The “myth”

It has been discussed in class that myths are just lies, just that we don’t justify if it is right or wrong. In my understanding, mythology is when something is past from one another (like a folktale), and eventually lead to a wide spread that no one can trace if it was true or not. – this is very similar to gossips spreading around high school, yet why is it not called a myth?

In the movie Easy A, a teenage girl spreads a rumor about losing her virginity at school and a series of outbreak of different lies and rumors started expanding around her school. Now when I think of it, what is it that makes a myth a myth, and a lie a lie? Is it that if more people knew about it and it was from a long time ago it was a myth? Or that myths have to had some magical elements in it like god and fairies to make it a myth? Is it because traditional myths like Greek myths talk about serious issues like death and war so it makes it a myth? and a high school rumor is not significant enough to be one? If mythology reflected a culture/history, then wouldn’t the situation in Easy A actually reflect our culture in the future?

The really big concern is, telling a lie seems to be a very negative action, but telling a myth is rather acceptable and sometimes enjoyable. Is it because a lie makes one undermines their position in society? or a lost of trust? In my opinion, I think that myths are more acceptable in community as it creates no harm, it does not justify anyone and its just like story telling, but myths however are not without influences. According to Mircea Eliade, myths establishes model of behavior, people may react in a certain way because of a myth. It may be good and it may be bad, but it is all down to personal experiences and interpretation. A lie however, once it is known as a lie, it wont develop a “further experience” aside from putting shame on the person that started it.

But I thought a myth is a lie…. Hmmm……