Coursework Submission Coversheet 2022-23

Programme: BA (Hons.) Animation

Module: Animation Studies 3

Module code: UALAXP-15-3

Submission: 29th November 2023

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Title
Animation as Modern Mythology

Abstract
Mythology is the telling of stories that are of cultural significance to the societies from which they
came. Mythology and folklore is an essential part of national and cultural identity for societies
around the world, and has served as the inspiration for many animated films, from 1926’s ‘The
Adventures of Prince Achmed’ to 2020’s ‘Over the Moon’.
In this essay, I will be looking at how mythology is presented in animation, how it is used for the
telling of mythological stories and how the medium of animation changes the narratives of myths as
they are shaped by contemporary ideas and values. I will also be looking at how animation itself acts
as a form of folklore that adapts stories to the modern day, the new stories and folklore emerging
from animated media and further examining how different cultures are responding to mythology in
animation.
In addition, I will be investigating how different indigenous communities are using animation as a
means of telling their own stories, utilising modern media to spread myths and folklore to a new
audience, aid in teaching about indigenous cultures and languages and giving a voice to previously
underrepresented communities.
Finally, I will be looking at what the future is for animation and mythology, and what our current
media landscape can tell us about the direction these stories and tales may take in the future.

Word Count 4223

Number of pages (incl. coversheet) 20

Name Corin Astles

Student Number 20020735

Admin
SafeAssign Essay Mark
ANIMATION AS MODERN
MYTHOLOGY
BY CORIN ASTLES

UALAXP-15-3 – ANIMATION STUDIES

ABSTRACT
Mythology is the telling of stories that are of cultural significance to the societies from which they
came. Mythology and folklore is an essential part of national and cultural identity for societies around
the world, and has served as the inspiration for many animated films, from 1926’s ‘The Adventures of
Prince Achmed’ to 2020’s ‘Over the Moon’.

In this essay, I will be looking at how mythology is presented in animation, how it is used for the
telling of mythological stories and how the medium of animation changes the narratives of myths as
they are shaped by contemporary ideas and values. I will also be looking at how animation itself acts
as a form of folklore that adapts stories to the modern day, the new stories and folklore emerging
from animated media and further examining how different cultures are responding to mythology in
animation.

In addition, I will be investigating how different indigenous communities are using animation as a
means of telling their own stories, utilising modern media to spread myths and folklore to a new
audience, aid in teaching about indigenous cultures and languages and giving a voice to previously
underrepresented communities.

Finally, I will be looking at what the future is for animation and mythology, and what our current
media landscape can tell us about the direction these stories and tales may take in the future.

Keywords: Myth, Folklore, Animation, Culture, Indigenous, Nation, Religious, Modern, Stories, Adapt,
Film, Children

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 1

WHAT IS MYTHOLOGY?
The word mythology, in modern consciousness, conjures fantastical images of the past: Scenes of
gods and heroes fighting epic monsters or waging terrible wars. The word ‘myth’, however, is often
used to mean a belief that is false or untrue (Cambridge Dictionary Online, 2019). This leads to the idea
that a myth, and thus mythologies, are unreal or fictional events, usually belonging to a dead culture.
Many scholars and folklorists, however, argue that myths are the way in which a culture expresses
their innate truths, values and abstract concepts through the realm of metaphor and symbolism.
Mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik claims that mythology is the ‘subjective truth of people communicated
through stories, symbols and rituals’ and that ‘no society can exist without myth’, as it defines the
social norms and cultural concepts such as rights, duties and morality (Pattanaik, D., 2016). This is
similar to the semiotician Roland Barthes, who says myths are an attempt to connect with a perceived
moral past as a way to construct an identity for a culture, community or self. In his 1957 book
‘Mythologies’, he examines how various ‘myths’ are used in the modern day to retell or dramatize
ideas and reinforce concepts such as justice, equality or social order within society.

In their article ‘Modern Mythology in Animation’ (2012), Fattaneh Bolourieh looks at how myths and
mythologies adapt to the modern day:

“If mythology doesn’t meet the demands of collective requests now and doesn’t
reflect the live attitude of a community, it will be remained as an old ideology but
live mythology reflects latent beliefs and long-term desires of a community.” (p.01)

“In a dynamic society, mythologies change according to the time, requirements and
desires and are transferred from one generation to another.” (p.01)

Paritosh Singh reflects a similar sentiment in their article ‘Animating Indianness: A study of
assimilating Indian images in a western narrative’ (2018), explaining how stories can be used to bridge
gaps between cultures, languages and ages, as well as to teach ethics, values and social norms. Most
modern narratives are told through some form of moving picture or cinema, and animation, in
particular, is well suited for telling the fantastical stories of various cultures' myths.

