Myths

Mythology is defined two ways: a collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition (Oxford Dictionary) and as the study of myths (Oxford Dictionary). Myths are stories that are based on tradition and have significance to a culture. They are sacred tales that explain the world and a person’s experience. Some myths may have factual origins, while others may have fictional origins that explain religion or natural phenomenons. Many philosophers and scientists all over the world have tried to answer the questions that truly can’t be answered: what is the universe and how did it all begin, who am I, where did I come from, and why am I here? Myths and mythology try to provide people with heroic figures such as gods and goddesses—representing a person, place, or thing in a past, present, or future event—to help explain natural phenomenon’s and control civilization giving people a grasp on some type of reality.
Myths have been around long before writing, philosophy, science, and literature were invented. Its original purpose was to help humans understand the world around them. For example, Greek, Roman, Babylonian, and Sumerian myths use similar goddess of fruitfulness to explain when food and fruits grow and die during the seasonal changes. For example, Pomona, a Roman goddess, represents fruit trees and Demeter, a Greek goddess, represents harvest. Myths were also before religion. Every religion uses universal mythical themes. The Creation story, the first Man and Woman, and Heaven and Earth are some of the major stories that have been retold using myths. After writing was invented, myths became part of written literature. Works such Moby Dick, Noah’s Ark, and Jonah and the Whale, are also base...

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...other due to jealousy issues. They didn’t want to be punished due to jealousy so they worshipped the gods equally. They had temples for each god and had a priest maintain the temple. Most temples contained an altar in which animals and food were sacrificed as offerings. They also had oracles which made important decisions by asking the gods about things the Greeks wanted to know. Although people did fear the gods and their punishments, there were significances to having them exist. For example, people fear death because death is unknown. Thanatos was created to provide a person with the sense of comfort in the idea that there is someone who knows about the afterlife and for the fact that one would not be alone when journeying to the afterlife. The Greeks believed that the gods controlled everything and that their goal as the Greek culture was to make the gods happy.