Custom and Myth

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lang, Andrew, 1844-1912

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Custom and Myth" by Andrew Lang is a collection of essays exploring comparative mythology and folklore, written in the late 19th century. The work critically examines the conventional methods of understanding myths, particularly those rooted in linguistic analysis, arguing that such approaches are often inadequate. Lang delves into various mythologies-including Greek, Indian, and indigenous traditions-to propose that many stories share common origins and themes, shaped by the human experience rather than being mere products of language. At the start of the book, Lang dedicates his collection to E.B. Tylor and outlines his motivation for the essays, noting his dissatisfaction with the prevalent scholarly methods of comparing myths. He critiques the idea that myths arise purely from corruptions of language and discusses the importance of examining folklore and savage beliefs to uncover deeper meanings. Lang introduces the anthropological perspective, suggesting that myths can be better understood by studying their persistence across cultures, highlighting their ties to humanity's primal instincts and shared experiences. The opening sets the stage for the subsequent essays, which promise a journey through the intricacies of myth and cultural expression. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Transcribed from the 1884 Longmans, Green and Co. edition by David Price

Notes:

Reading ease score: 66.6 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2004-11-17