Purpose of Myth Review

1. Name 4 fundamental questions that myths address.
-Who am I?
-How do I relate to that universe?
-How much control do I have over my own life?
-What is the nature of the universe in which I live?
2. Name 4 themes in world mythology.
-The first parents are often Gods of sky and earth
-The Gods destroy at least one world of mortals by causing a great flood
-In the world as in nature, birth, maturity, and death are often followed by rebirth
-Heroes are children of Gods who have an unusual birth, possess extraordinary strength, kill monsters with the help of special weapons, embark on an arduous journey, descend into the underworld as part of their tasks, and have an unusual death.
3. What is the beginning of the universe for most major cultures?
-Most of the major cultures start with the beginning of the universe- a chaotic, formless mass that a God or pair of Gods separates
4. What do hero myths and epics teach members of society?
-Heroic myths and epics of a society teach it's members the appropriate attitudes, behavior, and values of that culture
5. Why do ordinary people identify with heroes?
-Heroes human weaknesses are often as instructive as their heroic qualities. Their imperfections allow ordinary people to identify with them and to like them
6. What is the foundation of Matriarchal Society?
-The political, economic, social, and religious foundation of the matriarchal society was the agricultural year.
7. What is Sigmund Freud's view of myths?
-Sigmund Freud followers viewed myths as the expression of the individual's unconscious wishes, fears, and drives
8. Myths demonstrate that people possess...
-Myths are identical products from identical minds, so myths around the world possess a common structure. Their myths demonstrate that they possess the intellectual capacity to understand the world in which they live