I must say that creating my own myth is just as fun as studying myth. I truly enjoy mythology. It offers such imagination and intrigue. Much of the mythology I have read has been required by school, but these sttories and the ones I have read on my own have all been entertaining. It is a treat to learn of so many interpretations, beliefs, stories of the same thing (e.g. creation of the world or people). Yet, this vast number of creation myths is understandable considering the numerous religions and beliefs that fill our world.
I believe the best part of creating one's own myth is the artistic freedom one is able to work with. There are no restrictions such as form or meter that may hinder one's creativity. I say this because I feel writing in specific poetic forms is difficult. For some odd reason even free verse seems restrictive to me. Yet when creating myth one may speak openly and freely for it is one's own.
If creating myth has any influence on the study of myth it is a positive influence. Creating myth certainly enhances the study of myth. I do not believe mythology needs any enhancing as is but it sure is fun dreaming up a myth on one's own. If I am to take anything away from this assignment to aid in my teaching of mythology it would be that one story has many different versions and it is important not necessarily to know them but to be aware of their existance.
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Hi Frankie,
ReplyDeleteLike you, I think one of the things that I enjoy the most about reading myths is exploring the different interpretations and stories created about the same phenomena. I also think that studying these differences enable us to become aware of the different cultures and religions that have created them. I think emphasizing this aspect of myths in a classroom setting would help students understand the importance of purpose and audience of a myth.
I think the creative freedom you felt creating your myth website would definitely extend to the students in a classroom. I do believe that asking students to break free from conventional formats, like poetry or essays, will inspire them to gain a new sense of ownership of their work, as you yourself felt while creating your myth website.
I also agree that teaching awareness in the classroom is vital. I would definitely focus on the various ways in which a myth is told, but I would mainly focus on the context in which it was written in order to constitute its author’s/authors’ goal and purpose.