CLAS 1100X Lecture 1: Introduction to Mythology
1 Feb 2016
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Document Summary
Myth and the mythological kosmos mythos (authoritative speech) + logos (reason, word) Today a myth is thought of as a lie, historically a myth was an absolute truth about universe, gods, humans, nature, etc. A different standard of truth than today. Myth not meant to be literal, has some outright contradictions: ie. , zeus is all powerful, omnipotent yet sometimes acts like an idiot. Classical cultures work with a mythopoeic logic, with myth giving reason for natural phenomena. All studied cultures (in the course material) share a belief in a structured cosmos (kosmos), an organized chaos of: Gods and humans are rational, self aware. The de nitive difference between gods and mortals is that we die. The tragedy, and beauty, of the human existence is that we share the immortal ability. Lecture 1 for reason and thought, but are con ned to the mortal sphere. Kosmos is not just structured and grandiose, it is beauty.
