MYTHIC Origin Stories

Origin stories are mythic narratives of how the cosmos came into being. Common motifs include the universe changing from a state of shapelessness into form, such as stories of the origins of the sun, the moon, the stars and the earth, and also of deities, life, animals and humankind. Traditional origin stories are often linked to mythical and also real places, such as caves, mountains, rivers, etc. Importantly, they are also stories of the origins of cultures from a perspective within the culture itself.

Many familiar traditional origin stories existed in a complex evolutionary cultural context long before they were transcribed. In all human cultures, story-telling traditions are inexorable from broader cultural and arts traditions. The artistic context through which stories are transmitted is significant. Scholars rely heavily on early literary and ethnographic records as sources of information about ancient origin stories. These same records attest that stories were transmitted through traditional artistic mediums such as poetry, songs, dances, and plays, the elements of which are deeply rooted in cultural heritage, symbolism, and language. Furthermore, they regularly provide instructions that are reflected in behaviors, ceremonies, subsistence, materials, and iconography and in the organization of the societies to which they belong. 

Origin stories & story-telling traditions elucidate cultural heritage, worldview, identity, and ethos (Rulf, 2022). 

“Story is the vehicle for sharing traditional knowledge and passing it from one generation to the next... its purposes include sharing information, lessons in morality, confirming identity and telling experiences of people” (Fixico, Donald L. 2003. The American Indian Mind in a Linear World. New York, London: Routledge).
 

Mythic origin stories are, “…cultural metaphors of our relationship with place…,” that articulate a, “moral landscape,” that is, they transmit cultural values along with instructions for living in relation to the world, (Salmon, 2008. cited in Nelson, Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future; pp: 100-101).

“Origin stories give meaning to existence, define codes of morals, and bond societies together”(Gandy, S. Kay & Kathleen Matthew. 2010. Origin Stories: Geography, Culture, and Belief. Social Studies and the Young Learner 22 (4); pp. 25–28. National Council for the Social Studies).

Many scientific disciplines can be applied to the analysis of origin stories, including, but not limited to anthropology, cosmology, psychology, history, and linguistics. 

Anthropology

Multidisciplinary study of humans and culture, including the classic sub-disciplines of biology, archaeology, ethnography, and linguistics. 

Cosmology
“The science of the origin and development of the universe.”
 

Psychology
“The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context.”
 

History
“The study of past events, particularly in human affairs.”
 

Linguistics
“…study of language and its structure.” Relevant sub-disciplines include sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics and historical-comparative linguistics. 

Definitions from Oxford and Merriam-Webster.