This document discusses how popular mythology and common sayings are expressions of myths that form the basis of thought patterns. It also discusses how myths from childhood offer reassurance and recognize gender roles and good versus evil. Myths help people understand natural phenomena and human tragedy. The document notes that archetypes in mythology, like the monomyth and concepts of power, journey, and garden, are keys to understanding common threads that link all cultures throughout time.

1. ©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Long
The Art of Being Human,
7/e
Chapter 3 –
Myth
PowerPoint by Julie Rodakowski

2. ©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Long
POPULAR
MYTHOLOGY
is A KEY to evaluating thought
and emotional patterns

3. ©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers.
• What goes around comes around.
• Leave it to Mother Nature.
• They’ll think of something.
• What do THEY know.
• All you need is love. • Destiny.
• Just desserts.
• Us versus them.
• There’s always room at the top.
• Isn’t that just like a man/woman?
COMMON SAYINGS
are often expressions of myth that form the
basis of thought and emotional patterns.

4. ©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers.
MYTHS OF CHILDHOOD
offer
• A reassurance of safety and love
• A recognition of stereotypical gender roles,
class distinctions, and
the notion that good and evil are based
on physical appearance
• A recognition of the importance of names
• A recognition of the dark side

5. ©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Long
MYTH AS EXPLANATION
• to understanding
natural phenomena
&
• to understanding
human tragedy
is A KEY

6. ©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers.
• The natural world
• The origins of evil
• The myth of the doomed family
MYTHS OF EXPLANATION HELP
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND

7. ©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Long
ARCHETYPES IN
MYTHOLOGY
are KEYS
to understanding the
common threads that
link people of all
cultures and all times.

8. ©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers.
COMMON ARCHETYPES ARE
• The monomyth—the myth of the hero
• The power of magic
• The power of words
• The power of numbers
• The circle
• The journey
• The garden