Origin of myth

Answer 1

Myths originate in societies, not individuals. There is a developmental sequence in the creation of myths. First and foremost, there must becomes a moral consensus within a community. A genuine community follows from the establishment of the mores of any given social group. The elements of that morality give definition to that society's archetypes, and it indicates the totems and taboos of the group. What follows is that stories develop which indicate the ideals of their models of behavior, and those stories become myths.

People learn how to live together effectively by adopting certain behaviors that benefit the group, actions that elevate the value of the group above that of the individual. Such behaviors are often contradictory to the immediate instinct of self-preservation and, although difficult, must be taught by every generation to the one that follows it. The effective teaching of such a contradictory idea is the essence of moral education. Myths are the moral fables of a people, where the moral of the story is what matters more than the facts. They provide a paradigm of behavior for the individual member of a group, thereby informing his consciousness as a member. Heroes in myths teach by example.

The absurd concept of mere humankind teaching eternal truths to one another is not lost on the young. Their duty is to challenge the teachings of their elders, without destroying the bonds of the group. An easy mark for every generation is the moral fable of their childhood. Only after their youth has passed do they begin to understand the value of their elders' teachings. But, too late! They have already created new myths, and a cycle has turned. It is one of the reasons why children get along so well with their grandparents, and less well with their parents.

Myths are passed from generation to generation and have as their main purpose the teaching of great truths, but are essentially fabulous. The great truths taught by each and every society reinforce the righteousness of their own behaviors, thereby establishing the group as that which must be preferred by their deity. The definition of the deity is fluid in that it changes from group to group, and each group changes, at least slightly, from generation to generation. As mankind strives to create meaning from an absurd stew of reality, myths arise like steam from the hot liquid cauldron that is the consensus of that group's behaviors.