Question

How do myths and legends shape a society? how were myths and legends used to explain the natural world before science? what role do myths play in the cultural activities of a society? how do myths provide life with meaning? do myths and legends establish moral guidelines for living? critical thinking questions name at least three ways our culture would be different if we had no myths and legends. do you think life would be better, the same, or worse? the bogeyman can be found all over the world. describe how the bogeyman is portrayed in our culture. think of a character trait you believe is important in a person. now describe a myth or legend from our culture that reinforces the importance of the trait. the viking version of the afterlife was an extension of what was important to them on earth: bravery in battle. describe what the afterlife might look like to a culture that valued a theme of your choosing. ideas: wealth, peace, knowledge, entertainment, independence, etc. food and drink are often the objects of myth and legend. describe a food or drink that a visitor to our country might think was sacred to us?

Answer 1

1. Myth and legends provide our society with initial explanation on why a certain occurrences happened and creates a certain standard of what considered as right and wrong.
This value of right or wrong often used by each members of society to form standard of behaviors that accepted in that society.

2. Most Myth and legends provide explanation on Natural world as the fruit of interaction between Gods and Humans.
For exmaple When we observed religions in ancient greek and Hindu civilization for example, we will find many effort to explain natural disaster such as 'earthquakes' or 'tsunami' as the result of god's wrath.

3. Many members of a society used the myth to interpret the events that happened in their personal lives.
Therefore, the value that they take from the myth is used to give value/meaning to their own personal lives.

4. Yes. Even though they do it indirectly, myths and legends are very influential in the establishment of moral standards.
For example, In indian society, there is a mythical figure called lord Krishna who also goes by the names Govinda and Gopala (which could be translated as protector of the cow)  because of the legends, eating cows in that society is considered as morally wrong.

5. I believe it would be better.
- If myths and legends never exist, the scientific advancement in societies will come much faster with less resistence
- Myth and legends often contributed to conflict between social groups due to inherent different in value that derived from their own perspective myth/legends
- Myth and legends often become the basis for that society to unfairly treated a certain group of society.

6. In American Cutlrue, boogey man is used to describe a creature or individuals who are hiding near your personal space and waiting for the opportunities to come and hurt you.
If we observed other cultures, we would find similar mythical figure such as Bokkenrijders in netherlands and  Sack man in spain.

7. I will pick bravery as the character traits.
This traits is reinforced through the story of Beowulf that exist in english speaking countries, which contribute to the formation of a certain ideal of how a man ideally should behave when facing the problems in their everyday life.

8. Since vikings highly value bravery in battle, the idea of their afterlife is a place where the warriors who bravely died in battlefield was honored and ruled in the hall that controlled by Odin the God of War. If the culture value things such as peace, i believe their idea of an afterlife would be an utopian place where not a single hatred exist within their members.

9. I think the closest thing we have is Corns.
I believe corns represent the dark struggles that our country have during our early interactions with the natives (it's the main food of native americans)
When people in other countries learn about the battle between settlers and native americans, they would automatically associate corns with the years of struggle.