Week 4 Lab: Crash Course Mythology

For the Story Lab in week 4, I decided to watch the Crash Course Mythology videos. The videos attempted to define myth, mythology, and explain their development.

The guys at Crash Course Mythology made clear that Myth is a story of great significance, or deep meaning, that has stood the test of time over centuries or even millennia. They also made a point to not get into whether mythology x is truth, and mythology y is fallacy. Instead, they simply explained that for myth it is just a story that could be true or false.

The videos mentioned that many people would not include fairy tales as myth because they are not about the origin, or destruction of the world. Crash Course Mythology understands the point, but they believe the scope of myth is a bit wider and should include hero stories as well as stories of gods and goddesses.

Mythology is simply the study of myth. It didn't grow much until the 18th and 19th century. In the 20th century, mythology and anthropology collided. Anthropologists studied myth, and its various versions. Some who study mythology claim that mythology symbolizes the belief many people. These mythical characters are a result of our unconscious. It makes harsh realities bearable with explanations through myth. Some claim that this is why we see similar stories in different parts of the world, because many people go through similar things and develop similar myths to explain them.

Joseph Campbell suggested the idea of a monomyth. Campbell believes that we long for wisdom and understanding of our place in the world. He claims that hero stories and myths are a result of environmental factors that form in the human subconscious. We each go through many of the same things. There are 17 parts to his human monomyth. First, the hero receives a call to destiny from a supernatural figure. Then they meet the threshold guardian. They usually almost die. Next, the hero starts to transform into the hero they must become. The hero usually encounters a woman who allows them to prove their maturity. They usually encounter a monster next. After encountering the monster they become enlightened. The hero has evolved into their greatest form. At this point they must return to normal life/society. It is often hard for the hero to get back into their normal life. Who wants to go from a hero back to normal? In the end, they end up where they started, usually in peace, in the "mythological equivalent to happily ever after" - Crash Course Mythology

Scylla - Fallen Sword

Crash Course Mythology, Videos 1, 12, and 25, Mike Rugnetta