In this essay, I will be investigating the presentation of mythology in animation, looking at how it is
used to tell mythological stories, how these stories are adapted for the modern day, and how
animation as a medium changes the stories being told. I will also be investigating the cultural impact
of animated mythologies and the ways in which they are used for both nationalist purposes and as a
form of cultural revival.

MYTHOLOGY IN MODERN ANIMATION

Characters, scenes and stories from mythology and folklore are abound within animation, inspiring
everything from classic Disney to modern Netflix shows. Indeed, the first-ever feature-length
animated film, ‘The Adventures of Prince Achmed’ (1926) by Lottie Reiniger draws from the Arabic

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 2

folktale collection ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. The presence of mythological themes in an
animated film is not, however, the same thing as an animation being a part of a mythology. As pointed
out by David L. Emerson in his article ‘Mythology in Children’s Animation’ (2019), Disney’s ‘Hercules’
(1997) is "less an adaptation of the myth and more like a mash-up of Superman: The Movie and Rocky set
in a burlesque of the Greek myths” (p.04). This is hardly surprising, however, as Greek myths belong to
a religion that has long since passed, and the tales they told, while still wildly popular, will not hold the
same significance to a modern audience.

Instead, to see how animation adapts relevant mythology, we should look at the stories and cultures
still alive today. Perhaps the foremost example of this in the West is the 1998 DreamWorks film ‘The
Prince of Egypt’. An adaption of the Exodus myth, this story is of foundational importance to Jews,
Christians and Muslims alike. Although it takes large creative liberties in certain places (such as making
Moses a ‘Prince of Egypt’), it still retains a great degree of accuracy and respect to the original text,
taking care to incorporate elements from different versions of the tale and remain authentic to the
spirit of the story. As such, the film has been widely praised by secular and religious audiences alike,
and the creative liberties taken are recognised as enhancing the message of the tale rather than
changing it.

1 - DreamWorks adapts the iconic 'Splitting of the Red Sea' (Prince of Egypt, 1998)

Another relevant example found in Asian cultures is the 1993 film ‘Ramayana: The Legend of Prince
Rama’, by Nippon Ramayana Co. The film is a joint Indo-Japanese adaption of the Ramayana, one of
the most famous Hindu epics worldwide. Made by Ram Mohan and Yugo Sako (an Indian and
Japanese animator respectively), the story is a near-direct adaption of the epic, with minor changes
and cuts made to fit into a feature-length story. Although the film was not a commercial success in
India, with the Indian government claiming the subject too sensitive to be portrayed as a ‘cartoon’, it
has since achieved a widespread cult following, with many young Hindus growing up watching the
film on TV, home video or DVD. The fact that it was a multi-nation production with animators from
both India and Japan, dubbed into multiple languages (including English) means that the film is
neither a Japanese Ramayana nor an Indian Ramayana, but one for a global audience (Singh, P., 2018).

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 3

 2 - Rama from 'The Legend of Prince Rama' (1993), a Hindu cultural hero and Avatar of Vishnu

These two films both serve as sharp contrasts to Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ (1992), an adaption of the tale of
the same name from ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. Although the film follows the basic plot
structure as the original and was met with critical acclaim, it loses much of the relevance to the Arabic
culture it draws from, with the ‘sense of wonder overshadowed by the comedic aspect’ (Emerson, D.
L., 2019). Emerson, quoting Jessica Tiffin (Marvelous Geometry, 2009) says “Disney’s genie [...]
abandons all sense of an awe-inspiring, otherworldly power […] to represent instead a cuddly
commodity impresario” (p.05). Although the works of One Thousand and One Nights do not hold the
same weight as the stories of Exodus or the Ramayana, Djinni (Genies) are nevertheless an important
part of Islam, and the act of removing them from this cultural context reduces the significance of the
character, creating a superficial pastiche of the tale it invokes.

