Perpose of Myth Review

1.  Four fundamental questions that myths address:

• What is nature of the universe in which I live?
• How do I relate to that universe?
• How much control do I have over my own life?
• How can I live a satisfying life?

2.  Four themes in world mythology:

• The first parents are often the gods of sky and earth
• The creator-god usually fashions the first human beings from parts of the earth-perhaps clay, trees, rocks or plants.
• The gods destroy at least one world of mortals by causing a great flood.
• In the world as nature, birth, maturity and earth are often followed by rebirth.

3.  The beginning of the universe for major cultures was a chaotic, formless mass that a god or pair of gods separate. The gods multiply so that they each can have their particular role in the universal scheme, and the creator-god brings life to earth.

4.  The beginning of the universe for major cultures was a chaotic, formless mass that a god or pair of gods separate. The gods multiply so that they each can have their particular role in the universal scheme, and the creator-god brings life to earth.

5.  Ordinary people identify heroes by their imperfections, allowing them to like them because everyone has similar psychological needs and conflicts.

6.  The foundation of the Matriarchal Society was the agricultural year.

7.  Sigmund Freud views myths as the expression of the individual's unconscious wishes, fears, and drives.

8.  Myths demonstrate that people possess the intellectual capacity to understand the world in which they live.