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Myth

Myth

Definition:

Anonymously written folk literature originating during man’s early history. Describes facts to explain religious doctrine, cultural belief or some mystery of nature. Myths, a subgenre of folktale, present characters with extraordinary powers. Characters may be gods, goddesses, demi-gods or humans who act in recognizable human ways through familiar motives.

Purposes:

• To explain how something came to exist
• To explain historical and scientific aspects of life, culture and nature
• To explain origins of behavior and virtue
• To transmit a cultural ideology

Characteristics:

Themes:

• Aspects of life or universal human experience, and/or the human condition
• Mysteries of nature
• Explanation of religious doctrine or cultural beliefs
• Relationships between gods and man or among gods

Characters:

• Supernatural beings, deities, or personified elements of nature
• Humans in favor of, or at the mercy of, the gods
• Archetypal (patterned) characters (e.g., wise king, vengeful gods, etc.)

Setting:

• Sites affiliated with the worlds of Greek gods/goddesses
• Ancient worlds (e.g., Greeks, Romans, European, Native American, Asian, African)
• Other archaic or early societal settings

Plot:

• Supernatural beings (often gods and goddesses) assume certain powers and suffer limitations of power due to natural phenomenon or their relationships with other powerful beings
• Gods and goddesses control events; humans are aided or victimized
• Some myths detail the creation of the earth, while others may be about love, adventure, trickery, or revenge
• Formulas or archetypes (recurring patterns) for universal human experiences and ideas (visible as plot-types, characters, patterns in thought, and so forth)
• Include cosmic phenomena, peculiarities of natural history, the origins of human civilization or the origin of social, religious custom, or the nature and history of objects of worship
• Realities of existence (e.g., danger, disease, misfortune, death, and human frailty) become more acceptable by explaining them as part of a sacred universal order
• Very human adventures of characters reflect serious purposes

Author’s craft:

• Traditional story structure
• Complex symbolism
• Developing explanations for aspects of life and universal human experience
• Using metaphorical figures of speech to attribute human qualities to animals, ideas or things (personification)
• Depth of ideas, reflection or insight
• Use of metaphor (effective comparisons)

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPREHENDING the Genre and Text of Myths:

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPOSING the Genre and Text of Myths:

Booklists:

• Grade 4
• Grade 7

Access to the Documents:

Complete K-8 Genre Project
From the Michigan Department of Education

Complete K-8 Genre Booklist
From Kent Intermediate School District