Mythology explains natural and supernatural phenomena through narratives created by ancient people. Creation stories, natural disasters, and human institutions are all topics of mythology. Holidays like Halloween have roots in mythology.
Mythology refers to the study of myth or is used to refer to a collection of myths of a particular culture or society. The word myth comes from the Greek mythos, which means tale or word. Myths are narratives that were created by ancient people to explain aspects of the world they did not understand. Natural and supernatural phenomena, the creation of the universe, and the origin of human practices or institutions are all topics that mythology attempts to explain. Usually, unexplained phenomena are attributed to the actions of deities or other supernatural figures.
Creation stories are a type of mythology that attempts to explain the existence of the universe. These narratives appear in nearly every known society and involve the actions of a god or group of gods who created the Earth and its people. In Christianity, for example, the book of Genesis in the Bible tells the story of how God created the earth and then made the first man and woman to populate it. In ancient Egypt, the Earth was created by the continual flooding of a body of water called Nu, which represented chaos and the absence of life or order. Creation mythology among Aboriginal peoples in Australia tells the story of a rainbow serpent who gave birth to the Earth and its first animal and human inhabitants.
Ancient societies created mythology to explain other aspects of their world as well, such as natural phenomena. The Greeks believed that the sun’s path across the sky was the god Apollo, also called the sun god, driving his chariot. Likewise, natural disasters such as earthquakes and stormy seas were said to be caused by Poseidon, the Greek god of the ocean, striking the ground with his trident. In Norse mythology he was Thor, the god of thunder, whose rage caused natural disasters and destruction. In New Zealand, the Maori attributed the existence of the morning dew to the tears of Rangi, the god of the sky separated from his wife Papa, the goddess of the Earth.
Many human institutions, rituals and holidays also have roots in mythology. The English names of the days of the week and the planets of the solar system come from the names of ancient gods and goddesses. Halloween, which is now a popular holiday for children to dress up and go trick-or-treating, began as a Celtic holiday called Samhain, during which the lines between the human and spirit worlds were blurred and normal rules of conduct were not been applied.
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