The importance of myths

In this text, you will understand why myths are playing such an important role in our education as well as in our vision of the world. Their power lies in the influence they have over people's minds.

Download this page

Places and Forms of Power
Myths are powerful stories because they influence the way people see the world surrounding them. The purpose of a myth is to educate the ones who read / listen / watch the story so that when a choice appears in our life, the myths can provide their sets of answers. In that way, it makes myths extremely powerful stories since they fundamentally change who we are.

Myths have a positive influence on people since they mostly provide solutions to problems and '"supply the symbols that carry the human spirit forward" according to J. Campbell. In other words, they focus on the good actions that we can make to improve our life and other's.
Myths and Heroes
Myths mostly deal with heroes. They are the central characters of the plot. It's through the hero's journey that most stories appear to become mythical.

Heroes are the core of what makes a story mythical. They represent a model to follow even though they have to make mistakes along the way so that anyone can identify to them.

Myths are universal stories since they both capture the essence of a particular time and also deal with universal questions. It's what makes myths timeless.
Spaces and Exchanges
Myths are made to be shared. A story cannot be considered as a myth if it is not widely spread. It's the influence of a story that makes it mythical.

Myths are a way to be aware of the universality of so many human questions. They help people understanding themselves and each other at the same time.

Open all notions

To fathom: comprendre
To underlie: être à la base to / sous-tendre
To struggle: avoir du mal à / combattre
Lasting (To last): Qui dure
Rooted within: Enraciné
Timeless: intemporel
To supply: fournir
To tie something back: attacher en arrière
Within: à l'intérieur
To defeat: vaincre

La vidéo que je vous propose ci-dessous est un extrait du film "Le Seigneur Des Anneaux". Il présente l'adaptation filmée de la scène que vous avez lue.
L'intérêt de regarder la scène adaptée est de voir quels choix ont été faits dans la volonté de transmettre un contenu écrit par le biais d'images et de musique. En d'autres termes, la mise en scène permet d'aborder l'histoire sous un autre angle.
Si vous avez des questions concernant des éléments développés dans la vidéo, venez en discuter sur l'espace Discord de votre classe!

Découvrez d'autres vidéos sur le sujet de la mythologie en suivant les épisodes de Crash Course "Mythology" sur Youtube.