Transcript Why Myths Exist?

Mythology
Drill:
1. Think about some of the stories family
members have shared with you.
2. Write a brief summary of one of these stories
in the drill section of your binder.
3. Why did your family member tell you that
story? Write your answer in the drill section
of your binder.
MYTHOLOGY
•Take a binder divider from the stool
in front of the room; insert it into
your binder.
•Write a definition of MYTHOLOGY
in that section.
Why do Myths exist?
1. To Explain a Natural
Phenomena
 To answer the
questions we all ask at
one time or another
 Examples:
 Why do crops die
every winter?
 Where does the sun
go at night?
2. To Control Natural Forces
In order to control nature, people had to try to gain
the gods’ favor. They did this by:
– making sacrifices,
– offering prayers, or
– performing rituals.
 Once the gods were on their side, the people tried
to influence the gods.
 Examples: ask them to cure a disease or make
the rain fall when needed
3. To Bind a Clan, Tribe, or
Nation Together
 Myths create strong
social connections.
 They keep empires
together.
 They generate a kind
of “family” or “team”
spirit.
4. To Record Historical Events
Events in a tribe or nation are recorded as
legends/myths
Example:
– In Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers were prone to flooding
– Judeo-Christian Noah story and Babylonian
flood myth are believed to be tales of a
disastrous flood of that area
5. To Give a Verbal Geography
Lesson
 Before maps,
myths gave the only
description of
landmarks.
 People knew where
other lands and
peoples were based on
the stories that
travelers told.
6. To Set Examples for People’s
Behavior
 Myths of the gods
and of heroes
showed people
HOW to act, and
how NOT to act.
7. To Justify a Social Structure
Arrangement of mythological heavens
reflected the social arrangement of the
culture.
Society should be arranged a certain way
to reflect the gods’ order of things.
The Romans claimed their emperors were
descendants of gods, so their word was
law.
8. To Control People
 Depending on the
myth, you can:
– control with authority
(from the gods) and
fear
– threaten with
punishments during
life and after death
Can you think of any additional
reasons why myths exist?
9.
10.
Closure
Why do myths exist?
How are myths passed down over time?
Why are some myths still present today?