Understanding the Means whereby Mythology and its Interpretation Integrate with Key Concepts of Life and its Lessons - Essay Example

As such, the four functions can be described in the following way: to instill awe in the mysteries of life, to seek to give an explanation of the natural world or natural order of things, to validate and support customs and/or beliefs of various societies, and lastly to provide guidelines to the means whereby life can be lived in a more complete or expeditious/noble manner. Though not all cultures share the same myths, belief systems, or interpretations of life and divinity, all cultures mythology coalesce with such an interpretation of the four functions of their own mythology.

The first of these functions is necessarily that of seeking to instill a sense of awe in the mystery of life or of the earth. With relation to the story of Hector and Achilles explicated by Homer in the Iliad, one can readily note the means by which the core and underlying motivator of fate seek to define the lives of both heroes. By early in the story integrating with such a strong and overarching belief system, the reader is made aware of the fact that the mythology is predicated on the belief that fate is not just a concept but a reality in which all individuals must appreciate at the risk of reaping the sour grapes of hubris against the gods.

The second function of mythology is that of the means by which it seeks to give an explanation to the world. Such an explanation is not always in the form of guidelines or an object lesson from which the reader is made aware at the end of the story; rather, this often is explicated within the myth as a type of overarching rubric under which all life must exist. For instance, with regards to Homer’s Iliad, the reader can understand that the nature of the world which was being defined was fabricated upon warfare and honor; however, the conflict within the myth came to a head with the understanding how honor should be expressed and what was the more noble virtue.

Similarly, the third function of the myth is to validate and/or support certain societal customs or religious beliefs. This forms the backbone for the purpose in which the myth was created in the first place as it serves to explicate the means by which the reader/listener can and should integrate with the story which is being expounded.