Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #12

Summary

In this episode of Crash Course Mythology, Mike Rugnetta explores various theories of mythology, from ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and Xenophanes to modern thinkers such as Freud, Jung, and Joseph Campbell. He discusses how myths were once seen as primitive explanations for natural phenomena and delves into how anthropology and psychology have shaped modern interpretations. The video also covers structuralist views, notably Claude Levi-Strauss's binaries, and more contemporary approaches like William Doty's myth-analysis toolkit, emphasizing eclecticism and rejecting a single interpretive framework.

Takeaways

• 📚 Mythology is the systematic study of myths, as defined by the suffix '-ology' meaning 'the study of'.
• 🎓 Early Greek philosophers like Plato criticized myths as lies but also saw value in philosophical myths that served rational purposes.
• 🏺 Euhemerism, introduced by Euhemeros, suggests that myths are distorted accounts of historical events or primitive explanations of the natural world.
• 🔮 Early Christian thinkers viewed myths as influenced by demons to prepare people for the story of Jesus.
• 🌐 The discovery of Proto-Indo-European led to the Aryan hypothesis, suggesting a common source for myths across cultures.
• 🧑‍🏫 Sir James Frazer's 'The Golden Bough' supported the idea of myths as primitive science, attributing natural phenomena to deities.
• 🌿 Bronisław Malinowski's fieldwork in the Trobriand Islands emphasized the functional role of myths in primitive societies.
• 🧠 Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung believed myths originate from the human unconscious, with Freud focusing on individual psychology and Jung on collective unconscious.
• 🌟 Joseph Campbell's 'mono-myth' theory posits a universal underlying structure to all mythological stories.
• 👖 Claude Levi-Strauss's structuralism analyzed myths based on their binary oppositions, revealing underlying cultural structures.
• 🌱 Contemporary mythologists like William Doty and Wendy Doniger advocate for a multifaceted approach to studying myths, considering social, psychological, literary, and political contexts.

Q & A

What is the definition of 'mythology' as discussed in the video?

Mythology is the systematic study of myths, with 'ology' meaning the study of something. It is distinct from myths themselves, which are harder to define.

How did early philosophers like Plato view myths?

Plato viewed myths as irrational and false when they involved gods, heroes, and fantastical creatures. However, he believed philosophical myths, like those in 'The Republic,' were rational and true.

What is 'Euhemerism' and how does it interpret myths?

Euhemerism is the theory that myths are primitive explanations of the natural world or time-distorted accounts of historical events. Euhemeros believed legendary figures like Zeus were originally real people whose deeds were exaggerated over time.

How did early Christian thinkers view Greek and Roman myths?

Early Christian thinkers, such as Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria, believed that myths were influenced by demons who wanted to contrast pagan stories with the story of Jesus, portraying myths as falsehoods.

What major discovery in linguistics influenced the study of mythology in the 18th and 19th centuries?

The discovery that the languages of India, Southwest Asia, and Europe were related and derived from Proto-Indo-European sparked new approaches to comparative mythology, focusing on the origin and content of myths.

How did anthropologists like Sir James Frazer view myths?

Frazer viewed myths as primitive science, explaining natural phenomena through deities and supernatural beings before the advent of modern science. His book 'The Golden Bough' explored these ideas, particularly in relation to sacred kingship.

What was Bronisław Malinowski's contribution to the study of myths?

Malinowski argued that myths should be studied in living cultures as direct expressions of social beliefs, moral codes, and rituals. He viewed myths as functional tools in society, not just symbolic narratives.

How do Freud and Jung differ in their interpretations of myths?

Freud saw myths as projections of the individual unconscious, reflecting internal psychological conflicts. Jung, on the other hand, believed myths represented archetypes from the collective unconscious, shared across all humans.

What is Joseph Campbell’s theory of the 'monomyth'?

Joseph Campbell proposed the 'monomyth' theory, which suggests that all myths follow a single overarching narrative structure, especially in hero stories, reflecting the individual’s search for identity and place in the world.

What is structuralism, and how did Claude Levi-Strauss apply it to myths?

Structuralism is the theory that myths and culture are based on binary oppositions, like male/female or hero/villain. Claude Levi-Strauss argued that these binaries structure human thought and cultural expressions, including myths.