Meaning and Function of Myths in Different Religions - Essay Example

Functional myths stipulate the things that should and shouldn’t be done, and the repercussions for those wrongdoings.  This myth also tries to discourage being lazy. They show both sides of the human mind; the bad side and the good side.  Structural myths also depict the divided self and the duality of human being nature.  Psychological myths are based on human emotions that come from the human unconscious mind. Cultures in the world had similar questions, fears, and wishes that were unexplainable to them. Ritual theories are based on the idea that all myths are rituals. Any myth derives from a ritual or is at least closely associated with a ritual.

From my analysis, Rational Myth theory is most helpful in understanding the meaning and function of myths in different religions. This is because different religions have different beliefs and in this theory, we can see the god and goddesses are the main forces. From the given two case studies of the myths, the Enuma Elish and the Moses story from the Bible, the rational myth theory could be applied to the issue of creation and the birth of Moses respectively. It appears that man created myths with reason. Some of such reasons include explaining the natural events and forces, explaining the unknown, showing the duality and pureness of the human mind and human nature, and helping societies maintain order and remain stable.  But there must be more reasons exactly why myths should have arisen. Read More