Kaitlyn Parmely- Myth

In class the other day we were talking about myths through terms of religious art. In Paul McCore's (I believe that was his name) definition he goes into involving the actions of men as well as how men understands himself in the world. I think that the telling of myths can be looked at as a ritual action because it is passing down information, stories and traditions from generation to generation, and from century to century, etc. In order to tell these myths we use symbols, that can be literal or an underlying meaning to a story, learning morals, and creating ideas to include in the story to help the reader and observer better understand the meaning of the myth and exactly what it is about. Symbols help us relate to other and generate meaning, and are able to be explained. I believe we discussed Burke in class and how he defined myth as explaining the unexplainable, by telling a story, believing a story and allowing the reality of that story to flow into us. Both of these definitions of myth are very similar. The first talks about the actions of men and living through them to understand themselves in the world and the second is following a story and living through that. The major difference is that the first myth is learned and changed through experience, and the second is living through a story that eventually comes true through later experience.