- To begin, introduce yourself to your peers. In your post, please include some personal information about yourself and tell why you are taking this course and what you hope to get out of it.
- Select one (1) of the neolithic cultures you learned about during this week’s lesson and discuss the impact of myths within that chosen culture. What do you think the role of myths serves in our modern belief systems, whether that being secular or religious? Justify your response.
Explore
Neolithic societies and myths
- Chapter 1 (pp. 6-8. 18-23, 29), myths in prehistory and early cultures
- Ancient myths in regions around the globe at http://www.windows2universe.org/mythology/worldmap_new.html and http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/.
Template for Week 1 Discussion:- do not include the instructions in parenthesis in the written portion of your answer. These are instructions for each section. Please fill in each section with your own research and words:
Please copy and paste template: Fill in template, copy and paste to Blackboard (please no attachments are allowed in discussion area, those using tablets or phones cannot open attachments, therefore unable to read or comment on your post.) Minimum of 125 Words
Hello classmates and Dr C, here is my main post for the Week 1 Discussion
The function of myth is:
- (For this section discuss the ‘why’ of myths? Why do cultures have them (all cultures do)? What purpose does myth have? Do they teach important cultural lessons to a people? Do they help identify a ‘specialness’ to a culture? Do they help explain phenomena that a culture cannot explain? Are myths useful in bonding a group together? Feel free to discuss any or all of these concepts in your answer)
One example of Neolithic myths are:
- (For this section please refer to pages 18 to 23 in the textbook. Remember, I am looking for Neolithic myths here, so not the Greeks or Romans (they are not Neolithic cultures). Give me some examples here, explain what the myth is. Here are a few from the chapter that you might want to discuss)
- The myth of the San people of Zimbabwe (page 18). Remember to always write these in your own words. Do not simple copy and paste from the text or any other source
- The creation myth of the Maidu tribe of California (page 19)
- The emergence tale of the Pueblo (page 21)
- The creation story of ancient Japan (page 22)
- Choose one of these and describe the myth in some detail.
Are myths inherently fictional or not?
- (Tell me in this section whether you believe myths are just made up, or if you think they started with some true event and then over time became these legendary stories)
An example of a modern myth is:
- Please go online and search “your state Myths’ For Instance “Utah Myths” or “Texas Myths”…….Pick one and describe it… Please go a little deeper than broken mirrors, the Easter Bunny, Santa Clause or fairy tales.