Comprehensive Mythology & Folktale Analysis: Definitions, Theories, and Archetypes

Mythos

Greek for "story" or "tale"; refers to traditional narrative.

Logos

Greek for "word," "reason," or rational explanation; contrasts with mythos.

Myth

A traditional narrative with collective importance, sometimes relating to gods or origins.

True Myth (Myth Proper)

Stories about gods, creation, and cosmological questions; modern analogue = science.

Legend (Saga)

Stories focused on heroes in a real-world past; modern analogue = history.

Folktale (Märchen)

Stories of ordinary people involving magic, wonders, and entertainment.

Folktale Types

Based on common narrative structures and characters across cultures.

Motif

Small narrative unit within folktales that repeats across stories and cultures.

Motifemes

Propp's term for functional narrative units that appear in fixed sequence.

Vladimir Propp

Russian folklorist who identified 31 motifemes and structural sequence in folktales.

Aitia (Etiology)

Myth that explains the cause or reason for a ritual, custom, or natural phenomenon.

Etiological Interpretation

Approach that views myths as explanations of origins or causes.

Euhemerus

Scholar who argued that myths derive from real historical figures later deified.

Euhemerism

Interpretation that gods were originally human heroes elevated to divine status.

Rationalism

Approach interpreting myths as errors, misunderstandings, or exaggerated real events.

Xenophanes

6th-century BCE thinker who criticized anthropomorphic gods using rational analysis.

Allegory

Interpretation where story elements represent deeper symbolic meanings.

Theagenes

Early Greek allegorist who interpreted gods as natural forces (Apollo = fire).

Physical Allegory

Interpretation seeing gods/events as representations of natural elements.

Moral Allegory

Interpretation reading stories as moral lessons or ethical teachings.

Psychological Allegory

Interpretation mapping stories to aspects of the human psyche.

Sigmund Freud

Psychoanalyst who viewed myth as dream-like expressions of repressed desires.

Oedipus Complex

Freud's theory: unconscious attraction to opposite-sex parent and rivalry with same-sex parent.

Dream-work

Freud's idea of how latent content becomes symbolic dream imagery.

Condensation (Dream-work)

Multiple ideas/images compressed into one symbol.

Displacement (Dream-work)

Emotion transferred from important object to a safe symbol.

Representation (Dream-work)

Abstract thoughts expressed symbolically in images.

Collective Dream

Freud's framing of myth as shared cultural dream material.

Carl Jung

Analytical psychologist who saw myths as expressions of the collective unconscious.

Collective Unconscious

Jungian idea: inherited layer of psyche shared across humanity containing archetypes.

Archetypes

Jung's universal, recurring symbolic images (e.g. Hero, Mother, Trickster).

Divine Child (Archetype)

Symbol of potential, beginning, and rebirth.

Earth Mother (Archetype)

Symbol of fertility, nourishment, and creation.

Wise Old Man (Archetype)

Symbol of wisdom, insight, and guidance.

Shadow (Archetype)

Repressed aspects of the self; dark double or hidden desires.

Anima

Jung's archetype: feminine element within male psyche.

Animus

Jung's archetype: masculine element within female psyche.

Electra Complex

Jungian/Psychoanalytic term for female attachment to father and rivalry with mother.

Claude Lévi-Strauss

Anthropologist who analyzed myth through structural relations and binary oppositions.

Structuralism

Approach treating myths as systems of relationships rather than standalone stories.

Binary Oppositions

Structuralist pairs (life/death, raw/cooked, nature/culture) that structure mythic thought.

Myth as Language (Structuralism)

Idea that meaning comes from relationships between elements, not the elements alone.

Walter Burkert

Scholar blending structuralism with historical context; saw myth as traditional tale with collective function.

Burkert's Thesis 1

Myths are traditional tales with variations, handed down orally.

Burkert's Thesis 2

Myths operate on multiple levels (ritual, sociological, psychological).

Burkert's Thesis 3

Myths reflect historical experiences and biological constraints.

Burkert's Thesis 4

Myths serve both individual and collective needs.

Anthropomorphism

Attributing human traits or form to gods, animals, or objects.

Heinrich Schliemann

Archaeologist who excavated Troy and Mycenae linking Greek myth to Bronze Age sites.

Sir Arthur Evans

Archaeologist who excavated Knossos discovering the Minoan civilization.

Minoan Civilization

Bronze Age culture on Crete with palace centers, maritime power, and bull iconography.

Mycenaean Civilization

Greek-speaking Bronze Age society with warrior elites and palatial centers.

Linear B

Script used by Mycenaean bureaucracies; deciphered as early Greek.

