EC Reading: Crash Course Mythology Videos
For these videos, I'll do my notes in parts, one for each video. Overall, the videos were really interesting and definitely changed my perspective on mythology. The question of what a myth and the theories behind them were things that I hadn't at all considered, even though I'm taking this class!
What is a Myth?
I thought it was super interesting how this video challenged what the definition of 'myth' should be. I had never considered how blurry the line was between a myth, history, a fictional story, and even religion. I think the video handled the topic really well, considering that defining a story as a myth or as truth (as part of a religion) is a pretty sensitive topic that many people have a strong personal investment in. I think the definition the video settled on, that a myth is a story with significance and staying power, is really clever and avoids the sticky question of whether its true or not. I think ultimately it doesn't really matter if the myth is true or not, because it still has a strong effect on culture either way.
Theories of Myth
The concept of euhemerism is what stood out most to me from this video, because that's generally the theory I've used when studying myths. Although the events in most myths seem very fanciful and unlikely to be true, there still can be a truth to them, as they explain real-world events in a not-real way. I think I most agree with this theory because that's the way I was taught growing up. Although the exact details of a story might not be true, there can still be a grain of truth in it that you should understand from the story as a whole. I think Native American folktales/myths a great example of this. Although the details of the story might not be historically accurate, they contain a truth about the universe or life that is useful for everyone who hears the story.
I was surprised how the video was able to connect the psychological work of Freud and Jung to the concept of myths, although after watching it does make a lot of sense. Jung's work especially talked about the collective unconscious that all people share, which kind of explains why myths from many different cultures have a lot in common and often have similar characters, themes, and lessons.
The concept of the sacred and the profane was also interesting to hear about, since it's something that was mentioned by my professor in one of my art classes. Although I'm not sure where it really fits academically, the idea of mythology being sacred and the trappings of our modern world being profane is really compelling from an artistic standpoint.
The Hero's Journey and the Monomyth
The concept of the hero's journey is something I've heard many times, but I didn't know it was also referred to as the monomyth. The monomyth sounds kind of intimidating! It was cool to learn about Joseph Campbell, the man who originally mapped out the hero's typical journey. I especially liked how the explanation of the hero's journey emphasized how the hero really is a reflection of ourselves and our struggle to find where we fit in the world.
I think the way the hero's journey is broken down into parts in this video is really interesting, so I'm going to put it down below for future reference.
Part 1: Separation
-Call to Action
-Refusal of the Call
-Supernatural Aid
-Crossing the 1st Threshold
Part 2: Trials and Victories of Initiation
-The Road of Trials (may be one or more)
-Meeting with the Goddess / Woman as Temptress
-Atonement/Confrontation with the Father
-Apotheosis (enlightenment/ascension)
-Ultimate Boon (object that symbolizes their new godliness)
Part 3: The Return
-Refusal of the Return
-The Magic Flight/Flee
-Rescue from Without
-Crossing the Return Threshold
-Master of the Two Worlds
-Freedom to Live in Peace
What is a Myth?
I thought it was super interesting how this video challenged what the definition of 'myth' should be. I had never considered how blurry the line was between a myth, history, a fictional story, and even religion. I think the video handled the topic really well, considering that defining a story as a myth or as truth (as part of a religion) is a pretty sensitive topic that many people have a strong personal investment in. I think the definition the video settled on, that a myth is a story with significance and staying power, is really clever and avoids the sticky question of whether its true or not. I think ultimately it doesn't really matter if the myth is true or not, because it still has a strong effect on culture either way.
Theories of Myth
The concept of euhemerism is what stood out most to me from this video, because that's generally the theory I've used when studying myths. Although the events in most myths seem very fanciful and unlikely to be true, there still can be a truth to them, as they explain real-world events in a not-real way. I think I most agree with this theory because that's the way I was taught growing up. Although the exact details of a story might not be true, there can still be a grain of truth in it that you should understand from the story as a whole. I think Native American folktales/myths a great example of this. Although the details of the story might not be historically accurate, they contain a truth about the universe or life that is useful for everyone who hears the story.
I was surprised how the video was able to connect the psychological work of Freud and Jung to the concept of myths, although after watching it does make a lot of sense. Jung's work especially talked about the collective unconscious that all people share, which kind of explains why myths from many different cultures have a lot in common and often have similar characters, themes, and lessons.
The concept of the sacred and the profane was also interesting to hear about, since it's something that was mentioned by my professor in one of my art classes. Although I'm not sure where it really fits academically, the idea of mythology being sacred and the trappings of our modern world being profane is really compelling from an artistic standpoint.
The Hero's Journey and the Monomyth
The concept of the hero's journey is something I've heard many times, but I didn't know it was also referred to as the monomyth. The monomyth sounds kind of intimidating! It was cool to learn about Joseph Campbell, the man who originally mapped out the hero's typical journey. I especially liked how the explanation of the hero's journey emphasized how the hero really is a reflection of ourselves and our struggle to find where we fit in the world.
I think the way the hero's journey is broken down into parts in this video is really interesting, so I'm going to put it down below for future reference.
Part 1: Separation
-Call to Action
-Refusal of the Call
-Supernatural Aid
-Crossing the 1st Threshold
Part 2: Trials and Victories of Initiation
-The Road of Trials (may be one or more)
-Meeting with the Goddess / Woman as Temptress
-Atonement/Confrontation with the Father
-Apotheosis (enlightenment/ascension)
-Ultimate Boon (object that symbolizes their new godliness)
Part 3: The Return
-Refusal of the Return
-The Magic Flight/Flee
-Rescue from Without
-Crossing the Return Threshold
-Master of the Two Worlds
-Freedom to Live in Peace
A hero's journey is long and perilous, but surprisingly consistent.
(Image source: Pixabay)
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