Week 1

In the traditional societies that use myths, those myths... (A) are generally transmitted in oral form (B) tend to be told only by priests (C) are written by prominent individuals in the community (D) rarely change over time

(A) are generally transmitted in oral form

Why is the anonymous authorship of myths considered a valuable characteristic? (A) No one can be blamed if the myth turns out to be wrong. (B) Anonymous authorship implies group ownership. (C) Anyone in the community can claim credit for inventing the myth. (D) Myths can only be told by priests and other authority figures.

(B) Anonymous authorship implies group ownership.

The original meaning of the Greek term mythos is... (A) scientific account (B) true statement (C) divine story (D) family secret

(B) true statement

Which of the following statements is true of the type of myth called "folktale"? (A) The world is represented as hostile to human desire. (B) The story is usually told by a member of the priestly class. (C) The hero generally succeeds by cleverness. (D) The tale ends with the death of the hero.

(C) The hero generally succeeds by cleverness.

Myths claim to be authoritative, but this is contradicted by the fact that they are also... (A) anonymous (B) narratives (C) multiform (D) traditional

(C) multiform

In which of the following types of myth do human beings have the least control over their lives? (A) legend (B) folktale (C) sacred myth (D) epic

(C) sacred myth

To say that myths are "homeostatic" means that they... (A) are generally transmitted in oral form (B) remain constant over time (C) are accepted as true accounts (D) adapt to the expectations of their audience

(D) adapt to the expectations of their audience

The setting for sacred myths is generally... (A) the recent, historical past (B) the world as we know it today (C) anytime and anyplace (D) the time of origins

(D) the time of origins

Name and define the eight basic traits of myths

Narrative — Most myths take the form of stories with beginning, middle, and end. Oral — Most myths are transmitted by word of mouth. Traditional — Most myths claim to transmit knowledge concerning a community's origin and history. Anonymous — Myths are authorless; this distinguishes them from literary narratives. Multiform — Myths change constantly each time they are told. There is no "orthodox" version of a myth. Homeostatic — Myths change to confirm the expectations of the audience to whom they are told. Monolingual — Each telling of a myth claims to be the only true and authoritative telling. Verisimilar — Myths reflect what given community considers to be true.

Cite three basic themes in Mesopotamian thought

Order vs. Chaos, Culture vs. Nature • combat myth • antagonistic relation with nature • instability of life in Mes0potamia Organization • bureaucratized pantheon • universe as political state (microcosm = macrocosm) • etiological myths (explanations of origins of physical and cultural features of the world) • charter myths (authorization for power or ownership) • concept of me Heroism • combat myth • heroic narrative repeats cosmogonic narrative • fatalism and mortality • river, mountain, and civil engineering Regeneration • vegetation cycle • myth of annual death and return linked to agriculture • regeneration and renewal

Name the three basic types of myths

Sacred Myth Legend Folktale

In what sense is a ziggurat an example of an axis mundi?

• physical center of universe • temporal center of universe • point of mediation between earth and heaven • microcosm of divine world

Which of the following statements is FALSE with reference to legend? (A) The natural world is harsh and inflexible. (B) The action is set in the extremely remote past. (C) Legends are usually told on high secular occasions. (D) Human choices are severely limited.

(B) The action is set in the extremely remote past.

In the account of the 19th-century Congolese tribe known as the Gosha... (A) British and African myths are blended together (B) a myth changes to reflect a changed social reality (C) the introduction of a writing system finally allows myths to be recorded (D) British governors are transformed into African gods

(B) a myth changes to reflect a changed social reality