Other examples of mythology in animation include the 1965 Chinese donghua film ‘Havoc in Heaven’,
an adaptation of the 16th century novel ‘Journey to the West’, which has since gone on to inspire
much of modern Chinese cinema and countless other adaptions of the tale. Further east the 2013
Studio Ghibli film ‘The Tale of Princess Kaguya’ is an adaptation of ‘The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter’
which has gone on to receive numerous awards and revive interest in the 9th century monogatari tale.
Finally, 2014’s ‘The Book of Life, inspired by native Mexica beliefs about death and the afterlife, has
created mass appeal for the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ festival and helped push it further into global
consciousness.

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 4

 3 - 1965's ‘Havoc in Heaven’ adapts famous scenes from Chinese Art

From this, we can see that mythological themes and ideas remain relevant and an active source of
inspiration for many animated productions around the world, ranging from direct adaptions of
religious stories to broad inspiration to surface-level aesthetics. So far, however, we have largely
looked at how these stories are directly adapted into animation. If mythology must, as Bolourieh says,
‘reflect the live attitudes of a community’, how can we see the medium of animation changing its
stories to the sensibilities of a modern audience?

HOW MYTHOLOGICAL STORIES ARE ADAPTED FOR THE

MODERN DAY
As previously stated, mythology is not a relic of the past, but a living tradition that must be
continuously retold across generations and adapted to meet the needs of the society which tells it.
The most famous examples of this are the animated films of Disney, which draw on the folklore of
various cultures in their stories. Foremost among them is their first feature-length animated picture,
‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (1937). Aoibhean O’Daly, in her essay ‘Animated Adaptations: A
Study of Disney Animation as Modern Mythology and Folklore’ (2013), points out that although Disney
makes many changes to make the story more in-line with North American sensibilities, this is no
different from the work of the Brothers Grimm, who censored a lot of the stories that they gathered
for their collection to make them better fit Christian values and be more suitable for the children of
the time. By being ‘more in-touch with the American spirit of the time than his competitors’, Disney was
able to push his films into the American consciousness as the primary examples of folklore in the
modern day. An element missing from these retellings, however, is much of the cultural context, as

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 5

America was at that point largely disconnected from the Germanic society from which these stories
emerged. Much of the changes Disney made were simply trying to ‘make a good picture’; this gives the
company much more flexibility and artistic licence in their work, but it removes the sacred act of
storytelling that makes these tales important and vital to people, and as a result loses much of the
relevancy to people’s lives.

A better example of adapting folkloric stories to the modern day would be the 2020 film ‘Over the
Moon’, a joint-Sino-American animated film that adapts the famous myth of Chang’e and Houyi. This is
a popular myth in China that serves as the legend behind the Chinese ‘Autumn Moon Festival’. Rather
than being a retelling of this story, however, the film is set in modern-day China, following the
protagonist Fei Fei as she builds a rocket to travel to the Moon and visit Chang’e. The film deals with
issues of grief and loss, as Fei Fei must come to terms with the death of her mother, mirrored by
Chang’e accepting the mortality of her husband Houyi. It also covers other contemporary issues, with
Fei Fei accepting her role in a reconstituted family and creating a bond with her stepbrother, Chin. By
using an older myth as a backdrop to explore modern issues facing many contemporary Chinese
children, the film takes part in a culture of continuous retelling, using mythological themes as a way to
tackle new issues facing society and adapt these stories to the modern-day.

4 - 'Over the Moon' (2020) makes many changes from the original tales, but remains true to the themes and ideas
of the story

A different example of mythology being adapted for a modern audience is the regularly broadcasted
children’s TV of India. In India, where Hinduism remains a dominant religion, mythological characters
such as Hanuman, Ganesha, Krishna and Bheema (figures of religious devotion) are portrayed as main
characters in children’s TV shows such as ‘Little Krishna’ or ‘The New Adventures of Hanuman’.
Sandeep Ashwath, in his article ‘Mythical Past, Animated Present’ (2022), shows how in Hindu culture,
religious media such as film and TV are often accompanied by acts of devotion (such as prostrating
and giving offerings of food or showering petals when gods appear on-screen). Personal shrines
(pujas) often contain images of live-action actors and old photographs in addition to statues and
paintings of a certain deity. In Hindu societies, children learn religious and mythological tales through
animated shows such as ‘Little Krishna’, reenacting their favourite scenes from these shows during
religious ceremonies. Despite animated media being used as a teaching tool, images of animated
figures are rarely, if ever, treated with the same sacred reverence as their live-action counterparts.

