Interpreting Mythology

What needs do mythology and religion serve in today's world and in ancient times? Here we discuss the relationship between mythology, religion and science from mythological, religious and philosophical viewpoints.

Moderators: Clemsy, Martin_Weyers, Cindy B.

yogaman
Associate
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:47 pm
Location: CA

Interpreting Mythology

Post by yogaman »

I have been reading Campbell on and off for awhile now. Does anyone have any good book suggestions for learning to interpret myths - especially Old/New Testament myths. JC wrote Thou Art That which had some really wonderful insights. I just want more. Any help appreciated. :D

Einherjar
Associate
Posts: 46
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:21 pm
Location: Stavanger - Norway

Post by Einherjar »

Interpretation of myths outside own culture, geography and time more or less knowledge about specific mythical stories alone. Personally I can only one advise as you need to search and find information along a "path" best suited for you.

Symbols and symbolism is a very interesting approach to myths in general. This is a mathematical and universal expression of humans across the world. Language confuse and distort, almost like the tower of Babel ;)
Eyvitar firna - er maðr annan skal, þess er um margan gengr guma; heimska ór horskum - gerir hölða sonu - sá inn máttki munr.

Never place blame on man, because it happens to all. No matter how wise, a fool he becomes, when love steals his powers.

Hávamál

Neoplato
Associate
Posts: 3907
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:02 pm
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Post by Neoplato »

Language confuse and distort, almost like the tower of Babel
It makes me wonder if we were telepathic at one time. Then we lost that too and were forced to use words.

Even when we speak the same language, many people still can't figure out what others are talking about. :wink:
Infinite moment, grants freedom of winter death, allows life to dawn.

Clemsy
Working Associate
Posts: 10645
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2002 6:00 am
Location: The forest... somewhere north of Albany
Contact:

Post by Clemsy »

Yogaman,

Myths come to us in the language of poetry. There was a time when the symbols and metaphors weren't so much interpreted as acted out; they brought the culture into accord with the world as it was. When you think about it, it didn't matter whether one thought the stories historical or allegorical.

That's no longer the case, so what to do? The whole idea of Campbell's "Creative Mythology" is to work the meaning out for yourself. It helps to have an idea of a psychological geography... Campbell's work relies heavily on Jung's archetypes.

You may want to give Pathways to Bliss a shot. It's one of my personal favorites.

Cheer,
Clemsy
Give me stories before I go mad! ~Andreas

Einherjar
Associate
Posts: 46
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:21 pm
Location: Stavanger - Norway

Post by Einherjar »

Personally I recommend everything people can get hold of by JC. His lectures and oral presentations are just beautiful. What fascinated me about his work was how he express himself when sharing is vast knowledge. If JC had lived in ancient times I am sure he would be amongst the greatest storytellers there was.

If a person wants to explore different aspects or specific segments there are no limits to information to expand knowledge outside personal experiences.

Books about oral and written language - To understand why religions and myth loose something when transforming it from oral to written knowledge, as well as translation from one language to another.

Books about how the brain thinks in mathematical terms and how that influence human experience of reality - To understand the beauty of Fibonacci. How we construct frameworks and systems to limit what is unlimited. Sacred math, sacred geometry, sacred space etc.

Books about human history and social development - Shamanism ( Anthropomorphism )
Scavenger theory ( Jackal/Raven/Wolf ), Hunter and gatherer society
(Mother godess), Agricultural society ( Sky gods ). Not forgetting present day industrial/computer society where Mormons, Scientology and other strange stuff naturally transform the serpent into alien "technolizards" to mention one of the many new strange curiosities. There is a reason why the Vatican openly attacked a story
(movie) like Avatar. Avatar is the creation of a man who started his career after watching Star wars, as he felt that it was the story he wanted to tell. The Star wars connection reveals why comparison is relevant, if one know the influential elements behind the Star wars saga.


I had for several years endulged myself in reading and researching many aspects of personal and cultural background as I reached a crossroad ( :wink: ) in life where I crashed in my own constructed wall of philosophical questions. To me it has been something that have opened my eyes and answered many questions. In danger of being misunderstood I repeat what Clemsy stated earlier :

"The whole idea of Campbell's "Creative Mythology" is to work the meaning out for yourself."

My path on my journey are driven by my experience and own questions, as other peoples paths comes from themselves. If wanting to learn to interpret myths - especially Old/New Testament myths, the path further on could perhaps be related to understanding why you want to learn. Knowing why could reveal what, making it easier to see path to where.
Eyvitar firna - er maðr annan skal, þess er um margan gengr guma; heimska ór horskum - gerir hölða sonu - sá inn máttki munr.

Never place blame on man, because it happens to all. No matter how wise, a fool he becomes, when love steals his powers.

