MYTHIC CONNECTIONS (MYTH IN PRACTICE):
MYTH AS COMMUNICATION I have touched on the storytelling aspect of mythology on numerous occasions, but the point to be made in this content is that the lessons and teachings of myth serve as tools of communication in the widest sense imaginable. Taking Levi-Strauss’ approach for example, mythology serves as a language through which the modern reader can gaze into the tradition of the past and partake of the ancient wisdom. The structural study of myth theorizes how mythic elements in themselves have no real meaning. Their significance comes through their relation with each other. Thus, the objective is to find the real meaning of myth, even through the elaborate incorporation of differences in various stories. There are obviously some caveats to be considered; namely, if we have a binary nature of raw forms that takes significance only in their application and use, we can say that myth is both powerless and all-powerful as the same time. This very de Saussurian reading can be wonderfully applicable to anything and everything imaginable, but myth as the storytelling and communicating tool thus becomes both the proto-langue and the proto-parole of sorts. This formalistic ideal (or theoretical nonsense, if you will), reminiscent of Proppian analysis, nevertheless fails to realize that such a research is restricted from the outset, as myth is taken to have a particular, finite meaning, to which I strongly oppose. The meaning – and consequently the level of its communication – is relative at least to both the reader and the tradition in question. Myth will forever remain “alive” as the method of disseminating the essence of tradition, culture and legacy of old. Learning the past, to recognize the present and help shape the future. Ideal or not, written or oral, this is still a heavy-duty communication tool. However, paralleling this theory to the monomyth, as a guiding principle of myth making, myth meaning cannot be relegated to structures alone (i.e. language), since particularly “living” myths across the world transcend them. Myth is both spiritual and pragmatic, rational and irrational, sacred and profane, communicating more general human values as well as very local, even obscure beliefs. Myth communicates the beauty and the banality of old, so we often need to do quite a little digging or reading the plethora of myths, if we are to uncover the gold, buried in the depths or between the lines. I would say that strictly speaking, Levi-Strauss’ mythemes (the unchanging building blocks of myths) not only have significance out of their original environment, but their significance transcends culture and applies to human nature. The clearest example of the power of mythic storytelling and its communicative value is the widespread of religions throughout the world, particularly in cultures very distant from its original content (such as Buddhism in the West or Islam in the Pacific region). This should, however, not be mistaken for the narrow-minded self-justification and grandeur of various religions; as if to claim that the Bible is sacred because God created it, which is in turn stated in the Bible itself. While some biblical paradoxes (such as the dual creation stories, reflecting both the divine and the human perspective on creation) are intentional and profound, we also need to balance some shortsightedness or shortcomings of myth as pure teaching tool with its glorification for the sake of being glorified. However, we can make a strong case for Levi-Strauss’ notion that different versions of myth serve as building blocks; the wisdom and truth in myths like in Buddha’s teachings (which may even seem contradictory) lie in their totality, as each version of the myth, each teaching, each allegory is only a partial truth. The more we are acquainted to myth, the more of the truth becomes clear. Myth communicates a deeper sense of knowledge and wisdom, especially from perspectives of cultures different from your own. Only in trying to understand someone else’s perspective (no matter how weird of even stupid it may seem to you) and particularly discovering numerous trans-cultural similarities can you begin to discover a higher truth in yourself. Paraphrasing through the central Hindu notion of oneness, once you realize that you are a part of larger reality, that Atman equals Brahman (that thou art that), you embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-fulfillment. [In memory of my beloved grandmother.]
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November 2017
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