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| Lesson
1: An
Introduction to Mythology |
By
Caroline Rocheleau
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All
races, all cultures without exception possess myths, although,
in our modern society, science has more or less replaced mythology.
Mythology, just like science, seeks an explanation for the great
mysteries of life and the universe. It answers the kind of perplexing
questions a child will eventually ask his parents : who created
the world and how ? Who was the first human being ? Where does
the sun go at night? Where do souls go after we die ? Myths
satisfy humans' fundamental need to understand the world surrounding
them. Whether the answer is primitive and very imaginative or
scientific, the myth relieves the human mind of the anxiety
caused by a lack of comprehension. Indeed, as soon as a (usually
menacing) phenomenon is explained with words, it suddenly looses
its power to terrify and frighten.
Additionally, myths justify the existence of a social structure,
as well as customs and rites of a culture. Traditions that have
existed for as long as one can remember are often said to have
their origins in a myth, a long time ago -- at the time of the
First Occasion -- when divine beings first performed these same
actions. A recurring principle with mythology is that whatever
happens to gods and other divine entities undeniably reflects
events taking place in the human world. A myth is, in other
words, a justification for an action as well as an inspiration
for it.
Myths can be divided into categories that are organised according
to the general theme expressed in the narrative. The creation
of the earth and the universe, the origin of mankind, the birth
of the gods, death and the afterlife, the renewal of the world
are some of the themes represented and illustrated in myths
of many cultures. More political themes such as the succession
of kingship and the dispensation of justice or even the simple
architectural layout and decorative programme of a temple, also
take their inspiration from myths, from the actions of the gods
during the First Occasion.
Although numerous religious texts have survived the millennia,
they only make allusions to some mythological events. Full narratives
are seldom written down; they are part of the oral tradition
of a culture -- transmitted by word of mouth from generation
to generation. Piecing together whole tales from various sources
is a practically impossible task, especially since myths evolve
and grow together with the society and the culture in which
they belong. Myths are not stagnant, they are transformed in
order to reflect the new realities of society and explain them.
Mythology is evidently quite fascinating, however myths are
easily misread. Mentalities and our perception of the world
have changed with the ages. Our understanding of ancient religion
and myths is skewed by the superposition of our perceptive framework
onto ancient ones. When studying mythology of ancient peoples,
we must keep an open mind and try to understand how they saw
the world, no matter how strange it might appear to us.
The various myths about the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt
are a glimpse into the ancient Egyptians' psyche, the human
mind and soul, and they reveal -- if ever so briefly -- how
they pictured their world and their society. In the following
lessons, some of the most important myths of ancient Egypt will
be examined and explained, thus revealing some of the most intimate
thoughts behind the mysteries of ancient Egyptian civilisation.
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