CLAS 150: Trojan War, Myth and History
Reading Journal Entry
The term 'myth' can be and has been synonymous with many other terms like legend, folklore, fables and sometimes even fiction. But if we look closer, they all maintain a certain distinction between them. A dictionary describes a myth as “A story that is usually of unknown origin and at least partially traditional, that ostensibly relates historical events usually of such character as to serve explain some practice, belief, institution or natural phenomenon and that is especially religious rites and beliefs.” 1 An on line dictionary also describes a myth as “A traditional story accepted as history, serves to explain the world view of a people.” 2 The key phrase worth noticing in the above definitions is “serves to explain”. Myths serve to explain how a group of people, civilization used to live and what their customs were. Some myths however are found hard to believe and are therefore equated with meaning unreal. For example some sources entail that Zeus birthed Athena with out a mate. That may be found hard to believe now days, if at all we believe in the Greek gods to begin with. Therefore we label such stories as myth.
So the relationship between myths and truth is such that myths have to make sense where as truth does not necessarily have to make sense, which is why truth is stranger than myth. We see that most of the Greek stories/myths are justified. A famous myth for example goes such that, Agamemnon, ruler of Mycenae unwillingly sacrificed his own daughter just so his army (he was the commander of all soldiers for this particular war) could sail to Troy. We see here that Agamemnon's actions are justified.
Besides being justified, we learn that myths have significance which is why they are still being told to this day. We find that usually people are governed by what they believe irrespective of it being true. If they believe in it, it shapes the way they see, feel and act towards the... [continues]
Reading Journal Entry
The term 'myth' can be and has been synonymous with many other terms like legend, folklore, fables and sometimes even fiction. But if we look closer, they all maintain a certain distinction between them. A dictionary describes a myth as “A story that is usually of unknown origin and at least partially traditional, that ostensibly relates historical events usually of such character as to serve explain some practice, belief, institution or natural phenomenon and that is especially religious rites and beliefs.” 1 An on line dictionary also describes a myth as “A traditional story accepted as history, serves to explain the world view of a people.” 2 The key phrase worth noticing in the above definitions is “serves to explain”. Myths serve to explain how a group of people, civilization used to live and what their customs were. Some myths however are found hard to believe and are therefore equated with meaning unreal. For example some sources entail that Zeus birthed Athena with out a mate. That may be found hard to believe now days, if at all we believe in the Greek gods to begin with. Therefore we label such stories as myth.
So the relationship between myths and truth is such that myths have to make sense where as truth does not necessarily have to make sense, which is why truth is stranger than myth. We see that most of the Greek stories/myths are justified. A famous myth for example goes such that, Agamemnon, ruler of Mycenae unwillingly sacrificed his own daughter just so his army (he was the commander of all soldiers for this particular war) could sail to Troy. We see here that Agamemnon's actions are justified.
Besides being justified, we learn that myths have significance which is why they are still being told to this day. We find that usually people are governed by what they believe irrespective of it being true. If they believe in it, it shapes the way they see, feel and act towards the... [continues]
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"Trojan War, Myth and History." StudyMode.com. 11, 2010. Accessed 11, 2010. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Trojan-War-Myth-And-History-482338.html.
