Functionsof Myth Script PDF

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The Four Functions of Myth Descriptive Transcript [Title Slide text: “The Four Functions of Myth”] You’ve already read a little about the four functions of myth identified by Joseph Campbell. Now let’s talk about these functions in a little more detail with some examples from mythology. [New Slide text reads: “Campbell’s Four Functions of Myth”] [Additional text in bullet point form: “The Metaphysical Function; The Cosmological Function; The Sociological Function; The Psychological Function”] When we talk about the functions of myth, what we mean is that myths are more than just entertaining stories. They serve a purpose in the society that created them. They teach people about the spiritual and physical world, reinforce social norms and values, and guide people on their own life journeys. [New Slide text reads: “Metaphysical”] [Additional text in bullet point form: “The spiritual/religious side of myth; Raises the awareness of external and/or internal spirituality; Enables human beings to accept the burdens of life”] The first of these four functions is the metaphysical function. The metaphysical function teaches people about the gods and helps to give them an appreciation and reverence for the spiritual world. [New Slide text reads: “Metaphysical – Odin’s Sacrifice”] [New Slide image on the left: Ink drawing of Odin entwined in the branches of Yggdrasil, sacrificing himself.] [New Slide image on the right: Painting of Odin drinking from Mimir’s well of knowledge.] We can see one example of this function in the Norse myth about the sacrifices of Odin. In this myth, the god Odin first sacrifices his eye to drink from a well of knowledge and then hangs himself from the world tree to gain secret knowledge of the world and the future. This story demonstrates the metaphysical function by teaching people about the most revered of the gods and making them feel a sense of awe at the sacrifices Odin made for wisdom. [New Slide text reads: “Cosmological”] [Additional text in bullet point form: “Gives meaning & structure to the universe; Explains how the world & universe were created and to what purpose; Explains the world in an objective manner as opposed to a more spiritual approach”] The next function of myth is the cosmological function. This function teaches people about the physical world, its rules and structure, and about how it came to be. [New Slide text reads: “Cosmological – Cherokee Creation Myth”] [New Slide image on the right: Picture of a water spider on a sunburst carved from a shell.]

One example of the cosmological function can be seen in the Cherokee creation myth, which you will be reading this week. This story explains how a group of animals on an island in the sky worked together to create land on the sea below, thus creating the world. This myth demonstrates the cosmological function through teaching people about how the physical world was created and why geological features like land masses, hills, valleys, and oceans exist. [New Slide text reads: “Sociological”] [Additional text in bullet point form: “Creates and maintains a social order and norms: rules, laws, traditions, customs; Teaches people how to live, what behaviors are acceptable & which are not; Explains who is in charge and why”] If the metaphysical and cosmological functions teach people about the spiritual and physical worlds respectively, the sociological function teaches about the social world. The sociological function teaches people how to behave as members of a society. It encourages members of a society to adopt social norms and to accept the dominant social, political, and economic power structures in a society. This function also justifies who holds power in a society. [New Slide text reads: “Sociological – The Creation of Humans (Chinese)”] [New Slide image on the left: Painting of the Chinses goddess Nu Wa sculpting humans from clay.] We can see an example of this in the Chinese myth about the creation of humans. In this myth, the Goddess Nu Wa sets about carefully crafting humans out of mud in her own image. However, the process is too slow, and she makes more humans by haphazardly slinging mud with a rope or scarf. These new humans are inferior in design to the original hand-crafted humans. The ruling class in China claimed to be descended from the original humans, while the subservient classes were claimed to be descended from the second batch. This demonstrates the sociological function through justifying why a particular group held power in Chinese society. [New Slide text reads: “Psychological”] [Additional text in bullet point form: “Teaches people how to live a lifetime; Prepares us for challenges; Can take people through various stages or rites of passage which often lead to a sense of harmony, order, and comfort”] The last of the four functions is the psychological or pedagogical function. The psychological function teaches individuals how to best live their life, overcome challenges, and develop psychically and psychologically. Myths demonstrating this function often focus on a hero facing and overcoming challenges and ultimately achieving a sense of balance through their quest. [New Slide text reads: “Psychological – The Odyssey”] [New Slide image: Image of Odysseus tied to the mast as the sirens fly about pained on an ancient vase.] A good example of this function is the Greek Epic the Odyssey. The Odyssey tells the story of the Trojan war hero Odysseus as he faces multiple life-threatening trials in his quest to return home and re-establish order and balance in his life. The Odyssey demonstrates the psychological

function through providing a model for how one should face and overcome challenges in life and thereby grow as an individual. Which function is most interesting to you? Can you see this function in any modern media examples?...