Mythology Academic Vocabulary

A myth is a legend or story about the beliefs, religions, desires, and other aspects of a culture. An example of a myth is the story of Alpheus and Arethusa from Greek mythology.

A hero is a universal archetypal individual with a unique characteristic and a major flaw who goes on a journey. A hero in Greek mythology is Atalanta.

The hero journey is the cyclical path a hero follows from call to adventure, through initiation, journey, and final battle, to rebirth and boon. A hero journey from Egyptian mythology is the path of Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, who conquered the evil Set, but had to set him free.

Universal means applying to any and all persons. A universal occurrence in everyone's life is birth. A universal symbol in mythology is the sun god.

An archetype is an original model or first example of something. An archetypal being in Mesopotamian mythology is Tiamat, the mother earth, or mother goddess. There are three archetypal images of creation: the egg, the watery abyss, and darkness, or nothing. There are three archetypal heroes: the human, the trickster, and the cultural hero.

Cyclical means recurring, or a description of something whose beginning and end are equivalent. The hero journey is an example of something cyclical.

Duality refers to something having equal and opposite parts. Humanity's two genders, male and female, are examples of duality. Isis and Osiris are dual components.

Creation is the invention or making of something. An example of a creation myth is the Enuma elish from Mesopotamian mythology.

Cosmology is the study of the universe. Myths could be considered a primitive form of cosmology.

Life out of death refers to reincarnation, the circle of life, and the sacrifice of something or someone for another. Real life examples include forest fires and food. The death of Tiamat led to the creation of the earth and sky.

Matriarchal means female-based, or female-dominated, and is often used to refer to societies where the women are the most important figures in the culture and household. A matriarchal society in the Enuma elish occurs before Tiamat, the mother earth, dies.

Patriarchal means male-based, or male-dominated, and is often used to refer to societies where the men are the most important figures in the culture and household. Father Sky is a patriarchal figure. A patriarchal society from Egyptian mythology occurs when Osiris rules the Upper and Lower Kingdoms of Egypt.

A sacrifice is something given up, or forfeited, often for the good of society or a group larger than one's self. An example of sacrifice from Jewish mythology is the sacrificial lamb, a pure, perfect lamb that is sacrificed in the place of humans in the Torah.