Myths and Arts False, dangerous and modern Myths

1
Myths and ArtsFalse, dangerous and modern Myths

• Vesa Matteo Piludu

Department of Comparative Religion University of
Helsinki
2
Myths as lies

• By the Christian era, the Greco-Roman world had
  started to use the term "myth" to mean "fable,
  fiction, lie" as a result, early Christian
  writers used "myth" with this meaning

3
Myths according to the philosophers of
Enghlitenment and the positivists

• Myth opposed to logos (rational discourse)
• Myth were synonym of false and irrational, old,
  unfashionable, simple
• The philosophes such as Voltaire, were interested
  in dispelling myths, not explaining their
  existence or their complexity

4
Myths in the modern common sense

• In popular use, a myth can also be a collectively
  held belief that has no basis
• This usage, which is often pejorative, arose from
  labeling the religious myths and beliefs of other
  cultures as being incorrect, but it has spread to
  cover non-religious beliefs as well
• This usage is frequently associated with legend,
  fiction, fairy tale, folklore, fable, confusing
  data, personal desire and urban legend, each of
  which has a distinct meaning
• Urban myth is an alternative term for urban
  legend
• Because of this popular and subjective word
  usage, many people take offense when the
  religious narratives they believe to be true are
  called myths

5
The Myth of the Titanic
6
Ronald Barthes Mythologiesdangerous damned
modern myths

• Modern Myths are icons admired without
  discussion or popular -nationalistic stories
  that are considered to be true without any proof
  of evidence
• Modern myths are like a stolen language
• Who manipulates myths use particular statements
  as universal truth
• Myths are part of the Doxa (common sense)
• Modern myths has hidden ideological meanings
• Myths are not only narratives, but phenomena of
  everyday life
• Ethnographic semiotic on the road advertising,
  films, business life, daily food
• Divas of the cinemas, the myth of Senna
  Gardel as an icon of tango