Source: worldhistory.org

Myths are common in every culture. But what are myths? Myths explain why a particular culture is the way it is. You may say that myths are the bricks upon which a civilization is built. Essentially, it encapsulates belief systems and values characteristic of a culture one belongs to. It extends meaning to various natural phenomena around us to establish an order which otherwise would have been chaotic to comprehend.

 Stories give us a sense of being. It enables us to understand our place in this big world. Every culture has a mythology of its own. Mythology is derived from the Greek 'mythos' meaning story-of-the-people, and 'logos' for word or speech. Sir G.L. Gomme said myths explain “the science of pre-scientific age.” Myths are usually associated with deities, rites and socially validated truths in the form of social customs to justify an institution in place. According to Carl Jung, “myth is a necessary aspect of the human psyche which needs to find meaning and order in the world.”

Studying these aspects of myths as the context to understand the works of India’s bestselling mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, we find that mythologies give credence to belief structures. Mythologies deal with themes of supernatural traditions and explain cultural traits. It tells us about the creation of life on earth like man or animals. It also tells us why man and animal are different. Why are there rainbows and why does the season change? Paintings in the caves or sculptures are evidence enough that belief structures pre-existed the written forms. Mythology as we know it today was the religion of the past. Stories hold power from the scriptures. They comfort and direct. It provides a sense of unity, strengthening and protecting the like-minded community.

Myths have been grouped into three categories: 1) etiological; 2) historical; and 3) psychological. Etiological myths are best understood for being an origin story. For example, Thor’s chariot is thunder in Norse mythology. Brahma is the creator; Vishnu is the preserver and Shiva’s tandava has been interpreted apocalyptic in Hindu mythology. Historical myths depict events from the past that become a moral compass for the followers of a particular culture. For example, in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna addresses Arjuna’s moral dilemma, Homer’s Iliad depicts the Siege of Troy and others. Psychological myths focus on man’s need to balance his inner consciousness with the outside world. Therefore, in the journey myths of Virgil’s Aeneas and Homer’s Odyssey, the hero discovers his true identity and purpose. It is a journey from the known (his previous self) to the unknown (his new self).

To sum up: “The purpose of a myth was to provide the hearer with a truth which the audience then interpreted for themselves within the value system of their culture.” Myth has its manifestation everywhere: Literature, art, social norms, our dreams, our way of thinking, and others.