Myth and Reality

An informative guide to the modern mythologies! This classic study, translated from the original French, deals primarily with societies around the world in which myth is--or was until very recently-- "living," in the sense that it supplies models for human behavior and, by that very fact, gives meaning and value to life. The author believes that understanding the structure and function of myths in these traditional societies serves to clarify a stage in the history of human thought: "myths reveal that the World, man, and life have a supernatural origin and history, and that this history is significant, precious, and exemplary." Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 CONTENTS 6 World Perspectives: What This Series Means 8 Myth and Reality 14 1. The Structure of Myths 14 2. Magic and Prestige of "Origins" 34 3. Myths and Rites of Renewal 52 4. Eschatology and Cosmogony 67 5. Time Can Be Overcome 88 6. Mythology, Ontology, History 105 7. Mythologies .of Memory and Forgetting 127 8. Greatness and Decadence of Myths 152 9. Survivals and Camouflages of Myths 175 Appendix I: Myths and Fairy Tales 208 Appendix II: Basic Bibliography 216