Myth: Bloomsbury Guide To Human Thought

Myths are an important part of a culture and society. As the article “Myth: Global Dictionary of Theology” states many people so not understand their importance to a society. Many people see it as a “completely fabricated story” (Myth: Global Dictionary of Theology). This article also emphasizes the impossibility of finding a single definition for the term “myth.” I was interested in reading the different ideas on myth, however I agreed that no one person had the correct, all encompassing, definition for a myth. The difference between myth and legend interested me. In the article “Myth: Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought” Claude Levi-Strauss states that myths are relatives of legends. Legends are defined as “fantasized history”(Myth: Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought). Myths on the other hand are used to “wrestle with the fundamental and irreconcilable contradictions experienced in life” (Myth: Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought). I also found it really interesting that the article pointed out that history can never be proven. All history is essentially made up of myths (Myth: Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought). This makes a lot of sense to me. …show more content…
Students look at historical people such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Susan B. Anthony. Schools then push the myths and legends associated with these historical figures as facts and “history.” I still remember learning about Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and how “he stood like a stonewall against the Yankees.” He is someone in history that students do not normally learn about, but my teacher made sure that I would remember him and the myth that surrounded him. These myths tend to emphasize the qualities of a “good