Module 1

Question 1

What is a myth?

Answer 1

-A story that has been handed down and adapted for popular use
~It maybe false
~It maybe true
~Usually, it’s somewhere in the middle
*There are things about it that may not be historically true, but it may have a historical kernel of truth to it

Question 2

Story types

Answer 2

• True Myth (Myth Proper)
• Legend
• Saga
• Folk tales
• Fables

Question 3

True Myth (Myth Proper)

Answer 3

-Usually stories that have to do with the gods or goddesses or supernatural beings in some way, shape or form

Question 4

Legends/Sagas

Answer 4

• That are rooted in a sense of history
• They may not be exactly historically true but they seem like stories that could be historically true, maybe with some fantastical elements added to them

Question 5

Folk Tales

Answer 5

• Which usually focus on the heroic efforts of some particular individual to get through difficult circumstances

Question 6

Fables

Answer 6

• Which are usually animal stories that have some kind of moral at the end

Question 7

Theory of Rationalization (Natural explanation for Supernatural)

Answer 7

-This theory posits that myths were originally based on some true story that was in the real world
~Pegasus was based on the story of a real horse who was just really really fast. He won the triple crown or something like that, the triple crown of ancient Greece. Later on, the stories got blown out of proportion, and eventually he became a supernatural, fast, winged horse who could fly all over the place

Question 8

Metaphorical Interpretations (Myth stands for something)

Answer 8

-It doesn’t just mean whatever it says, but rather, there’s something else going on behind the scenes.

Question 9

Internalist theories (In your head Connects Myths and Dreams)

Answer 9

• Says that myths reflects something that’s going on in your head
  ~Could be thoughts
  ~Subtle things that you don’t even know are happening
  ~Often times suggest is that myths are the outplay of dreams
  *Either don’t know it or they can’t talk about it and they manage to play out in the form of myths which enables us to enact them out and live them out in some kind of way

Question 10

Externalist theories (Myths explain Outside World)

Answer 10

• Where does the moon come from?
• Where does our city come from?
• Where does out country come from?
• Where does some particular animal come from?
• This explains something that’s going on in the outside world, and that is what externalist theories believe

Question 11

Structuralist theories (Patterns emerge from analysis of parts)

Answer 11

-Tell us something about the world around us by harmonizing opposites
~There are many opposites in our world such as male and female, fire and water, sky and earth, life and death. Myth tries to deal with these opposites and bring them together in some way that we can essentially live with