ANTH 222 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Maya Religion
Document Summary
A myth is a sacred narrative believed to be true by the people who tell it. Myths are sacred stories, and generally believed to be true. Myths give us information through metaphor and symbols. Legends are a type of folklore that relates events popularly believed to have a historical basis (though not verifiable) Usually not sacred, but can deal with the supernatural. Tales are secular stories not considered to be historical, but which carry a lesson or message. Doctrine is written and formal works that explicitly define the supernatural. Most traditional religions do not have doctrine, but world religions have both. It is generally only found in institutionalized, large-scale religions doctrine and myth. How and why the world came to be. The nature of humanity and the world. The purpose of humanity in the world. The relationship of the world to the supernatural. How we became separated from the (super)natural.
