Characteristics of Myth Myth 1. Definition of Myth

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2. Characteristics of Myth

Seeing from the existence of myth as an essential part of ancient stories, The New Book of Knowledge concludes myth into the following of four characteristics 15 : - Myths tend to be stories about Gods or supernatural beings, which have powers and abilities greater than those of humans. As what is stated on the previous definition of myth, this first characteristic reflects Jacob E. Safra explanation where the scope of myth is mostly concerned with ancient stories from Greece. They tend to tell about any extraordinary figures and events that are far from ordinary life. - Myths usually tell about events set in the very distant past, often in the period before, or just after, human first appeared on earth. This characteristic explains myth as a way to tell the events in a very ancient time. And the first people on earth experience these events as a way to understand and adapt themselves to the world. These people are with no doubt far from knowledge or any intelligence ability. So, the creation of this kind of story with myth inside it is not only used as a way for communication but also a lesson to share for the next generations. - Myths are frequently origin stories, explaining how the world or particular things within the world first came to be or how human customs and ways of life were first established. 15 The New Book of Knowledge Connecticut: Scholastic Library Publishing, Inc.,2004, p. 568. 25 As the result of how first people on earth try to understand and adapt to the world, there are particular things finally emerge and can be seen through stories. How customs and way of life from traditional people are also formed for the first time. This is the sign for myth as a function to warn people about things that are and are not allowed to do. It is especially occurred for how man treats the nature. - Myths are stories that were probably regarded as true and perhaps sacred by their original tellers. All the events and way of traditional people life that are described in stories considered as true and sacred. In each social group, the stories are then delivered through generations because the myth inside the stories guides them to get through the life. We can say now that myth and stories folklore and legend which used to be passed along orally is just one similar thing that can not be separated. Even though the basic meaning of myth is actually a form of thinking put in words, stories as the best media to deliver myth have successfully put myth as something equal to stories and more than just an element inside it. However, it can be seen very clearly how myth as the result of thought creates a sort of theme in each story. Myth could form how a story goes based on the main purpose of what the myth tries to deliver as a moral message. 26 For the first, it is definitely correct how folklore and legend mostly contain the values of goodness and local wisdom for people in life. 16 These stories always have a moral message that guide people from danger and consequences. For example, the theory of Oedipus Complexity in the field of psychology basically comes from traditional story where the romance relationship between a son and the mother is prohibited because it is morally not right. The second thing, myth in stories also serves people with advice and things that are forbidden to do in life. 17 All of these advices and warns for forbidden things are believed based on the taboo myth seen from the stories. Therefore, this kind of myth is often used by parents for teaching their children about things that they are allowed to do and things they are not allowed to do. For the last thing, myth is usually appeared in stories to teach people for preserving the nature and the environment where they live in. 18 This myth tries to avoid people from wasting and destroying nature. The preserve ness of animals is also included in this case. Stories with this kind of myth mostly describe the consequences that people may get if they disobey the rule and mistreat the nature. It indirectly offers a positive threat so people will obey the message in the stories and therefore keep the world where they live in safe. 16 Meluruskan Mitos. Online. http:www.pikiran- rakyat.comprprint.php?mib=beritadetailid=26163 . Accessed on July 15 th , 2009. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 27 In brief, a question that asks is all these myths deserved to be trusted or not is another problem outside from this discussion. The main point the writer tries to tell is even though these stories are doubted for existing with no touch of knowledge or intelligence, they eventually could give positive impacts to the life of people. The meaning behind all these myths basically try to teach people to appreciate what they have in life and all the elements inside the world. These myths are just simple thoughts from primitive society with huge and positive effects after all.

B. Mythology 1. Definition of Mythology