Why Do Humans Create Myths? (ritual, moral, Earth, scriptures)

[Sunstone]

Why do humans create myths? What makes us create something like the myth of Gilgamesh, the Odessy, or Noah's Flood?

[Hema]

Why do you think all these are myths? Hinduism also has a story about a flood.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by Hema

Why do you think all these are myths? Hinduism also has a story about a flood.

Let's assume they're myths for the purposes of this thread. That way, we won't get off topic. So, why do humans create myths? (Obviously, even if you think the Flood stories are not myths, there are some stories that are myths: Why do humans create those?)

[Hema]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Let's assume they're myths for the purposes of this thread. That way, we won't get off topic. So, why do humans create myths? (Obviously, even if you think the Flood stories are not myths, there are some stories that are myths: Why do humans create those?)

In Hinduism, some of the scriptures which are known as Puranic scriptures have myths in them, but they are shaped around the truth. Puranic scriptures were written by human beings as opposed to the Vedas which was divine knowledge revealed from God directly to the first sages on earth. Some of the Puranas have myths in them because in the days when the Moguls were ruling India, the Hindus changed some of the incidents in their books so it would seem as though they were sort of like stories. The Moguls thought that their books were just stories and allowed the books to pass through. The original teachings were still in the books but were sort of hidden in a story format. For eg. Hanuman was an ideal devotee. He was portrayed as a monkey but in fact, he was a Vedic scholar.

[CDRaider]

People create myths to explain things they cannot. Or to remember things (lessons and such) that they find important.

Things like the whole chopping down the cherry tree is to surround people with a certian feeling of desire to do something.

I really feel that myths and ledgends are created to bring people together as a group whether it be religious or spiritual, patriotic or in arm, i think that they are things that are necissary to bind people to a common belief or way of thinking.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by CDRaider

People create myths to explain things they cannot. Or to remember things (lessons and such) that they find important.

Things like the whole chopping down the cherry tree is to surround people with a certian feeling of desire to do something.

I really feel that myths and ledgends are created to bring people together as a group whether it be religious or spiritual, patriotic or in arm, i think that they are things that are necissary to bind people to a common belief or way of thinking.

Exactly, they're a way to explain why things happen in the world, and remember moral lessons as well. Plus, they're fun stories to tell around the campfire

[koan]

I think myths are for people to believe in. However, some myths can be shown as guides and were probably never meant to be taken litteraly.

[standing_on_one_foot]

Because the world is untidy and we wish it were not.

[nutshell]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Why do humans create myths? What makes us create something like the myth of Gilgamesh, the Odessy, or Noah's Flood?

Whether events acutally happened or not is mostly irrlevant, IMO.

Myths are a culture's way of teaching some Truth to the members of the culture.

[Mr. Hair]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Why do humans create myths?

I suspect that in part it is myths that create humans.