A Problematic Use of Mythology in the US
And "Following Your Bliss" into Kairos, Inner Wisdom, & Divine Purpose and a look at ancient storytelling through tattoos - September Newsletter
Joseph Campbell, a mythologist from the 20th century, taught that mythology had four functions:
To inspire awe in the cosmos, nature, self, etc.
To present metaphorical images that keep you connected with that cosmological awe
To validate and maintain a sociological system with undeniable laws
To help someone navigate different stages of life
The third function strikes me as particularly poignant because I live in the United States.
With the right and the left side of the government so opposed and at each other’s throats, both sides vie for a way to build absolute resolve in their respective followers.
A problematic way the 3rd function shows up in a faction of the right:
When Campbell teaches about this function, he brings up the Caste system in India and its mythology being used to say that their social order is just a part of the natural order. He quotes a Hindu priest saying, “If you want to be British, break caste. If you want to be Hindu, obey the scriptures.”
While Campbell’s example il…
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