Four Functions of Myth

Heidi Wyman

2/14/08

Abstract:

This paper will discuss how the primary conflict between the Native Americans and Europeans was due to conflicting myth narratives. I will support this thesis with examples and information from James Wilson's, The Earth Shall Weep and interviews with Joseph Campbell. This is very important because it shows you where the two cultures varied in life style and beliefs.

Native Americans and Europeans have had many different conflicts. One the primary conflicts between these two cultures was due to conflicting myth narratives Myth narratives give you an idea about the lifestyle and culture of a civilization. Myths also provides you with the beliefs and rules of the culture. Joseph Campbell states that, "myths have four functions." The first is, "realizing what a wonder you are and what a wonder the universe is, and experiencing awe before this mystery." The second function of myth is, "cosmological dimension, the dimension with which science is concerned - showing you what the shape of the universe is but showing it in a way that the mystery again comes through." The third function of a myth is, "sociological, supporting and validating a certain social order." The fourth function of a myth is, "pedagogical, how to live a human lifetime under any circumstances." It does not take all of these functions to cause conflict between cultures, differences in any of these four functions could cause conflict conflict between the two cultures.

Campbell states that the first function of a myth is realizing what a wonder the universe is and what a wonder you are and experiencing awe before this mystery. This function is the only one out of the four functions that does not conflict. Both the Native Americans and Europeans used myth to explain the wonders and the unknowns of there worlds. A prime example of myths that exhibit this similarity, from the two cultures would be the creation myths. These provide stories that explain the greatest wonder and unknown of the world, how we got here. Native American tribes had a variety of different creation myths but they were all very similar. James Wilson provides a Native American creation myth that starts with an Old Man Above whom is called Chareya. Chareya lived in the sky and always wanted to reach the earth. He creates a hole in the sky and throws ice through the hole creating a pyramid. He uses this pyramid to climb down to earth. When the ice on the ground melts, Chareya bored with his finger into the earth planting and creating streams, animals and people. Chareya created the Grizzly bear of which caused him great fear. This fear made Chareya hollow out the pyramid to the sky and live the rest of his life in his tepee. This was very similar to the creation story of the Europeans. There story starts with God creating light on earth, creating day and night. God then creates the heavens above, earth and sea. God then creates birds and sea creatures and commands them to be fruitful and multiply. He then creates man, women and plants and animals for them to eat. These two myths show no conflict they both show one man creating with his own powers earth, man kind, creatures and nature. Both cultures saw the wonder in the universe and themselves and expressed this through their myth narratives.

The second function of myths is the cosmological dimension the dimension which science is concerned - showing you what the shape of the universe is but showing it in a such a way that they mystery again comes through. In other words, describing the meaning and significance of the universe; every corner, every rock, hill, stone and flower has its place and its meaning in the cosmological dimension. The Europeans had turned to the world of science to tell us the shape, significance and meaning of the universe. They wanted to know everything there was to know about the universe. During the period of Enlightenment, Europeans had been discovering news ways to examine the world through technology and science. They were creating a new way of living. They wanted to dissect all animals, examine all of nature and find out what it is made of and what its place in the universe was. The Native Americans were one with the land, their approach to the world was different they did not want to harm any part of there world. They saw themselves as the rock, the bluff, the pine tree, the shore and the water of which they were from. They were not interested in the scientific ways of examining the universe. This caused conflict between the two cultures. The Europeans wanted to progress, to innovate, improve their society and discover. The Native Americans were content with how they were living, they did not care to change or progress from where they were. The Europeans saw this as a set back of about six thousand years and the Native Americans did not want to change. Creating huge conflict between the two cultures.

Campbell states that the third function of myth is sociological, supporting and validating a certain social order. The social orders of the European and Native Americans were very different. The social order of Native Americans was very equal. Native Americans were firm believers in males and females having equal access to power in the supernatural world. Although they had equal power, men and women evaluated there status in different ways. A man could gain status by becoming a good hunter or providing his family with an abundance of meat and furs. A man can also gain status as a successful warrior and a higher status if he killed an enemy of captured a slave. Women gained status not by hunting or warfare but by bearing and raising children, growing a lot of crops and plants and finally a women could gain status by building and maintaining a comfortable home. Native American tribes usually had a chief, who's job was to keep order while staying on an equal status with his tribe, a sort of democracy. They worked to take care of their families and to get food for their families, they were never thinking of an economical society. This was a complete opposite of Europe, who still had but were moving away from feudalism and hierarchy. Europe had different classes, the nobles, merchants and peasants. People had their place in this ladder of hierarchy and it was impossible to change your status. The Nobles had power over both the merchants and the peasants. In the hierarchy, women were always seen below men. The Europeans society was based around their economy. They were excellent traders who could export and import goods and there major focus was to make money. This caused the greatest conflict between the Native Americans and the Europeans. The Europeans saw the Native Americans as very disorganized group of people who were very inefficient. The Europeans lived in a world of growth, progress and innovation. They were not impressed with the lack of innovation, progress and growth of the Native Americans. The second conflict between the two social orders was there levels of power. The Europeans were used to having power over each other, while the Native Americans were a very equal society. The difference between the social classes is by far the biggest conflict between the two cultures.

Campbell's last function of a myth is pedagogical, how to live a human lifetime under any circumstances. The culture you live in changes how a person lives their life, it changes how they think, deal with things and react. Culture teaches us how to pass into and live all the different stages of our life, from birth to childhood then maturing into adulthood and watching your own go through the same cycle and eventually reaching our death. Both cultures provide myths of how to live human life under any circumstance. The Native American culture was one with their environment, they respected it and others around them, seeing them all as equals. They lived off the land and taught their children how to live with only the necessities of life. They were taught by their elders of which they had very high respect for. They were taught of their ancestors and all the stories of their place. The Native Americans taught us that you can live without the technology and science that the Europeans had. Native Americans also lived in cyclical time. They lived in a cycle, they lived their lives the same and never wanted to change. Day by day they lived the same cycle, never progressing. A view of time very different from the Europeans. The European culture had many differences. They revolved around there economy and their science. They taught their children not of how they got there but how to invent and progress to a more material future. They wanted their children to be able to maintain their economy and structure once they were gone. Europeans lived in linear time, they lived for progress and future. Their view of time was very progressive you never moved back you had to keep going. A view of time very different from the Native Americans. These two life circumstances cause both cultures to respond differently towards each other, causing them conflict. The Europeans wanted the Native Americans to change while the Native Americans were content with how they were living. The third difference between the two life circumstances was there view of time. The Native Americans viewed time as cyclical, never progressing, while the Europeans saw linear time, progressing to a brighter future in there eyes. The pedagogical function of myth causes great conflict between the Native Americans and Europeans.
The Native American myths and European myths were very much in conflict. Three out of the four myth functions showed differences between the two cultures. They showed conflict in cosmological, sociological and pedagogical functions of a myth. These differences led the Native Americans and Europeans into violence. The Europeans wanted to change the Native American way of life, they wanted it to be more like their societies and economy. The Europeans saw the land that the Native Americans occupied and saw the potential profit that could be made by it. They wanted the Native Americans to adopt their economic system and be able to trade with other nations. When the Native Americans refused to change and adapt to the European culture, Europeans stuck to their ways and used power to overtake the Native American culture.

The Europeans Wanted to change the Native American Mytes, they wanted them to reflect their own myths.

what is there motovation?

land for economics

Europeans wanted the land that the Native Americans

Changing economy changes everything about the culture.

Explain why they had to eand to conflict, this is why violence had to be the end .

foucus on