Hávamál

Myrtle
Associate
Posts: 177
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:19 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: Interpreting Mythology

Post by Myrtle »

yogaman wrote:...Does anyone have any good book suggestions for learning to interpret myths...
Yogaman,

You might like the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (the first draft was titled How to Read a Myth). Campbell defines the Cosmogonic Cycle and a type of myth called the Hero's Journey (a diagram of the adventure is included in "The Keys" Part I, Chapter IV).

http://www.jcf.org/new/index.php?catego ... 99_wid=692

Neoplato
Associate
Posts: 3907
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:02 pm
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Post by Neoplato »

You might like the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (the first draft was titled How to Read a Myth).-Myrtle
Myrtle, with comments like this it makes me wonder who you really are. :wink:
Infinite moment, grants freedom of winter death, allows life to dawn.

Myrtle
Associate
Posts: 177
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:19 pm
Location: U.S.

Post by Myrtle »

Hi Neoplato,

I found the info in the Third Edition (2008) of Hero/Page 363:
The book went through many revisions between the first draft in 1944, when it was known as How to Read a Myth, and its publication by the Bollingen Foundation in 1949...

Ercan2121
Associate
Posts: 824
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 2:15 am
Location: Istanbul

Re: Interpreting Mythology

Post by Ercan2121 »

yogaman wrote:I have been reading Campbell on and off for awhile now. Does anyone have any good book suggestions for learning to interpret myths - especially Old/New Testament myths. JC wrote Thou Art That which had some really wonderful insights. I just want more. Any help appreciated. :D
I think religion is a delicate matter so would you kindly clarify your own position?
Do you mind if I also ask whether you belong to a particular denomination? Thanks

Ercan2121
Associate
Posts: 824
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 2:15 am
Location: Istanbul

Post by Ercan2121 »

Einherjar wrote: 'The whole idea of Campbell's "Creative Mythology" is to work the meaning out for yourself.'

My path on my journey are driven by my experience and own questions, as other peoples paths comes from themselves. If wanting to learn to interpret myths - especially Old/New Testament myths, the path further on could perhaps be related to understanding why you want to learn. Knowing why could reveal what, making it easier to see path to where.
Einherjar,
I think honesty is a pre-condition for such studies. I like Campbell because he puts
principles before all else. Coming here and asking such ambigious questions cannot
be the right thing to do -especially when we cannot estimate the age or opinion
standpoint of a particular poster. We're not here to criticize this or that belief.
Certainly, people can do this, too but that's basically a matter of dialogue and mutual trust;
something that one cannot always develop with one-time posters.
Thanks for your right minded suggestions that I'll truly benefit.
I have to add that there's a great difference between a trickster
and a real hero.

Nermin
Associate
Posts: 520
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 2:31 pm
Location: London, Britain

Re: Interpreting Mythology

Post by Nermin »

yogaman wrote:I have been reading Campbell on and off for awhile now. Does anyone have any good book suggestions for learning to interpret myths - especially Old/New Testament myths. JC wrote Thou Art That which had some really wonderful insights. I just want more. Any help appreciated. :D
Did you ever worked on your dreams? Because there's no great difference between
dream interpretation and 'proper' reading of myths for oneself. Thank you.

Cindy B.
Working Associate
Posts: 4719
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 12:49 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Interpreting Mythology

Post by Cindy B. »

yogaman wrote:I have been reading Campbell on and off for awhile now. Does anyone have any good book suggestions for learning to interpret myths - especially Old/New Testament myths. JC wrote Thou Art That which had some really wonderful insights. I just want more. Any help appreciated. :D
Until now I missed this thread somehow, still, I want to recommend these books from Jung's Collected Works. Abstracts are available here. (You may need to scroll up to the Table of Contents.)

The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious (Vol. IX, Part I)
Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self (Vol. IX, Part II)
Psychology and Religion: West and East (Vol. XI)


Cindy
If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s. --Jung

Nermin
Associate
Posts: 520
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 2:31 pm
Location: London, Britain

Post by Nermin »

Cindy,
Let me ask you something;
did-you watch that Holywood movie about Dr.Jung?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dangerous_Method
(Michael Fassbender, Actor of the Year, Central Ohio Film Critics
Association Awards)


And to tell the truth, I started to feel guilty for still having my avatar! :?

boringguy
Associate
Posts: 459
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:36 am
Location: Idaho

Post by boringguy »

Hi all,

Been in and out of a location basically without IC for past three weeks or so, and am headed back there tomorrow so might be another week till i can respond, but like Cindy I missed this thread earlier and reading back am curious.

Ercan, in your perpective, how is it that the trickster and the hero are very different?

Ercan;
I have to add that there's a great difference between a trickster
and a real hero.


bg
__________________________
boom, boom, boom, boom, ...........................................

Cindy B.
Working Associate
Posts: 4719
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 12:49 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by Cindy B. »

Hey, Ercan.

The movie hasn't been released in the States yet, I don't think, so no, I haven't seen it; at least it's not been shown in my town which wouldn't be unusual, considering. Most likely I will, though, if I can. Have you seen it?

Cindy
If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s. --Jung

Locked