Michael Ventris

Scholar who deciphered Linear B in the 1950s.

Cosmogony

Myth describing the creation or origin of the universe.

Theogony

Myth describing the birth and genealogy of gods.

Hesiod

Archaic Greek poet; author of Theogony and Works & Days.

Chaos

In Hesiod: yawning void from which cosmos emerged; in Ovid: disorderly mass.

Gaia (Earth)

Primordial goddess representing earth; mother of Titans and other beings.

Tartarus

Primordial abyss beneath earth; also prison for Titans.

Eros

Primordial force of sexual desire, generative power.

Uranus (Sky)

Sky god; father of Titans; overthrown by Cronus.

Hieros Gamos

Sacred marriage between earth and sky deities (e.g. Gaia + Uranus).

Cronus

Titan who overthrew Uranus; later overthrown by Zeus.

Succession Myth

Pattern where one generation replaces another (Uranus→Cronus→Zeus).

Rhea

Titaness; mother of Olympians; saves Zeus from being swallowed.

Omphalos

Stone placed at Delphi marking world's navel; Cronus swallowed it thinking it was Zeus.

Titanomachy

Battle between Olympians and Titans; ends with Titans in Tartarus.

Hecatonchires

Hundred-Handers; allies of Zeus in Titanomachy.

Gigantomachy

Battle between Olympian gods and Giants; requires Heracles' help.

Giants

Children of Gaia born from Uranus' blood; fight Olympians.

Typhon (Typhoeus)

Monstrous challenger of Zeus; reflects Near Eastern storm-god combat myths.

Atlas

Titan condemned to hold up the sky after Titanomachy.

Oceanids

Sea nymph daughters of Oceanus and Tethys.

Helios

Sun god who drives solar chariot across sky.

Selene

Moon goddess who drives lunar chariot; associated with Endymion.

Eos (Aurora)

Goddess of Dawn; pursues mortal lovers.

Phaëthon

Son of Helios who loses control of sun chariot; explains climatic/natural disasters.

Endymion

Mortal beloved by Selene; granted eternal sleep and youth.

Tithonus

Mortal lover of Eos granted immortality without youth; becomes shriveled/cicada-like.

Global migration

Global migration refers to the large-scale movement of people across borders for reasons such as work, education, safety, family reunification, or economic opportunities. Example: Students moving from India to Canada for university.

Culture

Culture is a shared system of meaning including values, beliefs, behaviors, communication styles, and worldview. It guides how people interpret the world. Example: attitudes toward authority or holiday practices.

Culture & Identity

Culture shapes identity by influencing one's sense of belonging, worldview, and social roles. Example: cultural beliefs shaping gender roles.

Culture is learned

Culture is transmitted socially through family, school, peers, and media rather than inherited biologically.

Culture is shared

Culture is collectively held by groups, forming shared meanings and practices such as holidays, cuisine, and language.

Culture is dynamic

Culture changes due to globalization, migration, technology, and generational shifts.

Dodd's Model of Culture

A layered model showing how history, identity, values, beliefs, and communication patterns interact to shape cultural behavior.

Inner core of culture

The inner core includes history, identity, beliefs, values, and worldview which drive outward behavior. Example: religious beliefs influencing family structure.

Intercultural exchange & leadership

Intercultural exchange improves leadership by developing adaptability, inclusive decision-making, and communication skills for multicultural teams.

Value of intercultural competence

Intercultural competence reduces misunderstandings, improves collaboration, and supports global business success.

High-context cultures

Cultures where meaning relies on nonverbal cues, implicit messages, and shared history; communication is indirect. Examples: Japan, China, Arab cultures.

Low-context cultures

Cultures where communication is explicit, clear, and direct, relying on verbal information rather than context. Examples: US, Canada, Germany.

High vs low context misunderstandings

Misunderstandings occur because high-context speakers expect implicit understanding, while low-context speakers expect detailed clarity.

Hofstede's cultural dimensions

A framework explaining cultural differences using power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence.

Power distance

Degree to which societies accept unequal power distribution. Example: High = Malaysia, Low = Denmark.

Individualism vs collectivism

Individualism prioritizes autonomy and personal goals; collectivism prioritizes group harmony and shared goals.

Uncertainty avoidance

Degree to which societies feel discomfort with ambiguity and take measures to reduce risk. Example: High = Greece, Low = Singapore.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified generalizations about cultural groups that can lead to misunderstanding and prejudice.

Ethnocentrism

Evaluating other cultures through one's own cultural lens, often assuming one's own culture is superior.

Language barrier

Miscommunication due to differences in language, idioms, slang, or translation.