Distinction of Myth and Fiction

[caronbot]

Glancing back over Ryan's thoughts pertaining to the differences between Myth and Fiction, it seemed to me that the difference between the two genres was how many people believed in them.  The difference between Myth and fiction is that fiction invites people to imagine, whereas myths are supposedly truths that people do not dispute, because they

Comments

[se101]

Matt said: Yet, if one looks at Christianity completely objectively, what is it? It's the story of a woman being created by a rib, cajoled into eating magic fruit by a talking snack, and being thrown out of the cradle of civilization.

I think that you may have answered your own question. The book of Genesis is considered a story not a myth. There's always been a lot of debate about whether the garden of Eden was a real or symbolic locale. The ancient greeks, however, completely believed that the gathering of Gods actually occured on Mt. Olympus. Myths are usually stories that are considered absolute truths by the majority of the populace.

Modern Religions such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism seem to detach themselves from myths in order to produce stories which can be interpreted in an often open ended manner. Remember, Jesus was considered a good story teller while he was on earth, rather than the son of God.

-Ross

Orality in the Religious World

[scifi129]

Matt, you ask "at what point is Myth dead? Writing is said to accelerate the erosion of Myth, yet Islam, Christianity, Judaism, etc. stay alive because of writing, because "the Word" remains intact for future generations to be taught."

Perhaps the various denominations of these religions reveal how 'the Word' is not finite and remains debatable amongst followers. Different translations of religious writings reveals that there are not different stories but different interpretations. These religions remain intact also because of the aspect of orality attached to the print.

In a Christian church, for example, the priest reads from the Bible and brings an aspect of orality which keeps the Word alive in a way that the myths of ancient Greek do not. We might see Greek plays today, but we are not read out loud once a week from a collection of Greek stories. This aspect of Myth I think needs further exploration and how the orality of religious sectors today impacts how religion stays alive today./