Resumo de Don?t Know Much About Mythology: Everything You Need To Know About The Greatest Stories In Human His

The author of Don?t Know Much About History introduces a new audience to some of the oldest tales known to mankind. Using a question and answer format, Davis discusses the ancient myths of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome, the Vikings, India, China, Japan, Sub-Saharan Africa, America and the Pacific Islands.The word myth is derived from mythos, the Greek word for story. A myth is a story presented as a historical explanation of some natural phenomenon, such as the creation of the world. Over the course of centuries, myths are told, retold and told anew. Different cultures borrow, reshape and retell stories to fit local ideas and agendas until the resulting saga bears little resemblance to the original tale.After explaining the subtle distinctions between a legend (fictitious story about a real person), a fable (brief fictitious story which teaches a moral), a folktale (fictitious story told solely for entertainment) and a fairytale (stories about common people who triumph over adversity often with magical or supernatural assistance); Davis discusses the major difference between mythology and religion. Religion is an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and worship practiced by a group of people. Mythology is more a projection of the soul of a culture.Anthropologists credit ancient Egypt with the development of the 365-day calendar, astronomy, geometry, and papyrus. Ironically, the oldest surviving Egyptian texts are carved in stone. Ancient Egypt was a theocracy, a place where religion and government were inseparably linked in the minds of rulers, priests and people. One of the oldest Egyptian myths claims that Ptah, patron of master craftsmen, created the world. The name Egypt is derived from the Greek pronunciation of the phrase 'Temple of the Spirit of Ptah'.The ancient Mesopotamians are credited with inventing the 7-day week, the 60-minute hour, the 360-degree circle and the oldest surviving epic poem (Gilgamesh). Several Mesopotamian tales seem to have mingled and merged with Biblical narratives such as the Garden of Eden, the Tower of Babel and the story of Noah.The myth of Romulus and Remus (twin sons of Mars, Roman god of war) is the tale which gave Rome its name. The Romans were warriors, more concerned with military prowess than mythical poetry. Essentially, they absorbed the cultural traditions of the people they conquered (most notably, the Greeks). The classical idea that society functions best if all of its citizens are equal, free to shape their lives and share in the running of their state (democracy) was first instituted circa 500 B.C. in the Greek city state of Athens. Modern studies of biology, epic poetry, physics, philosophy and theology were essentially invented by the Greeks.The ancient Celts, Native American and Pacific Islander tribes shared a common ideology that viewed man as an integral part of the natural world. When Man and nature were in harmony, Paradise was achieved. When Man and nature were in conflict, Chaos resulted. Ancient Chinese myths placed more emphasis on human ingenuity than divine intervention. The two Chinese philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism (both introduced around 500 B.C.E.) shaped China's history, government and culture more than any myth or religious belief. Emphasizing social order, loyalty to family and king and ancestor worship, Confucianism is a moral code of proper behavior designed to achieve an ideally gentle world in which every individual has a place within the family and every family has a place within society. Taoism stresses the importance of individuals living simply and close to nature.

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