MYTHS & LEGENDS

Are they the same?

 MYTHOLOGY
Mythology is the study of myths.

Mythology is a collection of traditional

stories that express the beliefs or
values of a group of people
All cultures have same type of myths
(Greeks, Romans, Germanic, Mayan, etc.)
The same myths can often be found in different
parts of the world: creation of the world, creation of
humankind
 MYTHS
Myths are poetic stories that explain natural
phenomena or important events. They are
led by heroic or divine personages

A myth help groups of people identify

themselves and define their values. It helps
validate social order and provides a moral
code by which to live.
 When we study myths
we can learn how a
culture thought, lived,
and expressed
themselves. HISTORY
can tell you facts about a
people, but MYTH shows
you the personality, their
beliefs, fears, and hopes.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A
MYTH
They are sacred
They use the supernatural
You may encounter different versions of
stories. No one can say that one version
of a story is right and the others
wrong.
To understand myths, one must look
beyond the literal translation. Instead,
you should study the symbols and ideas.
 EXAMPLES OF MYTHS
Ancient Myths
Gilgamesh (Mesopotamia)
Osiris reborn (Egypt)
Homers Iliad Troyan war (Greece)
Popol Vuh (Mayan creation)
Yggdrasil, the tree of life (Germanic)

Modern-day myths have many components of

ancient/classic myths, as in the following:
Star Wars
Lord of the Rings
Superman
Finding Nemo
Monsters Inc.
 MYTHOLOGY IN
MODERN DAY SOCIETY
Mythology is everywhere! Many
companies/groups/corporations take
their name, logo or theme from ancient
mythology. Below are just a few:
Ajax: Greek warrior in the Trojan war who cleaned
up in battle (household cleaner)
Trojan Horse: the Greek hid in it to attack Troy from
the inside (computer virus)
Nike: Winged goddess of victory who can run and fly
at great speeds (shoes/apparel)
 MYTHOLOGY IN
MODERN DAY SOCIETY
There are many words/expressions that are
derived from ancient myths
Achilles heel
Achilles: Greek hero of the Trojan War who was said to
be invulnerable on all his body except for his heel. It is
said that he was killed in battle by an arrow to his
heel
Herculean strength
Hercules: Roman name for Heracles, the greatest
Greek hero
 MYTHS VS. LEGENDS
Considered true Considered true
sacred stories stories that
that happened in happened in the
the distant past more recent past
Main character is Main character is
often non-human usually human
Story is timeless, Story told has
events are historical
symbolic information/value
 EXAMPLES OF LEGENDS
King Arthur & the Knights of the
Round Table
Robin Hood
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
La Llorona
 URBAN LEGEND
Its a form modern
folkloreconsisting of stories that
may or may not have been
believed by their tellers to be true.
They often
possesshorrorimplications that are
believable to their audience.
 EXAMPLES OF URBAN
LEGENDS
- Only two people in Coca-Cola
company know the formula.
- Walt Disney corpse is frozen.
- The girl of the road curve.
- Chain letters.