Myth & Knowing. Scott Leonard and Michael McClure. Chapter 1: Purposes and Definitions Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century

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1 Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century The materials given here are based on Leonard & McClure with additional notes added by Bill Stifler, Chattanooga State Technical cal Community College, 2005

Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Medieval View In the Gospel of John, John equates the mythos of creation with the logos of reasoned truth, in effect relegating the term mythos to

2 Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Medieval View In the Gospel of John, John equates the mythos of creation with the logos of reasoned truth, in effect relegating the term mythos to make-believe and elevating logos to transcendental truth. (Leonard and McClure 6-7) 6 In the beginning was the Word ( (logos) and the Word ( (logos)) was with God and the Word ( (logos)) was God. The same was in the beginning with God.... And the Word ( (logos)) was made flesh, and dwelt among us. John 1:1-2,14

3 Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Medieval View Thesis of Demonic Imitation Several church fathers argued that demons had inspired the poets to write the Graeco-Roman myths to make the story of Christ appear to be a fable. (Leonard and McClure 7)

Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Medieval View Plato s s denigration of myth as cheap imitations of reality coupled with Christianity s

4 Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Medieval View Plato s s denigration of myth as cheap imitations of reality coupled with Christianity s relegation of Greek myth to outright falsehoods designed to damn souls to Hell led to a loss of interest in the classical Greek/Roman myths. (Leonard and McClure 4, 7)

Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Leonardo da Vinci s s Notebook The Renaissance The Renaissance marked a reawakening to Greek and Roman culture and a

5 Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Leonardo da Vinci s s Notebook The Renaissance The Renaissance marked a reawakening to Greek and Roman culture and a rediscovery of the classic myth literature of the past. The Renaissance also turned from Plato s s ideal abstract world to a rediscovery of natural life, regenerating art and literature.

6 Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century The Enlightenment The Enlightenment was a period that emphasized Reason/Rationality Common sense (self( self-evident evident truths) Order and Symmetry Benjamin Franklin

Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Mythology During the Enlightenment The Search for the Ur-language With the rise of the nation-state and the fall of empire, the new

7 Views of Mythology: Early Christian 18 th Century Mythology During the Enlightenment The Search for the Ur-language With the rise of the nation-state and the fall of empire, the new European nations sought to identify themselves as the true inheritors of Eden by identifying their own language and culture as the original Edenic culture. Tower of Babel (Leonard and McClure 7)

8 Early Views of Mythology The Beginnings of Human History Giovanni Battista Vico Vico sought to create an ideal eternal history, a logical system that would unite the various myths of Egypt, Greece and Rome with iconographic symbols (like those found on coats of arms) and the origins of words to create an evolutionary development of history in line with his beliefs about Christianity and a biblical version of history. Giovanni Battista Vico (Leonard and McClure 8)

Early Views of Mythology The Beginnings of Human History Giovanni Battista Vico The New Science languages and cultures experience recursive evolutionary cycles (Leonard and McClure 8) Giovanni

9 Early Views of Mythology The Beginnings of Human History Giovanni Battista Vico The New Science languages and cultures experience recursive evolutionary cycles (Leonard and McClure 8) Giovanni Battista Vico Three stages of human history Gods - explain world; poetic imagination; raw passion Heroes - inspire virtue; development of social order Humans rationality; gradual descent into bureaucracy and then barbarism ( Giambattista Vico, par. 2)

Early Views of Mythology Proto-Indo Indo-European Sir William Jones Notices similarities between European languages, Arabic, and Sanskrit (India).

10 Early Views of Mythology Proto-Indo Indo-European Sir William Jones Notices similarities between European languages, Arabic, and Sanskrit (India). Suggests all have a common source language Following Jones s s suggestion, linguists methodically demonstrated that nearly all the languages of India, Southwest Asia, and Europe derive from a single ancestor language Proto-Indo Indo-European (Leonard and McClure 8-9) 8

Early Views of Mythology The Romantic Period The Romantic Period was characterized by a rejection of science and materialism coupled with a focus on the concrete and sensual.

11 Early Views of Mythology The Romantic Period The Romantic Period was characterized by a rejection of science and materialism coupled with a focus on the concrete and sensual. John Constable. Helmingham Dell Common man, common life Imagination as a force for good Mystery & Mysticism God & Nature Art lies in the emotions of artist and patron

12 Early Views of Mythology The Romantic Period Johann Gottfried Herder Herder s Volk theory an original divinely sanctioned unity of humanity human devolution into various linguistically, geographically, and culturally separated Volk organic relationship between Volk and landscape close connection to the soil... produced simple, honest Volk (Leonard and McClure 7-10) 7 Johann Gottfried Herder

Early Views of Mythology The Romantic Period Impact of Herder s Volk theory national romanticisms of the 19 th century racist ideologies of 20 th

13 Early Views of Mythology The Romantic Period Impact of Herder s Volk theory national romanticisms of the 19 th century racist ideologies of 20 th century fascism romantic folklore movement desire for a return to simplicity and rural purity (Leonard and McClure 7-10) 7 Johann Gottfried Herder

14 Bibliography babel4-thumb.jpg. Image. Giornale Nuovo.. 6 Sep < thumb.jpg>. franklin.jpg.. Image. Benjamin Franklin. The Architect of the Capital.. Capital Complex. 10 Sep < Giambattista Vico. Wikipedia.. Aug Sep < en.wikipedia.org/wiki/giovanni_battista_vico>. Hales, Peter. leonrdo1.jpg. Image. Art History U of Illinois at Chicago. 6 Sep < herder.jpg.. Image. Johann Gottfried Herder. Wikipedia.. 30 Aug Sep < en.wikipedia.org/wiki/johann_gottfried_von_herder>. Behrendt,, Stephen C. HelminghamDellWeb.jpg.. Image. British Poetry of the Romantic Period, English 4/802.. U of Nebraska-Lincoln. 10 Sep < htm>.

15 Bibliography icon-of of-christ.jpg.. Image. Las Vegas Orthodox Church Sep < map_indoeuropean.gif.. Map. Languages: Misc: : Proto-Indo Indo-European. European. Verbix Sep < Leonard, Scott and Michael McClure. Myth & Knowing: An Introduction to World Mythology.. Boston: McGraw Hill, Pajak, Czeslaw.. n5_3.1_3.jpg. Image. Treasures and Mysteries of the Malbork Castle.. 30 May Sep < vico.jpg.. Image. Philos-website.de website.de.. Alfred Kroener Publishing. 10 Sep < website.de/index_g.htm?autoren/vico_g.htm~main2>.

History of Creativity. Why Study History? Important Considerations 8/29/11. Provide context Thoughts about creativity in flux

History of Creativity. Why Study History? Important Considerations 8/29/11. Provide context Thoughts about creativity in flux History of Why Study History? Provide context Thoughts about creativity in flux Shaped by our concept of self Shaped by our concept of society Many conceptualizations of creativity Simultaneous Important