Social Orders and Creation Stories: Crash Course World Mythology #5

Summary

This Crash Course Mythology episode delves into myths that explain the origins of men and women, often portraying women as subordinate. It examines the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, Greek mythology's Pandora, and a Japanese creation myth, highlighting how these narratives have historically justified male dominance and the social order. The episode critiques these ancient stories for their implications on gender relations and their enduring impact on societal perceptions.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The video discusses how myths from various cultures explain the origins of people and the relationships between men and women.
• 👥 Myths often focus on dualities, particularly the distinction between men and women, and frequently portray women as subordinate to men on earth.
• 📜 The second creation story from the Book of Genesis is highlighted, where man is created first, suggesting his importance and later woman is created from his rib.
• 🔄 The script points out the use of wordplay in Genesis to justify male superiority, with the Hebrew words for 'man' and 'woman' being closely related.
• 💔 The Bible's narrative includes punishments for disobedience, affecting women more directly with pain in childbirth and subordination to their husbands, establishing a patriarchal order.
• 🌍 Greek mythology's story of Pandora is presented as another example of a myth that rationalizes misogyny, with her being created as a punishment and bearer of evils to men.
• 🎁 In Japanese mythology, the creation of the earth and the primal couple Izanagi and Izanami's story is used to establish male precedence and female subservience.
• 🤝 The Japanese creation myth involves a marriage ritual and procreation, where the order of speaking during the ritual affects the outcome of the children born.
• 👶 The birth of a deformed child in the Japanese myth is attributed to the woman speaking first, reinforcing the idea of male precedence in rituals and life.
• 🌳 The script suggests that myths may have been created to rationalize social orders and gender roles that already existed or were desired by the storytellers.
• 🔗 It is noted that myths and rituals are often closely connected, with myths providing a narrative to justify societal practices and structures.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the Crashcourse Mythology episode described in the transcript?

The main focus of the episode is to explore how myths explain the origins of people, specifically men and women, and their relationships with each other.

What is the significance of the story of the creation of man and woman from the Bible in the context of this episode?

The story from the Book of Genesis is significant as it provides an early justification for men being superior to women, based on the creation narrative and the subsequent 'punishments' after the eating of the fruit from the tree of knowledge.

How does the transcript suggest that the Bible's creation story may have influenced social structures?

The transcript suggests that the Bible's creation story might have either described an existing family structure or was written to encourage a specific family structure where men leave their parents' household upon marriage.

What is the term used in the transcript to describe the Greek god of laughter, and why is it mentioned?

The term used is 'Gelos'. It is mentioned in the context of the humor in the Bible's creation story, particularly the wordplay around the naming of woman as 'isha' derived from 'ish', meaning man.

What role does the character of Pandora play in Greek mythology in relation to the theme of the episode?

In Greek mythology, Pandora is a figure created by Zeus as a punishment for Prometheus and as a source of troubles for mankind, embodying the concept that women are the source of societal problems and reinforcing misogyny.

How does the Japanese creation myth mentioned in the transcript establish a rationale for male precedence and female subservience?

The Japanese creation myth establishes this rationale through the story of Izanagi and Izanami, where the order in which they speak during their marriage ritual determines the success of their offspring, with Izanagi speaking first leading to successful births.

What is the connection between myths and rituals as discussed in the episode?

The connection is that myths often provide explanations or justifications for rituals, such as the Japanese ritual of celebrating the birth of a first child by floating a clay figurine away, which may be related to the story of the deformed leech-child Hiruko.

What theme emerges from the creation stories discussed in the episode regarding the introduction of human toil, pain, and disease?

A recurring theme is that these negative aspects of human life are often blamed on women, serving as a justification for male dominance and a patriarchal social order.

How does the episode suggest that myths may have been used to support existing social systems?

The episode suggests that myths may have been created or interpreted to rationalize and reinforce social systems where men feel it is their right to rule over women.

What is the significance of the mention of Phaeton in the episode?

The mention of Phaeton, who almost burned down the Earth due to his mistake, serves to highlight the inconsistency in blaming women for human suffering, as men too can make grave errors.

What are the references provided in the transcript to support the discussion on myths and their implications?

The references include works by Thury and Devinny on mythology, Hesiod's writings, and adaptations from Littleton and Willis' 'World Mythology: The Illustrated Guide', which provide scholarly context and sources for the myths discussed.