The academic definition of the word according to Leonard & McClure “myths are ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions: How did the universe and the world come to be? How did we come to be here? Who are we? What are our proper, necessary, or inescapable roles as we relate to one another and to the world at large?” (Leonard & McClure, ) My own personal definition to the word myth is human attempts to answer everyday questions that have a basis of truth that but has had its story changed over time. • Why do myths from different cultures around the world address such similar or universal themes?
“My interest in Greek tragedy led me to the question of sacrifice. The more I studied sacrifice the more I became convinced that the enigma can hardly be distinguished from the enigma of religion.” At the start of his essay, Girard provides three definitions of the word scapegoating; “the biblical meaning, the anthropological meaning and the psychological meaning,” which intertwine to create his own definition; “scapegoating enables persecutors to elude problems which seem intractable.” Girard looks into past narratives, the Greek myths for example, to show a pattern which he calls “mimesis” meaning imitation and to explain how scapegoating works. In the narratives and early societies, violence occurs and people feel some-one is the cause for this grief. After the group, which he calls the “prosecutors” or “rivals,” unify in their belief through Girard’s “mimetic theory,” to offload the cause of the violence, they find a victim who they feel has caused the destruction and chaos and channel the violence on this common enemy. The victim is usually vulnerable or often a minority of the community; seen as an
Many “myths” were brought about to answer all these questions and many more. I would define a “myth” as a tale that individuals created in ancient times to answer important questions that they lacked the necessary scientific knowledge to grasp otherwise. 2. Why do myths from different cultures around the world address such similar or universal themes? Think about how myths explain the unknown and the tribulations of mankind.
Some people place debate upon the fact that the bible should not be interpreted literally and that it should be looked at and analyzed as it is a form of literature. If this is so, why would it be considered divinely inspired by the followers of Christianity? The bible is often used to justify both sides of issues of controversial disagreements, at the same time. And, it usually provides just enough if not more than sufficient evidence and support for each side to be considered correct. As we have been studying, both Frederick Douglass and Richard Furman used the Holy Bible to validate their standpoints about slavery, whether they are for it or against it.
Not only does Hesiod’s sexist attitude reflect in his writing, but also his stories all have a connection to the reality and social aspects of the world. Hesiod artistically develops plots to explain the purposes of the gods because the “muses called upon him to sing about the gods.” (Harvard university press, Theogony) The stories and gods initial interactions may be examples of finding reason for a natural phenomenon such as in nature, or rather trying to explain reasons for stereotypical double standards towards men and/or women. Hesiod makes many connections between the gods and the people. Hesiod strategically exemplifies Zeus as a third generation god, simply because it creates a realistic suspense that Zeus is that much closer
Tasha Wright May 29, 2012 Hum/130 Hinduism Paper Hinduism lacks a uniting belief system, however it’s spiritual texts and different of practice it balances out. Hindu was made up on a belief of one God, by a lesser powerful duties that very important aspects of life and it was made up in living to see the liberation of Samsara. I would say those societal influences on Hinduism vital that made it a region and the location where it had originated. However there are some beliefs that Hindus share and they are “one, all=pervasive supreme begin who is both immanent and transcendent, both creator and unmanifest reality. They also believe in divinity of the four Vedas, and that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation,
Introductory Questions 1. What is a myth? A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society 2. What does it mean to be polytheistic? worshipping or believing in more than one god Mesoptamia Wisdom Literature (this is the handout) 1.
Through any and every writing, an author has a point hidden within literary elements. With literary elements authors develop a style to their writing to prove the point they intended from the beginning. There are many various literary elements to make up a rhetorical situation, to develop a side of ideas, some very commonly used in especially rhetorical situations. Like allusion, hyperbole, rhetorical questions, hypophora, and commonly simile. Mohandas K. Gandhi and Henry David Thoreau speak of and develop similar government opinions and points, through their interpretations of Civil Disobedience through literary elements; they prove similar points of civil disobedience but with their own style of writing and use of rhetorical devices.
A myth at its root level is a legend or story without any determinable basis in fact (Random House Dictionary). This is why a number of religions are quite muffled when we refer to the basis of their ideology as myth. The active beings in myths are generally gods and heroes. Myths often are said to take place before recorded history begins. To me a myth is a story or tale believed to be true it is a sacred narrative, what is meant is that a myth is believed to be true by people who attach religious or spiritual significance to it, without any physical evidence that it might be true.
Irp 2 Belief System Research Question What are superstitions and does it influence people? Context : Belief systems are just stories that we tell ourselves in order to define our personal sense of "reality". Every person in the world has a belief system that they utilize, and it is through this mechanism that we individually, "make sense" of the world around us. Superstition is the belief in supernatural causality—that one event causes another without any natural process linking the two events—such as astrology, religion, omens, witchcraft, prophecies, etc., that contradicts natural science. I have heard that various people of different parts of the world follow different kinds of beliefs.