than one version of a myth , either because it has changed over time or because more than one writer has narrated it.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MYTH
Within the myth there are constant themes, such as the myth of the flood , questions about the origin of man or even the myth of a son who dethrones his father , this is because it is common to all civilizations. Mythology tells of events that precede history. The narration of the myth is generally a contrast between the hero and the antagonistic forces. In other situations the hero must deal with supernatural powers or superior forces, or in other circumstances, the final decisions are reserved to the divinities.
When there is no conflict, the story turns to punishment or rewarding behaviors that respect certain values. In myth, time and place are vague. The characters are generally supernatural creatures , man appears under two distinct aspects: the hero and the common man. Heroes are men beyond the ordinary , often sons of divinities and a mortal creature. It is not always easy to understand the meaning of mythological narratives of civilizations that are far from our culture. This is because we do not have knowledge of the symbolic values and do not understand the messages that the myth transmits to the people from which it was born. Greek and Latin mythology are the ones most familiar to us. Greek myths passed into Latin culture and were reworked .
