MYTHPHILE: The Blog for Mythology Lovers

What Is Myth For? 

Joseph Campbell's Four Functions of Mythology

1. "Traditionally, the first function of a living mythology is to reconcile consciousness to the preconditions of its own existence; that is to say, to the nature of life." (Pathways to Bliss p. 3)

   Campbell points out that life basically depends on killing and eating life to exist, and this is a shock to the sentient mind. Many myths help people accept and come to grips with this fact. There are other horrible, almost incomprehensible truths of life: we are born, we die, we have sex. Myth lets us cope with those as well. Campbell points out that so-called "primitive" mythologies tend to encourage people to savor and embrace the incomprehensible and terrible wonders of being alive, whereas later mythologies, philosophies, and religions evolved strategies of self-denial, renunciation, asceticism, and a retreat from physical and natural reality. The most recent "spin" on function number 1 is to view the world as corrupt or damaged but redeemable, so we must through our actions and prayers fix it, heal it, reform it, help good win out against evil. (Pathways to Bliss p. 6) All are different strategies for helping us accept the world as it is.

2. "The second function of mythology is to present an image of the cosmos, an image of the universe round about, that will maintain and elicit [an] experience of awe. This function we may call the cosmological function." (Pathways to Bliss p. 7)
   

   In other words, mythology is a sort of proto-science that helps us make sense of the physical universe and explain, or at least identify, its parts and make-up. Often but not always, this kind of mythology includes a creation myth that tells how the universe got to be the way it is now.

3. "The third function of a mythological order is to validate and maintain a certain sociological system: a shared set of rights and wrongs, proprieties or improprieties, on which your particular social unit depends for its existence." (Pathways to Bliss p. 8)

   
   Living in a social group means surrendering some of your freedoms so that the whole group can work together. You agree not to take other people's possessions, or walk around buck naked (at least in western society). Mythology often provides reasons for these rules and habits. Retelling the myths reinforces and teaches these values and customs. Fortunately or unfortunately, our modern world has brought together diverse communities each with their own customs and values, and there are frequent clashes when myths that suited one small social group or community prove no longer adequate for larger, more pluralistic groups.

4. "Finally, the fourth function of mythology is psychological. The myth must carry the individual through the stages of his life, from birth through maturity to senility to death. The mythology must do so in accord with the social order of his group, the cosmos as understood by his group, and the monstrous mystery." (Pathways to Bliss p. 9).

   This function expands on the first: life being such and so, how do we live it? Myths share fantastic stories of birth, parental rejection, rites of passage, growing up, getting married, losing loved ones, growing old and dying. They provide patterns and models for us to consider as we experience these same phases of life. Our lives may not map to the fantastic episodes of myth, but at least those episodes let us explore and consider and feel the significance of those experiences and life changes.