Chapter 1 Flashcards
Who created The Power of Myth
Bill Moyers
Who were The First Storytellers
Myth-makers
What is the oldest-surviving story/tale?
The Epic of Gilgamesh
What is the oldest know record for the origination of story-telling?
The sons of Cheops entertaining their fathers in Egypt
What did Joseph Campbell believe is the definition and purpose of mythology?
He believed myths are powerful guides of the spirit. Their purpose is to harmonize mind and body because they want different things, and It is to cope with death, the Autumn of our lives.
What two planes of existence does mythology said to connect?
The visible and invisible
When killing/slaughtering animals the myth overpowers ______.
Guilt
Early people observed animals as _______ over themselves.
Superior
Rituals are _______ of myths.
Enactments
What is the difference between Thou and I/It in mythological stories.
Thou is referring to an object of reverence. I/it is considered disrespectful and depersonalized.
What doe imagine was the defining purpose of the cave art?
They are considered the womb of spiritual life. It is thought they are the place where boy initiates have to overcome their fears and prepare to become men and prepare for the hunt. They go from mommas boy to father’s disciple.
What is thought to be the young women’s initiation to womanhood in early mythology?
It is a vague understanding but after having their first menstruation they may be required to sit in a hut to think about what it means to be a women. They often come to realize they are embodiments of The Earth Goddess.
What has contemporary society lost? What are the recuperations?
The practice of mythology and initiation rituals. Campbell thinks this makes us more barbaric. He insists we keep ritual alive.
How do people treat the environment in the days of early mythology compared to now?
They responded to it, rather lording over it.
Who are the myth-makers? Why?
Artists and shamans. They are open to the music of the universe. They have a psychological experience that turns them inwards, sometimes from deep-dreams or near-death experiences.