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 6

 5 - Krishna lifts the Govardhan Hill, an iconic scene from the Bhagavata Purana, in ‘Little Krishna’ (2009). Children
often reenact this scene during the festival of Govardhan Puja

Ashwath goes on to say that adults feel a great religious sentiment towards the live-action retellings
they grew up with, but often dismiss the animated versions as simple ‘fiction’, whereas children feel a
much stronger affiliation towards the animated media, often being bored by older films. The
conclusion they draw is that animated mythology is now a deep and important part of modern Hindu
religious media, and although taken less seriously and deemed as mere ‘cartoons’, they are a vital part
of teaching religious practice. In a way, animated media serves this role better than live action, as it
can be used to push expressive possibilities, offer critique and embrace diverse storytelling traditions.

The last example I will use of mythology being adapted for a modern audience through animation is
Cartoon Saloon’s ‘Irish Folklore Trilogy’, consisting of 2009’s ‘Secret of Kells’, 2014’s ‘Song of the Sea’
and 2020’s ‘Wolfwalkers’. In her essay ‘Cartoon Saloon and Mythopoeic: Reimagining Mythology
through Animation’, Rachel Hargrave provides a comprehensive breakdown of the themes of each
film, the mythological inspiration, and how they are relevant to a contemporary Irish audience. As
opposed to my previous examples, the Irish Folklore Trilogy consists of entirely original stories that go
from the 9th century to the 15th to the 21st. In these films, Celtic mythology serves as an inspiration to
tell new tales rather than retell preexisting ones. The first in the trilogy, ‘The Secret of Kells’, is a
pseudo-historical account of the Viking invasion of Ireland and the creation of the Book of Kells,
covering the tensions between Christianity and Celtic Paganism, as well as the liminality between
civilisation and the wilds. Their next film, ‘Song of the Sea’, is a modern tale that is about the tension
between rural and urban spaces, and the disconnect the Irish people feel from their cultural roots.
The final film, ‘Wolfwalkers’, is an anti-colonial film about the tensions between Irish and English
culture, as well as looking at how English occupation has changed Irish perspectives and made them
hostile to their own practices. All three films draw inspiration from myths such as Crom Cruach, Selkie
Stories and the Fenian Cycle, but in telling new stories, the animators are able to use these myths in a
way that relates to the issues facing modern Irish culture. In addition, their pseudo-historical setting
creates a new mytho-historical narrative of Ireland’s past. Ultimately, the films tell a story about
liminality: the tensions between nature and urbanisation, wilds and civilisation and between
Christianity and ‘paganism’. The mythological and religious themes throughout tie back to traditional

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 7

Irish culture and create a cautionary tale about when people separate themselves from their
indigenous roots, illustrating how these traditions and stories are still important. In doing so, Cartoon
Saloon are partaking in mythopoeia (the creation of a new mythology) for the Republic of Ireland, a
nation less than a century old, and still defining a cultural identity for itself.

6 – ‘The Secret of Kells’ (2009) uses Celtic and early Christian imagery to invoke Illuminated Irish Manuscripts

ANIMATION AND NATIONALISM

So far, we have talked about how mythology can be used to create a cultural identity for a nation or
community. This inevitability means that mythology can be utilised by governments as a way to
promote nationalist sentiments for a particular cultural or ethnic group. Historically, many myths have
been used this way in the past, and as much of animation is government-funded, there is great
potential for animation to be used in this way to create nationalist mythology. In their article ‘New
Hungarian Mythology Animated: Self-Portraits of the Nation’ (2014), Dr. Hubbes László-Attila reviews
‘Song of the Miraculous Hind’, a 2002 animated pseudo-history of Hungary by Marcell Jankovics. This
film provides a mytho-history of the Hungarian people, with elements incorporated from historical
records, archaeology, poetic and religious accounts. Although the film is not intended to be
mythological in nature, its way of creating a new narrative and nationalised history of Hungary means
that it becomes a re-mythologisation of the Hungarian self-image. The film was partially funded by the
Hungarian government and has been criticised for its nationalistic themes. Despite this, it has been
used as a teaching device in school to educate Hungarian children about their history, essentially
creating a new mythopoeic history for the nation.

