FREE ESSAY ON MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGION

MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGION

MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGION
Throughout history people have been fascinated with the subject of religion and
mythology. In this paper I will define both religion and mythology, and show how
mythology can be seen as a religion. 
First you must have some understanding and definition of religion before you can see how
it relates to mythology. Webster's New Riverside Dictionary defines religion as, a.
Belief in and reference for a supernatural power accepted as the creator and governor of
the universe. My definition of religion would be a belief in a god as a higher or Supreme
Being, and with a system of beliefs and practices. I perceive religion as a way to
explain the unexplainable. 
Secondly you must determine what myths are and how they are created. The word myth comes
from the Greek word mythos, which in turn means story, tale or fiction. Webster's New
Riverside Dictionary defines a myth as,  A traditional story originating in a preliterate
society, dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serve as primordial
types in a primitive view of the world. Myths like any religion try to provide an
explanation for unanswerable questions. 
Greek mythology should not be mistaken for fact since there is no scientific evidence of
these events but should be taken as advice. This is not saying that all mythology is
untrue or fictional. Like in any religion, faith is the domineering factor; for without
faith religion would cease to exist. Joseph Campbell states that, The material of myth is
the material of our life, the material of our body, and the material of our environment,
and a living, vital mythology deals with these in terms that are appropriate to the
nature of knowledge of the time (Campbell 01). 
Greek mythology is similar to modern religion in many ways. Like Christianity, Mythology
gave meaning to everyday situations. It also formed religious bases and a social
structure for which it laid the common law for people. In today's religious setting most
would see the common law to live by illustrated in the Bible. Like the Greeks we build
altars, temples and churches to give praise to our God. 
In every religion we as a society have created a hero or savior that will save the
believer from great despair and tragedy. Prometheus and his battle for mankind is seen as
one of the greatest Greek heroes. Though heroes do not have to be strong and mighty, they
must be able to turn chaos into order. Campbell speaks of the metaphysical hero Buddha,
who conquers chaos within himself to find nirvana. Buddha believed that if you could
conquer the chaos inside of yourself you would find internal peace and happiness. For the
Christian believer Jesus can be seen as a hero for he to conquers everyday chaos. 
Though twenty-four hundred years have elapsed we really have not evolved that much from
the Greek era. Our world still searches for the truth and tries to discover the unknown
and conquer the unimaginable. It is important to remember that without myths there would
be an unexplainable void in history. Mythology is not only an explanation for the unknown
but a tool that helps us better understand one another.