Concept in Definition ABC

Surely on more than one occasion you have heard of different characters of antiquity such as the Gods of Olympus, the roman deities, the fantastic beings, as well as monsters or heroes that have marked - and continue to do so - our classical culture. All the stories that you can find of a wonderful character starring them is what we usually call a myth. Precisely, the word myth comes from the Greek term "mythos"which means history.

Myths of diverse nature in all cultures of the five continents

The aforementioned Greco-Roman traditions gave rise to numerous variations, in some cases turning to formal texts that allowed their contemporaries explain not understood phenomena of reality or even deep plots related to the psyche or to the society of their weather.

Similarly, it is appropriate to highlight the richness of the mythology Scandinavian, which, in a way, reflected the way of life of the primitive people of the region and the powerful later advance of the Vikings and the first local kingdoms. It cannot fail to be mentioned in the framework of

the myths to the extensive pantheons of African deities, linked in many cases with animistic cults that must have been hidden under the appearance of syncretisms to escape persecution in times of the European conquests of their native lands. On the other hand, the remarkable traditions of the Far East can also be included under the broad spectrum of the myths, although some of these traditions could be classified as legends. The exciting variations of the myths described in the ancient Amerindian peoples also represent an interesting example of the influence of these stories in the daily way of life of civilizations.

Fundamentally, the myth has always been a story very framed in the tradition oral, that is, it has been spreading by word of mouth up to the present day. On many occasions, we have seen it associated with the great authors of classical antiquity, fundamentally. The myths of the Greek gods, the adventures of great heroes like Ulises or Hercules, or the wonderful stories of the Minotaur, the Cyclops and others, are part of history cultural of the peoples, who have been receiving them as part of a legacy very important.

The final versions of many myths have become fundamental texts of ancient literature, compiled by different literati throughout history.

Although as a consequence of different biases it has been the Greco-Roman myths that have come down to us in Format written conventionalThe rich traditions of the East and ancient Mesopotamia have also been expressed in tangible texts that can be enjoyed for academic and historical purposes.

There are myths of all types and structures. There are those who try to explain in a simple way and for the people the creation of the world, others bring religious divinities, the appearance of the human being, etc... It is recognized that myths have a religious aspect, since the different communities have welcomed them to explain in some way the constant questions that man comes to ask himself about life and what surrounds. Some of these myths have given rise to cults perpetuated for millennia, as has happened with the archaic civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia, or with the interpretation of history and antiquity by other peoples. In this framework the idea of ​​Atlantis and other alleged nations disappeared in the annals of time is included. It is worth recognizing that numerous traditions and myths of remote antiquity contain information that has been used by historians such as tool for his research, with successful results on different occasions.

The myth as an unattainable idea

But, apart from these wonderful stories, where the metaphor turns reality into suggestive and beautiful images, it is very proper to use the word and the myth term to define what seems unattainable to us. Perhaps as if wanting to resemble this definition to the one that brings us closer to the stories of the great heroes of each culture. Surely on some occasion we have wanted or heard of someone in particular as a living myth, someone who, In their activity, mainly artists or athletes, they show themselves to us as true teachers, people to whom we admire.

That is why we also use the myth word, to give it a more universal character. Perhaps it is interesting to suppose that the historians of tomorrow describe many of our behaviors and manifestations as new myths, which will be remembered in that way by generations to come. As a true transition, some sociologists consider prominent figures of the Middle Ages o Modern, in some cases even in terms of its negative memory (Attila, king of the Huns; Vlad Tepes, immortalized as Count Dracula; the Borgias; Louis XIV, King of France, symbol of despotism).

Therefore, it is perhaps interesting to state that myths are not just blurred and modified memories of the vision of the reality, but a way of assuming and interpreting the daily context in a subjective, changing way and, at the same time, thrilling. This perspective allows us to embrace the ancient legends of distant times and the everyday generation of modern myths.

Images: iStock - Igor Zakowski / duncan1890 / Soldaini

Topics in Myth