BY LETTER
Myth, Mythology
Any ancient traditional story of archailects, superiors, powers, gods or heroes, especially one offering an explanation of some fact or phenomenon, or a story with a veiled or extended meaning, or a commonly-held belief that is untrue, or without objective foundation. A powerful but obscure memeticity.
Hence, Mythology: The traditional datarecords and memeticities of a clade or culture or subculture which collectively constitute their folk history and that of their archailects, hyperturings, and powers, that embodies their beliefs and ideas, and represents an affirmation of their culture. Most major mythologies originated in pre-literate societies and were passed on orally.
The stories within a mythology fall into 3 main types:
a. Myths proper, which take place in a timeless - or at least a pre-historical, non-cliological, ascientific, or unknown past and are serious attempts to rationalize the mysterious and unknowable: the creation of the world and of civilization; the origin of the gods, archailects, artifacts, aliens, terragens; the nature of death and afterlife or what happens during failed uploads, or in pre or post scientific societies such phenomena as the seasonal renewal and recycling of resources.
b. Folk tales; narratives set in historical or recorded time and more social than religious in their concerns.
c. Legends and sagas, which recount the embellished exploits of culture heroes, superiors, and powers.
Comparative studies have revealed fundamental similarities of theme and action among many widely separated mythologies. These similarities are thought by some to be the result of cultural interchanges. For others they constitute evidence of universal attractors or archetypes, the embodiments of the unconscious racial memories common to all mindkind.
Hence, Mythology: The traditional datarecords and memeticities of a clade or culture or subculture which collectively constitute their folk history and that of their archailects, hyperturings, and powers, that embodies their beliefs and ideas, and represents an affirmation of their culture. Most major mythologies originated in pre-literate societies and were passed on orally.
The stories within a mythology fall into 3 main types:
a. Myths proper, which take place in a timeless - or at least a pre-historical, non-cliological, ascientific, or unknown past and are serious attempts to rationalize the mysterious and unknowable: the creation of the world and of civilization; the origin of the gods, archailects, artifacts, aliens, terragens; the nature of death and afterlife or what happens during failed uploads, or in pre or post scientific societies such phenomena as the seasonal renewal and recycling of resources.
b. Folk tales; narratives set in historical or recorded time and more social than religious in their concerns.
c. Legends and sagas, which recount the embellished exploits of culture heroes, superiors, and powers.
Comparative studies have revealed fundamental similarities of theme and action among many widely separated mythologies. These similarities are thought by some to be the result of cultural interchanges. For others they constitute evidence of universal attractors or archetypes, the embodiments of the unconscious racial memories common to all mindkind.
Appears in Topics
Development Notes
Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Initially published on 08 December 2001.
Initially published on 08 December 2001.
