Myths and Legends: The Tales that Shaped History
Myths and legends are stories that
have traditionally been passed down among members
of a particular society via oral retellings. While
there may be some truth to many of these tales, all
myths and legends contain elements of the supernatural.
They are stories meant to entertain, intrigue, and,
in many cases, teach a lesson. Their importance in
past cultures helped myths and legends to survive
through generations of retellings. Consequently, historians
are still able to use these tales as a lens into the
past.
Although similar in their design
and transmission, “myth” and “legend”
are not interchangeable terms. Myths refer specifically
to those stories of a religious nature. These tales
generally relate to deities and seek to explain events
of the natural world. Most formed the foundation of
polytheistic religions and held a spiritual significance
for the cultures that shared them. Through their morals,
myths frequently help define behavioral norms for
a society. In some cases, myths became the basis for
religious rituals. This frequently entailed the symbolic
reenactment of the events of a particular story. Although
the most popularized myths are those of the ancient
Greeks and Romans, there are innumerable other tales
spanning across time and space.
In contrast to myths, legends involve
ordinary humans who possess special qualities. These
characters are not deities and are often based on
actual historical figures whose existence can be proven.
For the societies who told them, legends were considered
factual history. There events, though characteristically
unrealistic, were accepted as having actually taken
place. Most involved heroic figures who completed
some extraordinary deed. Each culture has ultimately
had some sort of legendary figure to speak of. Some
famous examples include King Arthur, Robin Hood, and
Beowulf. However, there are countless other tales
ranging from Icelandic sagas to American tall tales.
While other sources may have been
lost to the elements of time, many myths and legends
have survived for centuries. Unfortunately, most have
likely been altered through numerous retellings. Since
both myths and legends were part of an oral tradition,
these stories were not written down until centuries
after their construction. However, archaeological
digs have uncovered artwork depicting ancient tales
and written accounts of some stories can be traced
to millennia ago. Most notably, Egyptian myths and
legends were frequently recorded in hieroglyphics
on tombs and monuments. Thus, historians are able
to study these tales to clues about past civilizations
Some of the most interesting research
involving myths and legends is the comparative study
of stories from vastly different societies. Scholars
in the field have found virtually identical myths
and legends from cultures that existed thousands of
miles apart. For example, stories defined as “flood
myths” can be traced to ancient Babylon, early
Hindu texts, Aztec stories, and the Hebrew bible.
Due to historical limitations on transportation and
travel, it is virtually impossible for these peoples
to have interacted in any way. Thus, the question
of how these stories developed remains an important
topic of study. While some scholars believe it is
mere coincidence, others say the similarities are
too great to be a product of chance. Thus, they point
to some greater forces at work in transmitting these
tales. From alien intervention to lost civilizations
with advanced technologies, the theories are wide-reaching
and continue to be fiercely debated.
In a time before radio, television,
and the internet, myths and legends were the key methods
used by societies to transmit history, share experiences,
and provide amusement. Although some stories may have
changed over time with countless retellings, most
have retained their original foundations. Thus, these
tales are great ways to learn about the peoples of
our past uncover a history that may otherwise be lost.
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