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 8

 7 - Nationalist Imagery in 'Song of the Miraculous Hind' (2002)

We can see a similar phenomenon unfold on a larger scale in China, where the animation industry is
rapidly expanding, with multiple major animated films being released, most featuring narratives and
characters from Chinese mythology and folklore. As Thomas Williams Whyke points out in his essay
‘Re-Animating Chinese Myths: Mythology and/as mythologies in Contemporary Chinese Animation’
(2023), the Chinese government supports many of these films, stating that they are using them as a
way to ‘highlight the spirit of China and the aesthetic style of the East’ (p.01). Whyke states that these
animated films, made with new technology, help to promote China’s image as a modern nation,
connected to its past, and with a vibrant national identity, which in turn helps to promote nationalistic
claims and the ‘China Dream’. Some of these films, such as ‘Ne Zha’ and ‘White Snake’ (both released
in 2019) are based on very popular Chinese folk narratives; while they have been criticised as
rehashing rather than reimagining, the films made some radical changes from their original stories,
making them part of a long lineage of retelling that exists within Chinese culture. Whyke goes on to
say that Chinese animation plays a key role in ‘representing and disseminating…national identity’,
serving as a form of continuity with the mytho-historic past, but also playing a part in reshaping the
national style and identity.

Although it is easy to point to these examples of animation being used for nationalist purposes, it
could be argued that Cartoon Saloon does a similar thing in their Irish Folklore Trilogy, using animation
as a way to tell new mythologised stories and create a national identity for an emerging nation. A key
difference, however, is that the Hungarian and Chinese examples were created entirely within one
nation and funded by the governments of those nations. In comparison, all the films in the Irish
Folklore Trilogy are international co-productions between multiple studios across Europe, and gained
funding from multiple sources, preventing a single government from using them to promote national
interests. This further raises questions, however, as to whether it is appropriate for governments to
fund animated media, as many nations struggle to launch their animation industry due to a lack of

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 9

government support (as referenced earlier, The Legend of Prince Rama had to move production to
Japan after the Indian government pulled out of the project).

From these examples, we can see how adapting mythology into animation can be used by
governments as a way to promote nationalist ideas and use the mythic past to form a national identity
for contemporary people, regardless of the historical truth of such claims. This raises many dilemmas
about the role governments should play in supporting their national image, the funding of animation
and how mythological stories can (and should) be used. If these are the issues we see in the utilisation
of national myths in animation, then how can governments ethically fund animation?

ANIMATION AS CULTURAL REVIVAL

One aspect of mythology that we have only covered briefly so far is the perspective of indigenous
mythology and the role it plays in the cultural identity of minority or underrepresented groups. From
this perspective, showing mythology through animation can become a form of cultural revival,
especially as the tools to create animation become more accessible and digital media makes it easier
for people around the world to see animation. In her article ‘The Animated Mythologies of Tribal
India: From Tales of Origination to Multimedia Technology’ (2019), Tara Purnima Douglas looks at the
role mass media plays within indigenous communities, and how animation and participatory
filmmaking can counteract this. She states that when governments try to modernise indigenous
communities, tribal culture and knowledge is often lost. In addition, mass media and TV reaches many
isolated communities and imparts the stories and culture of the majority group rather than the local
community. She goes on to talk about how animation can be used to take advantage of this:

“Animation can be used as a medium to retell tribal mythologies and reignite

interest for the younger generation towards the local narratives and cultural values,
as well as its use to disseminate this knowledge further afield.” (p.03)

She also speaks about the necessity of participatory filmmaking and how it allows minority or
marginalised views to be shared, as well as promoting interest and outreach in these local
communities.

Joanna Hearne, in her article ‘’I Am Not a Fairy Tale’ – Indigenous Storytelling on Canadian Television’
(2017) discusses this from the viewpoint of Indigenous Americans. She talks about how the
“adaptability of Indigenous stories, so essential to their survival, can also enable a politicized, activist
galvanizing of tradition” (p.05) – in essence, she is talking about how the fact that First Nation
American stories are often told in a way that changes with each telling, allowing them to adapt to
modern issues and thus can be used as a force of political change. She goes on to talk about how the
vast majority of Indigenous American stories on TV are animated children’s shows (such as the 2004
Canadian series ‘Raven Tales’); while this may mean they are taken less seriously as mere ‘kids
cartoons’, it also gives important messages to children on revitalising native culture and
acknowledging cultural heritage – it also imparts educational messages much in the same way that
these stories would have been used in indigenous settings. She also talks about how these stories are

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 10

often dubbed in both English and Native Languages, allowing them to be used as a tool to teach
native children their indigenous tongue.

