Kyle Edwards - 10/22/16
Myths are seen as the universal binding contract between our place in the world as human beings and our own habitat involving the planet as a whole. We as a species have always tried to use creation myths to explain our very presence, and whether our purpose has any tangible meaning. When I was creating my own myth, about the rise of Jack-O-Lanterns and why we carve them, I felt like it enhanced the study of myth by narrowing in my focus. I had to zone in on just a few details that I wanted to flesh out, and leaving a bit of mystery and ambiguity to the reader to figure out on their own just like many creation myths. It became a worthy challenge to pick and choose what to omit and what needed to be mentioned. Overall, I had a lot of fun creating my myth, and I think that even today we create myths all the time without even knowing (like the White Girl Starbucks example).
For future teaching, I would argue that creating a myth allows the class to expand their knowledge base and truly explore the world we live in, and the customary practices we all partake in doing. From why we wear baggy shorts when playing basketball instead of tight short-shorts, to why we feel the need to place candles on celebratory cakes, there is endless opportunity to allow students to explore critically the idea of a myth. Then at the end of class, tie it all together by explaining the bigger picture; that if we can use myths for fun, imagine the power of myths all throughout time in explaining the unexplainable.
Kyle I agree! I think that it was so much fun creating the myth and I hadn't anticipated that it would be such an exciting process. Also I kind of want to read your myth about Jack-O-Lanterns now (I want to know the bit of mystery that you added or left out :p). In regards to teaching, I think that myths are very important to help students "explore the world we live in." I also agree that there definitely is endless opportunity for students to use myth to think critically as well as explore how to use literary elements when creating their stories. Overall great post!
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ReplyDeleteI think you make a very good point about how writing the myth enhanced the study of it. When you simply listen to a lecture or read about something you only passively absorb the information. However, writing the myth definitely forced you to really understand a particular concept if you were planning to use it in your own myth. This way you’re actually applying the knowledge to something. I also liked your observation that myth surrounds us every day in the little rituals we all partake in. I always thought of myths in a similar way to the early anthropologists who just thought it was primitive science. However, if this were entirely true, it wouldn’t explain why myths and ritual are still so prevalent even though we now have “proper” science. After studying myth in this class, and in a previous class I took, I now have more of an appreciation for how important myth is.
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