Importance of myth and legends in history of indraprastha
Answers
Explanation:
MENU
What is the importance of myths and legends today and how do they impact readers of today?
print Print document PDF list Cite
Quick Answer
People still read myths and legends today because they often convey timeless and universal themes, which are relevant both in the art of storytelling and in portraying the human experience. Myths and legends also give insight into the values and perspectives of long gone cultures. Their stories offer clues to how these people lived and what kind of societies they inhabited. For this reason, myths and legends can also show what was different about human life when these stories originated and what has stayed the same.
Expert Answers info
LORRAINE CAPLAN eNotes educator | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
Myths and legends are important to us today for a number of reasons. They have value as literature, offering timeless and universal themes; they give us insight into other times and places; and they help us to see how much humankind had and has in common.
The themes of myths and legends are the same as those that are present in all great literature, just a few of which are man versus man, man versus nature, man versus the gods, man on a quest, family conflict, and coming of age. Most myths and legends include at least one of these great themes and often several. These are in the earliest "stories," the ancestors of all literature that we read today. Even aside from the beauty and creativity of these stories, which alone make them worthy of study, it enriches our study of literature today to see its earliest roots.
Every culture has its own mythology and legends and these reflect the geography of the culture, the values of the culture, and the history of the culture. Japanese creation myths, for example, reflect the fact that Japan is an island nation, and the sea and its creatures play an important part in these myths. Myths can also tell us what a culture considers ethical, significant, and central to its ideologies, giving us insight into another culture. A culture's myths, such as those of some Native Americans, tell us something about its history, the history of peoples that were hunters and gatherers, people whose governing forms did not sanction private ownership of land or disrespect the natural world. Each myth you read has something to tell you about another culture.
But in spite of the differences we see in various myths and legends, it is good to know that deep down, people are the same. We want to know how we came to be, we want to understand the natural world around us, and we yearn for some deity we can praise and blame.
Myths and legends should be part of our reading, never to be discarded as primitive, outdated, or unimportant. When I was a child, I was entranced and stimulated by the myths and legends read to me, and I, in turn, shared them with my children. I still maintain a large collection of myths from all over the world and still enjoy reading and sharing them.