John Lee, Period 1, 11/28/2023

Modern Mythology 2024

John Lee, Period 1, Nov 28th 2023

Mythology Vs Modernity

During this unit in class, we are in the process of making a project based on the creation stories of certain cultures. These may include Greek, Norse, Egyptian mythology and more. As we go into our groups and learn about our specific creation myths, mine being the Egyptian creation myth, I find it endearing how all these cultures have a thread that binds them in similarity to one another. They all have hints of animism and they all attribute some sort of unique characteristics to each part of nature. Earthquakes for example, were attributed to the minotaur in the labyrinth under Crete throwing a raging fit. Another example, would be how the whole earth in norse mythology was created out of the dead body of a giant god. When looking at these creation myths, it makes one long for the mysticism of those days as it makes humanity seem like it has a place in the universe. These days as famous physicist neil degrasse tyson puts it, “God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on.” One thing I did find very interesting through both my studies in and outside of class was the prevalence of a flood story in many creation myths. Although not a super insightful or deep analysis of mythology, I do find it very interesting the archaeological implications of something such as a massive flood that wiped out/affected many advanced civilizations.

The new information I learned has allowed me to somewhat unify humanity in my critical perception. In all mythological creation myths, whether it be gods or humans, everyone acts very similar and irrational. It allows the mind's eye to view people as if they were works of art on a canvas, i.e. they are all built upon a canvas but what they portray differs drastically. It allows a learner to perceive people differently as their shortcomings seem more predictable and forgivable. Additionally, clearly the knowledge learned in this class is invaluable as when we look at the creation myths, all gods have a desire to create and be together with something, a very simple truth that has been buried under the life of modern society. It allows one to confirm that they are normal and similar to their ancestors in that there is still a desire to be with other people in a society that is more detached and alienated than ever. This unit has shown me how connection to others has been lost over time and that there is a price to the independence of contemporary life which is basically the loss of humanity.

How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you? Talking to People and mysticising life, appreciation for the uniqueness of life, ownership.

I think this unit is very applicable to real life not just because of what the stories say but also what the stories imply about humanity. I think they are very insightful and I especially have been using the knowledge learned in the class to enrich my interpersonal relationships. After the creation myths and the analysis of Stone Blind we do in class, it is clear that despite what it may seem, people love themselves more than anyone else on the planet. This simple truth has allowed me to carry conversations with new people a lot more as I am able to steer the conversation to have strangers talk more and more. To be quite honest, I think they enjoy talking to me more because of it. In addition I think this unit has allowed me to be sympathetic and take responsibility for helping others. As I have said before, the loneliness of the gods helped put into perspective the loneliness of life in modern times. As I read about the creation stories and such, I feel like the humans who wrote it may have enjoyed some pleasures in life that are completely absent in today's life. (At least the gods had a support network and a purpose). By no means am I saying life isn't good in modern times as we enjoy many things but what I will say is that I feel that life back in the times of mythology was harder on the body yet a little easier on the soul. This absence of soul today and the connection of the god to individuals makes one realize that they themselves can have a profound effect on the lives of others. After the pandemic, I took a more cynical approach to life, but after reading about the gods just creating stuff (out of what I like to think was boredom and loneliness) I felt as if I couldn't just blame society anymore and instead blame individuals such as myself for not taking the responsibility to create deeper connections to those who need them most. In essence, the lessons learned in this class has allowed me an excuse to break out of the cynicism I held onto for so long.