The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002.
Mythology and Folklore
Mr. Gradgrind in Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, thought that the chief staple of education should be facts, facts, facts. We take a different view. Although we think facts are important (see the scientific sections of this dictionary), we also think educated people must know myths, myths, myths. It isn’t clear whether the myth of George Washington and the Cherry Tree belongs in a course on history or one on mythology, but from the standpoint of literacy it doesn’t matter. For purposes of communication and solidarity in a culture, myths are just as important as history. And unless history achieves the vividness and memorableness of myth, it will not be very useful to shared culture. We should indeed try to discriminate between history and myth; but true or false, the stories that we share provide us with our values, goals, and traditions. The tales we tell our children define what kind of people we shall be.
The term myth itself implies community. In Greek, it means “what they say.” The origins of most myths are lost in obscurity; they belong to the community. The myths that are shared by literate Americans are worldwide in their origins and embrace both ancient and modern cultures. The Greek myth of Paris and the apple of discord belongs to us as much as the myth of Washington and the cherry tree. According to some modern philosophers, notably Nietzsche, all stories, even scientific theories and religious teachings, are myths. Nietzsche’s view is probably wrong, but it usefully emphasizes the importance of shared myths in forming our national community and providing us with irreplaceable common points of reference. If we did not inherit myths, we would have to invent them; since we have inherited them, we should learn to use those we have inherited. Our traditional myths are no more true or false, wise or foolish, than those of other cultures. But being ours, they are uniquely valuable to us.
