Gaster writes that “the mythological story presupposes activity on a level somewhat different from that of the actual and empirical. Its [. . .] characters can violate the normal laws of nature; they can change shape and sex, or traverse prodigious distances at a bound” (Sacred Narrative 129). A suitable analogy to the genre of…
Tag: Routledge Handbook Greek Mythology
Theories in Mythology: What does Dardel mean by “the myth is neither ‘true’ nor ‘false’, and always in the present, not the past” in the Sacred Narrative?
Dardel assertion that myths are neither true nor false can be explained the following way. Many mythologies are composed in the form of epic poems. And poetry hands its writer with an artistic license, and allows him to concentrate on the aesthetic aspects of the work. Inevitably, factuality becomes irrelevant in such a scenario. Hence,…
Theories in Mythology: Why is mythology so hard to define? How has your definition changed since you began to study the subject?
During the times of its conception and application, mythologies were intricately woven into the fabric of society. It is to be noted that for primitive people mythologies were the predominant source of information and entertainment. Hence, it becomes difficult to distinguish between the theoretical and practical sides of these stories. In the context of this…
Theories in Mythology: Definition of the “hero” as a concept.
Mythologies of all types are consistently associated with a central heroic character. Some historians believe that mythologies evolved in the first place as a medium of admiration for the hero. The actual manifestation of the hero can take varied forms. He/she could assume the form of a human being with all its frailties or can…