Re: The limits of Myth (was Apple Pie and Characteristic Mythology?)

From: Mike Demetro <punkabilly_at_...>
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 02:43:55 -0500


> The basic campaign question is, how far can a myth be wrong before it
> becomes useless? How far can the structures of a myth be played with
before
> its basic thread collapses?
> In one sense, (theistic) Glorantha is composed of mythemes. The world is
> made of story. Myths aren't just vehicles for defining and constraining
> social meanings, they are in some sense the basic patterns of being, the
> laws that shape the world. Mythology is the art of meaning, and devotion
is the turning of
> meaning into action.
> Heortlings don't seem to have trouble with competing or conflicting
> versions of myths, and have never seen a need to institute central
> religious authorities to guide and legimitise religious and mythic
> expression the way the Darra Happan and western churches and centralised
> cults do. Their criteria, as I note in the article, is whether or not the
rites associated
> with the myths *work* - whether the yellow grubs stay away from the
lettuce
> or the ale doesn't go stale after four days. Their view of myth is
> extremely sophisticated, but it is *not* comparative/reductionist.

This whole message...

WOW. Truly an awe inspiring post.

Mike Demetro, Owner, The Guildhall Press, Canada www.guildhallpress.com guildhallpress_at_... www.trythegame.com punkabilly_at_...

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