Myths

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that all myths can be divided into two categories. The first category is explanatory myths, which explain everything from the creation of the world to the color of certain birds, often as a substitute for science, and many times contain a moral for human behavior. The author relates that the other category is called adventure myths, which exalt legendary heroes, some of whom are real figures, with supernatural powers and serve as an example for others to follow. The paper points out that both religion and myths generally deal with man's attempt to explain the universe and natural phenomena, often ascribing action to one or more deities or other supernatural forces. Color illustration.

From the Paper:

"Since the beginning, people have tried to understand the reasons why certain things happen. For instance, why and when the earth was created, why the day changes to night, where humans came from, and who created them. Today, people have science to answer for many of these questions about the world around them. But in ancient times, along with some places in the world today, people lacked the knowledge to come up with these scientific explanations. Therefore, they have to explain natural events in stories about gods, goddesses, and heroes. These stories are called myths."

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