8 - First Nations Mythology in 'Raven Tales: The Movie' (2014)

In addition to these shows, there is also a large variety of animated short films animated, directed or
produced by indigenous people, that gain fame at international or native film festivals. The majority of
these are from Canada and the United States, but there also exist those from South America,
Australia, Hawai’i and Bali. Some of these films, such as ‘Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice’
(2021) and ‘Navajo Tales: The Stars’ (2019), are near-direct adaptations of native folklore, which use
the animated format to reignite interest and bring these stories to new audiences. Others, such as
‘Luh Ayu Manik Mas’ (2020) or ‘Kapaemahu’ (2021) are used to highlight modern issues facing
indigenous communities. Meanwhile, films such as ‘Treng Treng y Kay Kay’ (2016) or ‘This is a Hogan’
(2020) are used as teaching tools to tell children about native languages and cultures. Finally, some
films such as ‘Mountain of SGaana’ (2018) use native elements as a way for the director to tell their
own unique story, tied to their heritage but with the aim of sending a new message. Many of these
films are government-funded or are student films; despite the fact that they are niche and lack
widespread appeal, the growing interest and availability of such films show the potential for cultural
revival through animation as a means to teach language or show marginalised views.

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 11

9 - 'The Mountain of SGaana' (2018), 'Navajo Tales: The Stars' (2019) and 'Angakusajaujuq' (2021), three short films
directed and produced by indigenous creators

In her PhD paper ‘Tales of the Tribes: Animation as a Tool for Indigenous Representation’ (2015), Tara
Purnima Douglas uses participatory filmmaking to create a series of animated films with indigenous
communities in India, based around their traditional culture. Through this, she found that animation
can be used to reignite interest in traditional narratives and provide roles for young people to
interpret their own culture for future generations. In essence:

“Animation can provide a language that speaks to all ages and transcends cultural
barriers.” (p.127)

THE FUTURE OF ANIMATION AND MYTHOLOGY IN A

CULTURAL CONTEXT
From what we have seen, it is clear that mythology, despite common belief, is alive and thriving in the
modern world. As a new and emerging art form, animation is a medium that can used to share and tell
mythological stories in an exciting way, the nature of animation making it especially suited to
fantastical tales and greater-than-life stories that transcend time, ages and cultures. Despite this, it is
clear that when animated, these stories can lose a lot of the cultural relevance that makes them so
enduring across time.

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 12

Earlier, it was said that mythology is the telling of stories that are culturally significant to the society
from which they emerged. It is clear from examples such as The Legend of Prince Rama, Over the
Moon, or the Irish Folklore Trilogy that the best adaptations of these myths are made by those
connected to them, either from growing up in or sharing the same culture that initially told them.
Whether they are a simple retelling, or a completely original story based in myth, the best films always
come from those who understand the ideas and themes they are adapting to suit them for a modern-
day audience, rather than simply translating the literal events of the narrative. Adaptions that are
disconnected from the culture they draw from, such as Hercules or Aladdin, even if they are well-made
films, suffer from this lack of cultural context and fail to replicate the same themes and ideas that
made them so relevant across time. They become stories, rather than myths.

Both mythology and animation are often seen by the general public as ‘stories for kids’. Although this
attitude is starting to change, the fact that these stories are so often focused on children means that
newer generations are being imparted with these stories and media from a younger age, and that
these ‘animated mythologies’ end up being a vital part of their development and upbringing. As such,
these myths serve not just as entertainment, but also as tools for education and teaching about
cultural identity. This can be used to inform about culture, history and language, but can also be used
to push nationalist claims and ideals.

We have also seen how animation can be used for a variety of purposes beyond retelling and
adaptation. It has been used as a way to tackle modern social issues, as a way to reignite interest in
the past, as cultural revival, as nationalist rhetoric and to reform a new cultural identity. It seems that
as animation grows and becomes more accessible, it will be used by more communities and cultures
around the world to tell their stories and create new mythologies.

Although we cannot predict the future, I believe that not only will animation become a vital medium
for the transition and translation of mythology, but that the nature of the medium inevitably will
change the nature of the myths themselves and how they are used. There will likely be a greater
revival of mythology and indigenous storytelling, leading to a shift in how cultures around the world
perceive their past and their cultural identity.

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 13

BIBLIOGRAPHY
ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
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Barthes, R. (2013) Mythologies. New York : Hill and Wang.

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Douglas, T.P. (2015) Tales of the Tribes: Animation as a Tool for Indigenous Representation.
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Douglas, T.P. (2019) The Animated Mythologies of Tribal India: from Tales of Origination
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[Accessed 15 October 2023].

