Mythology refers variously to the
collected myths of a group of people or to the study of such myths.
A folklore genre, myth is a feature
of every culture. Many sources for myths have been proposed, ranging from
personification of nature or personification of natural phenomena, to truthful
or hyperbolic accounts of historical events to explanations of existing
rituals. A culture's collective mythology helps convey belonging, shared and
religious experiences, behavioural models, and moral and practical lessons.
The study of myth began in ancient
history. Rival classes of the Greek myths by Euhemerus, Plato and Sallustius
were developed by the Neoplatonists and later revived by Renaissance
mythographers. The nineteenth-century comparative mythology reinterpreted myth
as a primitive and failed counterpart of science (Tylor), a "disease of
language" (Müller), or a misinterpretation of magical ritual (Frazer).
Recent approaches often view myths as
manifestations of psychological, cultural, or societal truths, rather than as
inaccurate historical accounts.
Comparative mythology
Comparative mythology is the
systematic comparison of myths from different cultures. It seeks to discover
underlying themes that are common to the myths of multiple cultures. In some
cases, comparative mythologists use the similarities between separate
mythologies to argue that those mythologies have a common source. This source
may inspire myths or provide a common "protomythology" that diverged
into the mythologies of each culture.
Nineteenth-century interpretations of
myth were often comparative, seeking a common origin for all myths. Later
scholars tend to avoid universal statements about mythology. One exception to
this modern trend is Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), which
claims that all hero myths follow the same underlying pattern. This theory of a
monomyth later fell out of favour.
Modern mythology
In modern society, myth is often
regarded as a collection of stories. Scholars in the field of cultural studies
research how myth has worked itself into modern discourses. Mythological
discourse can reach greater audiences than ever before via digital media.
Various mythic elements appear in television, cinema and video games.
Although myth was traditionally
transmitted through the oral tradition on a small scale, the film industry has
enabled filmmakers to transmit myths to large audiences via film. In Jungian
psychology myths are the expression of a culture or society’s goals, fears,
ambitions and dreams. Film is an expression of the society in which it was
produced and reflects the culture of its era and location.
