September 18th, 2015

Henry Xing
ID: 260577155

Assignment 1:
For all its apparent simplicity, myth is the most persistent and
most complex expression of human nature, society and culture.
Myths were first and foremost used to explain things beyond human understanding.
They play an important role in the society and the different values each culture will
focus on. Behind each myth there is a human aspect to be found, whether it is a
virtue or a vice, a fear or an admiration, a vision of the world or morale of life. Even
in the modern philosophy, myths play a big role in shaping the human nature. This
is why myth is the most persistent and most complex expression of humans as
social beings. Myths are always answers for questions and unknowns, and as far as
the beginning of expression, myth was already an important way to teach the
society.

With knowledge naturally comes ignorance, and with thinking naturally comes
questions. Myths are the way which humans can satisfy their imagination with an
answer for things they cannot explain with reasoning of human concepts of that
time. While science and philosophy was still inexistent, the only way by which they
would reason is using their senses and their emotions. The extern world then
becomes anthropomorphic and much more reasonable to them, a way to identify it.
Compared to other way of expressions of human nature, myth is one of the oldest
ways for humans to express themselves. Painting does exist long before myths, but
it isnt as complex as myth could be, primitive often depicting scenes of life. It is
suggested that myths would develop at the same time as languages, showing its
possible importance in societies if those time 1. Myth and religion are deeply
intertwined, but whereas religion is a spiritual belief, myth is a story to which we
can associate by many different ways.
On the same note, myths have many different versions, and can be interpreted in
endless ways. This particularity of myth is still fascinating people of modern eras,
great anthropologists and psychologists; Freud, Levi-Strauss and Jung are some
1 Lecture 3

September 18th, 2015

Henry Xing
ID: 260577155

examples of people that developed unique ways to interpret and use myths into
characterizing human complexity2. Such myth complexity is also rendering it
interesting, as we can attribute a consensus sense to some myths, such as the
famous Prometheus giving the fire to humans, or Pandora opening the jar of the
woes, but also see other interpretation from different angles.
As much as myths are the product of human imagination, it is nonetheless an
attempt to elucidate and lighten up a world that would otherwise seem very
unwelcoming at times. The anthropomorphism aspect develops itself as humans
sense a need to explain the world from human perspective and human emotions,
making it arguably the most complex outcome of human nature.

Reference
1. Palczynski, M., CLAS 203 PowerPoint Lecture 3, McGill University, 2015.
2. Palczynski, M., CLAS 203 PowerPoint Lecture 5, McGill University, 2015.

2 Lecture 5