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October 2023].

Hargrave, R.I. (2021) Cartoon Saloon as Mythopoeic: Reimagining Irish Mythology through
Animation. [online]. Available from: https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/104103
[Accessed 15 October 2023].

Hearne, J. (2017) ‘I Am Not a Fairy Tale’: Indigenous Storytelling on Canadian Television.

Marvels & Tales [online]. 31 (1), pp. 126–146. Available from:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13110/marvelstales.31.1.0126 [Accessed 15 October 2023].

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 14

Hubbes, L.A. (2014) New Hungarian Mythology Animated. Self-Portraits of the Nation. Acta
Universitatis Sapientiae, Philologica [online]. 5 (2), pp. 223–240. Available from:
https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ausp-2014-0016 [Accessed 15 October 2023].

McIntosh, C. (2019) MYTH | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary Cambridge

Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 4th Edition [online]. Available from:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/myth [Accessed 28 October 2023].

O’Daly, A. (2013) Animated Adaptations: A Study of Disney Animation as Modern

Mythology & Folklore. O’Kelly, V., ed.

Singh, P. (2018) Animating Indianness: a Study of Assimilating Indian Images in a Western

Narrative. Ratelle, A., ed. Animation Studies [online]. 13. Available from:
https://journal.animationstudies.org/paritosh-singh-animating-indianness-a-study-of-
assimilating-indian-images-in-a-western-narrative/ [Accessed 15 October 2023].

Sinha, N. (2016) No society can exist without myth, says Devdutt Pattanaik Hindustan Times.
4 July 2016 [online]. Available from: https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/no-society-can-
exist-without-myth-says-devdutt-pattanaik/story-PG1v4iB17j07dV5Vyv86QN.html
[Accessed 28 October 2023].

Van Oostenburg, M. (2021) Animating the Mother Tongue: An Indigenous Language Playlist
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. 19 February 2021 [online]. Available
from: https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/mother-tongue-indigenous-language-animation
[Accessed 15 October 2023].

Whyke, T.W. and Brown, M.S. (2023) Re-animating Chinese myths: Mythology and/as
Mythologies in Contemporary Chinese Animation. [online]. Available from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358572083_Re-
animating_Chinese_myths_mythology_andas_mythologies_in_Contemporary_Chinese_Ani
mation [Accessed 15 October 2023].

Zhao, X.J. (2020) The Chinese Cultural Details in Netflix’s Over the Moon YouTube [online].
Available from: https://youtu.be/hpbWR-XxFl4?si=KvICK5pid-kOawcH [Accessed 28
October 2023].

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 15

FILMS AND TV SHOWS
Aladdin. (1992):directorRon Clements, John Musker.

Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice. (2021):directorZacharias Kunuk.

Auchter, C. (2018) The Mountain of SGaana YouTube [online]. Available from:

https://youtu.be/fqqneusv2XY?si=2P5JW2p2GpAM1qcG [Accessed 15 October 2023].

Berrio, J., Mathews, J. and Penman, D. (2019) Navajo Tales: The Stars YouTube [online].
Available from: https://youtu.be/ZIl0Nqpt41A?si=Cmry8hjqpJWIIgv3 [Accessed 15 October
2023].

Desaii, U. (2009) The New Adventures of Hanuman Pogo TV, 2009 [TV Series].

Dewi, C.L. and Yudha, N. (2020) Luh Ayu Manik Mas Full Animation New YouTube
[online]. Available from: https://youtu.be/btx9iUW8o3w?si=lu-vPewBeIoNQL3B [Accessed
28 October 2023].

Edwards, V. and Rajasekaran, B. (2009) Little Krishna Nickelodeon, 2009 [TV Series].

Havoc in Heaven. (1965):directorLaiming Wan.

Henry, M. (2020) This is a Hogan Vimeo [online]. Available from:

https://vimeo.com/427403003 [Accessed 28 October 2023].

Hercules. (1997):directorRon Clements, John Musker.

Hystad, C., Smith, V., Kientz, C., Klem, J. and Bossler, K. (2004) Raven Tales Aboriginal
People’s Television Network, 2004 [TV Series].

Kimeltuwe Materiales de Mapudungun (2016) Treng-Treng y Kay-Kay. Narración Mapuche.

YouTube [online]. Available from: https://youtu.be/kjYXDa-DpWA?si=qVfxq2lDNG0rFiKQ
[Accessed 28 October 2023].

