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Why does mythology interest you?

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blow_fly:
For those of you who visit this board, I'd just like to inquire as to the nature of your interest in mythology. What exactly fuels it? In my case I tend to feel that examining a particular culture's mythology enables one to gain an insight into the societal and psychological consciousness of that particular culture.  This is why most the books that I have on the mythologies of various cultures tend to be anthropological texts. Is this interest in understanding more about other cultures responsible for engendering your interest in mythology? Or are there other reasons for you interest? I'd like to hear your thoughts.

matthew321:
I like mythology because it is what I phrase as a "base religion." Many beliefs are derived from mythology. I think it may be real events as well. It is very possible all these gods and stories really happened. After a while every story and event will lose influence. Perhaps age has made mythology seem false while perhaps it very well might be true. I find the stories entertaining regardless and will continue to enjoy it for a long time.

blow_fly:
I agree with you about mythology being the foundation of many religious beliefs. While science provides us with the framework that enables us to understand the phenomena that occurs in our everyday existence, mythology plays a similar role for societies that as of yet, have still not acquired the scientific method of reasoning. As the eminent  French anthropologist  Levy Bruhl explained, mythology sets certain precedents for pre-industrial peoples, thereby providing them with a base on which they build the philosophical and religious beliefs that enable them to comprehend the earthly phenomena that they encounter on a daily basis.

Muerte:
  Mythology intrest me because of my insatiable intrest in finding the truth, no matter where it leads me.  Every story has a grain of truth, and I will never be able to rest easy until I have found the source to such beliefs/stories.

Grendelion:
For me, mythology is escapism.  Many of the stories that have transcended time and outlived the cultures that created them, do so by drawing you in and running rampant through your imagination, while offering primitive insights into how our ancestors tried to explain the world around them.  The popular variety of Gods and mythical bestiaries from the Greeks and Norse cultures for example, are often derived from creatures in the real world, or given character traits and human flaws that reflect those of us lowly humans.  Some of which we can relate to, or even envy.  Zeus and his brothers for example, while being the kings of Olympus and supposedly having transcended human nature, were actually for the most part a reflection of our very nature on a grander scale.  In short, they were all a bunch of horny bastards raping women left and right because they could, with every masculine trait of lust and power that every man in his own right aspires to own.  But they also possessed every flaw a man can have, being susceptible to deception, greed, and competitiveness between each other.  Every man in some sense aspires to be his own God, a probable Alpha Male affect that evolved with us from our days as hunter/gatherers.  Hence our continued need to come up with or read about these fantastic stories.

But its the monsters we love here.  And for me personally, the idea of escaping back to the days when the world was still an unexplored mystery and laying siege to every dark corner of the earth on the back of something like a dragon or a winged giant doodlebopper turtle-thingy, while shooting lightning and fireballs from my extremities (all of them :wink:) is a very crazy, yet tantalizing one.  Hence my interest in mythology.     

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