What is Myth?

Why do we care about the gods and heroes of Greek myth? Why do these strange old stories mean so much to us? Together we’ll grapple with the theory behind myth itself and attempt answers to questions like why planets are named after gods, where myth comes from, why some stories are more interesting than others (is this true?) and whether or not a myth has to be false to be a myth. We will also look at the difference between myth, folktale, and legend, and the problems with interpreting myths in an oral tradition. Questions? drop me (Aaron) a line at [email protected] Chapters 0:00 -1:44 Intro 1:45 - 2:38 Modern definitions of myth. 2:39 - 4:26 Gods and planets. Myths are unverifiable. 4:27 - 5:42 Myths are human stories. 5:43 - 6:53 Anthropology: William Bascomb and myth. 6:54 - 8:13 Mythography and the context of Greek myth. 8:14 - 9:10 Homer and the context of Greek myth. 9:11 - 10:00 Authenticity, technology, and myth. 10:01 - 11:02 Folktale vs. legend vs. myth.