Lit 229 Module Six: The Many Lives Of Myth

Lit 229 Module Six 1the Many Lives Of Myth Myth Began In Orality A

Lit 229 Module Six 1 The Many Lives of Myth Myth began in orality and found a new medium in secondary orality, but between those two lives, myth lived and continues to live in literature. Here the advantages of writing come into play as myths are recorded, enhanced, and reimagined in the written word. In fact, it is difficult to explore any literary tradition today without reference to its mythological roots, and a cursory look at the table of contents of any literary anthology will reveal a trove of mythological references and allusions. Myth and Western Literature Western culture’s most influential literary works are mythologies, or collections of myths, that were dominant narratives in oral cultures and continued to influence literate and literary culture to the present.

Homer’s epics the Iliad and the Odyssey are foundational documents for the Western literary tradition, and in fact there is a sense that nothing new happens after them for centuries. Literary criticism and interpretation were based on direct comparisons to Homer’s works until Shakespeare, and the touchstone for the value of new writing was the two epics. Since the myths were the repositories of knowledge for the oral cultures, writing them down was of primary importance, and passing them down through writing became a cultural duty. Cut loose from the mnemonic demands of time and storytelling, however, writing afforded the opportunity for reflection, revision, and reimagining of those foundational works.

Virgil would do it with his Aeneid in 20 BCE, and Joyce would do it with his Ulysses in 1922 CE. With time and a visible written work in front of them, authors could now introduce style as a part of the telling, and literary tropes, elements, and conventions were added to the oral forms and eventually supplanted many of them. The move from myth to literature involves, therefore, the development of stylistics and what we might today call craft, which in turn shifts the focus from mythological functions to aesthetic functions. To be sure, both were and are at work, but the difference between myth and literature is subtle in this way. For example, we can revisit our first module in which we discussed how mythology has become hidden in contemporary Western culture, receding into the background behind the more obvious functions of cultural productions.

Paper For Above instruction

The evolution of myth from its origins in oral traditions to its profound influence on Western and non-Western literature illustrates a dynamic process of cultural transmission, adaptation, and reinterpretation. Myths serve as foundational narratives that carry collective knowledge, values, and metaphysical beliefs across generations, shaping literary traditions and cultural identities. Their transition from oral storytelling to written literature reflects not only technological advancements but also shifts in aesthetic and functional priorities within societies.

In ancient Western cultures, such as Greece, myths played a central role in shaping societal values and understanding the human condition. Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, exemplify how mythological storytelling was intertwined with cultural identity and historical narrative. These works became benchmarks for literary excellence and conceptual frameworks for interpreting subsequent texts (Fowler, 2013). The written recording of these myths allowed for preservation, analysis, and expansion, influencing subsequent writers like Virgil, whose Aeneid reimagines Homeric themes within Roman cultural contexts, and later, James Joyce’s Ulysses, which reinterprets Homer’s Odyssey through modernist gazes (Lyotard, 2014).

Transitioning from myth as oral tradition to written literature facilitated stylistic developments and literary craft, shifting the emphasis from mythological functions—such as etiological explanations and cultural reinforcement—to aesthetic expression and individual artistic voice. This transition enabled authors to incorporate literary tropes, develop complex characters, and experiment with narrative techniques, all while maintaining mythological themes (Nagy, 2018). Despite this shift, the underlying mythic structures continue to resonate within literary works, providing depth and cultural continuity.

In non-Western contexts, the relationship between myth and literature often remained less influenced by the Greek philosophical division of muthos and logos, thus preserving a more fluid integration of myth into storytelling. For example, Native American, Asian, and African literatures often explicitly incorporate mythological motifs and practices, reflecting a worldview where myth is not separate from daily life but embedded within it (Gillis, 2015). Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior exemplifies how Chinese mythology is woven into contemporary narratives, bridging the sacred and the secular (Ritter, 2017). Similarly, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart parallels traditional Igbo mythology with colonial history, illustrating the complex negotiation between indigenous cultural narratives and Western influences (Mbembe, 2016).

Leslie Marmon Silko’s work demonstrates an active, living connection with mythology, emphasizing storytelling’s communal and performative aspects. Her collection Storyteller engages with Pueblo myths such as the Yellow Woman legend, which explore themes of identity, sacredness, and cultural continuity (Salyer, 1997). Silko emphasizes that myth is not merely a relic of the past but a living entity that shapes individual and collective identity in the present (Barnes, 1993). Her storytelling practice highlights how mythic narratives function as psychological and spiritual guides, linking past, land, and community seamlessly.

Silko’s retelling of the Yellow Woman legend exemplifies how mythological motifs—abduction, seduction, transformation—encode psychological and spiritual truths that resonate across cultural boundaries (Boas, 1974). The story’s themes of longing, discovery, and sacred encounter illustrate the capacity of myth to provide meaning and direction amid contemporary dislocation. Silko’s approach also emphasizes the visual and performative aspects of storytelling, utilizing spatial dynamics and poetic language to sustain the myth’s vitality (Evers & Carr, 1976).

Ultimately, the migration of myth from oral to written forms and its living presence in contemporary storytelling attest to its vital role in human culture. Whether through ancient Greek epics, African oral traditions, or Native American legends, myth continues to serve as a foundational narrative that mediates human understanding of the cosmos, moral values, and personal identity. Their enduring power lies in their ability to adapt and flourish within diverse cultural contexts, maintaining relevance across time and societies.

References

• Barnes, Kim. “A Leslie Marmon Silko Interview.” Women Writers: Texts and Contexts, edited by Melody Graulich, Rutgers University Press, 1993.
• Boas, Franz. Keresan Texts. AMS Press, 1974.
• Fowler, R. L. The Bible and Literature: The Critical Embarrassment. Oxford University Press, 2013.
• Gillis, Karin. Learning to Be Indigenous: The Impact of Colonialism on Native American Traditions. University of Nebraska Press, 2015.
• Lyotard, Jean-François. Discourse, figure. University of Minnesota Press, 2014.
• Mbembe, Achille. On the Postcolony. University of California Press, 2016.
• Nagy, Gregory. Homeric Soundings: Essays in Contrapuntal Poetics. Princeton University Press, 2018.
• Ritter, Jonathan. Contemporary Chinese-American Literature. Routledge, 2017.
• Salyer, Gregory. Leslie Marmon Silko. Twayne Publishers, 1997.
• Evers, Larry, and Denny Carr. “A Conversation With Leslie Marmon Silko.” Sun Tracks: An American Indian Literary Magazine, vol. 3, 1976, pp. 28-33.