Ne Zha. (2019):directorYu Yang.

Over the Moon. (2020):directorGlen Keane.

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 16

Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama. (1993):directorRam Mohan, Yûgô Sakô, Koichi
Saski.

Raven Tales: The Movie. (2014):directorCaleb Hystad.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. (1937):directorWilliam Cottrell, David Hand, Ted Sears.

Song of the Miraculous Hind. (2002):directorMarcell Jankovics.

Song of the Sea. (2014):directorTomm Moore.

The Adventures of Prince Achmed. (1926):directorLottie Reiniger.

The Book of Life. (2014):directorJorge R. Gutiérrez.

The Prince of Egypt. (1998):directorBrenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells.

The Secret of Kells. (2009):directorTom Moore, Nora Twomey.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. (2013):directorIsao Takahata.

White Snake. (2019):directorAmp Wong, Zhao Ji.

Wolfwalkers. (2020):directorTomm Moore, Ross Stewart.

Wong-Kalu, H., Hamer, D. and Wilson, J. (2021) Kapaemahu Vimeo [online]. Available
from: https://vimeo.com/502313188/df9e91cea3?share=copy [Accessed 15 October 2023].

IMAGES
Auchter, C. (2018) The Mountain of SGaana National Film Board of Canada [Online
Image]. Available from: https://www.nfb.ca/film/mountain_of_sgaana/ [Accessed 6
November 2023].

Berrio, J., Mathews, J. and Penman, D. (2019) Navajo Tales: The Stars MAST Studio [Online
Image]. Available from: https://maststudio.org/screening/navajo-tales-the-stars [Accessed 6
November 2023].

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 17

Cartoon Saloon (2009) Brandon in the Abbey of Kells Animation for Adults [Online Image].
Available from: https://www.animationforadults.com/2013/12/the-secret-of-kells-2009.html
[Accessed 6 November 2023].

DreamWork Animation (1998) The Splitting of the Red Sea vfxblog [Online Image].
Available from: https://vfxblog.com/2018/11/14/the-prince-of-egypt-henry-labounta-reflects-
on-parting-the-red-sea/ [Accessed 6 November 2023].

Kunuk, Z., Taqqut Productions and Isuma (2021) Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice
Inuit Art Foundation [Online Image]. Available from:
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iaq-online/zacharias-kunuk-s-angakusajaujuq-takes-the-
stage-at-tiff [Accessed 6 November 2023].

New Machine Studios (2014) The Great Spirit overlooks Earth in ‘Raven Tales: The Movie’
Sound View Media Partners [Online Image]. Available from:
https://www.soundviewmediapartners.com/raven-tales/ [Accessed 6 November 2023].

Pannonia Film Studio (2002) Nationalist Imagery in ‘Song of the Miraculous Hind’ IMDb
[Online Image]. Available from:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309114/mediaviewer/rm977274881/?ref_=tt_md_4 [Accessed
6 November 2023].

Pearl Studio (2020) Change’e’s Outfits A Naga of the Nusantara [Online Image]. Available
from: https://nusantaranaga.wordpress.com/2020/11/30/not-over-the-moon-over-over-the-
moon-a-film-review-of-netflixs-over-the-moon/ [Accessed 6 November 2023].

Reliance Entertainment (2009) Krishna Lifts Govardhan Hill Krishna.org [Online Image].
Available from: https://krishna.org/little-krishna-in-hd-krishna-lifts-govardhan-hill/
[Accessed 6 November 2023].

Shanghai Arts and Files Studio (1965) The Monkey King from ‘Havoc in Heaven’ tumblr
[Online Image]. Available from:
https://ziseviolet.tumblr.com/post/646916166408978432/chinese-animated-feature-havoc-in-
heaven-1965 [Accessed 6 November 2023].

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 18

TEM Co., Ltd (1992) Prince Rama with a Bow Scroll.in [Online Image]. Available from:
https://scroll.in/reel/832996/protests-by-vhp-activists-meant-that-this-gorgeous-animated-
ramayana-never-got-an-indian-release [Accessed 6 November 2023].

Yoshitoshi, T. (1892) Chang’e flees to the Moon Wikipedia [Ukiyo-e]. Available from:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chang%27e_flees_to_the_moon_by_Tsukioka_Yo
shitoshi.jpg [Accessed 6 November 2023].

Corin Astles Animation as Modern Mythology 19