What Does it All Mean!?

What did he SAY??

Myth: Cultural Globalization?

Due to the compelling commentary, I feel the need to examine a little more in depth; where and how all these similarities come about!  Throughout religion and myth, similarities in the stories occur; so what is it that causes these similarities? Is it indeed just coincidence? Is it a divine force that inspires the stories authors? Is it perhaps truth, or at least the adaptation of truth? Or is it just collections of stories from all over the world that are adapted and changed to suit the current culture? When considering this it may be beneficial to think about how ideas, stories and beliefs are spread today.

It is typically ruled out, due to the laws of possibility - especially considering the odd nature of the subject - that the similarities in myth (including early biblical stories) are just coincidences. Some theists may point at a divine force; not necessarily in the sense of the muses as in Homer and Hesiod, but of a divine force at one time “Not only is the Myth the explanation of the rite, it is at the same time, in part at least, the explanation of god…worshipers will not proceed one step without authority. And who is their authority? Well, the oldest tribesman within his memory. And so the tradition goes back and back…and it ends, as a thousand instances show…in a divine founder” (Raglan, 1955). The theory is that the idea had to come from somewhere; these stories, all containing gods and divine beings, had to originate from some truth. So, whether it be Homer, Moses, Jesus or Hesiod, or more likely someone far, far, back in history, someone had to have this interaction with the divine.

This theistic idea then blends two theories together. It suggests the origin of myth is God, but it also suggests that these stories originate from a similar source, the latter which applies whether it is God who is the originator or real events. This would provide a very clear understanding for why so many similarities are seen in myths and religions, especially in a day when the written word was non-existent! Can you imagine what would happen to a Chinese-whisper that lasted for thousands of years? Similarities would most likely be seen in the end, but some vast differences would most likely have arisen; just like myths and religions. This may be a good time to take a look at our world, present day, to see how ideas in our time spread.

We live in a world with over 31,000 McDonalds in over 120 countries. We have Christianity, through to the European football league, being worshipped by people in the middle of Africa; Hollywood celebrities who are known in more countries in the world than can be imagined. Does that mean we assume them to be coincidence? Or divinely intended? Of course not! We have explanations for these things, we have migration, technology, globalisation; but are they the same all over the world? In n McDonalds you have the Chicken McNuggets and the McChicken, but then you have the McVeggie and the Chicken Maharaja Mac. Why these similarities and why the differences? The similarities are easy to explain, they originate from a similar source; but then why the difference? It may also be fairly simple; culture. The majority of Indians are Hindu, they do not eat cow, so cultural adaptations are made; new facets are added and some removed to fit into the culture it resides in.

Christianity is another example. From historical evidence it arose from a single source and from this source, many different sects of Christianity has arisen. From the Zion Christian Church in Africa to the Conservative Protestant Christianity (who gave rise to the Ku Klux Klan) in America. As the religion was spread over the world through multiple means it encountered differing cultures and in these cultures it adapted. The religions share many similarities, but also very many differences, differences that allow it to fit into varying cultures. Now imagine this in another two thousand years, or more, and imagine there being no textual way to pass on the stories, or evidence of origin; they are almost unrecognizable now!

Our world today has gone mad with technology, and with it has come the cultural globalisation of thousands of things. It has allowed migration in the millions per year, telecommunication by the billions and because of this we have so many examples of similar ideas, originating from one source, seen around the world, that vary due to culture. I believe it is perfectly reasonable to apply this to the ideas of past stories and mythologies. Due to similarities seen throughout, it is reasonable to assume that Myth, be it biblical, Greek or Babylonian, arose from a shared source. This great story (truth or not) was then spread throughout cultures around the world, from the likes of travellers, art and migration. The stories were adapted to suit as it met differing cultures and in different times much like the Chicken Maharaja Mac, and due to oral repetition being the spreading tool of these stories, the differences or origins could become easily enlarged and dramatized. So unless some amazing discoveries are made, the original source will most likely never be known, but I think it is fair to assume that the Christian Bible and Greek Myth share, at least some common history.

Raglan, L. (1955). Myth and ritual. Journal of American Folklore, 68(270), 454-461.