The discussion our group had this week focused mainly on the importance of myths and their correlation with the shaping of beliefs of a specific group or people or society altogether.
First of all, it is nearly impossible to deny the influence of religion and myths in modern society. As one of the group members pointed out, the impact of myths (as much as religion) is indeed profound: myths bind ethnic groups and culture together. Moreover, myths can helps us understand the particular worldview of an ethnic group.
The belief system and mythology of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism were the essence of this week’s content while still being able to discuss features of Shinto religion. Arguably, the average person has some basic notion of at least one of these ideologies, as these three are prominent religions around the world. About 18% (244 million) of China classify themselves as Buddhist. Nonetheless, it is within the smaller South-East Asian countries where you see an overwhelming Buddhist population. In nations such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Cambodia, over 70% of the populations practices Buddhism. In the 21st century, Buddhism accounts for 9-10% of the globe’s population. In the other hand, it is also important to recognize that 80% of India’s population identifies as Hindu. With all this said, the statistics speak to the social impact it has on a nation, these are all enormous religions, both the religion and the myths within have tremendous social impact by means of a “worldview” conception.
Megan Krefting, Encountering the Buddha, Free Gallery of Art (2014). Available from: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-s-sackler-gallery-explores-rich-buddhist-heritage-asia
In the discussion most of us agreed that the conception of a “worldview” is a compound of different beliefs which most often are derived from the literature (mythical in most instances), pictorial art and music. Throughout the week we stated four aspects of a worldviews could be found in the different myths/religions studied.
First, myths and in particular the myths of creation can explain the behavior and moral code of a group represented and perhaps given to them by a “higher” being (deity, in some cases). Myths and beliefs, however true or false, affect daily life and how people respond to problems affecting them. In Hindu tradition, the world is created from the god Brahma, who is placed in charge and responsible for remaking it according to his will and creates the four main things in the world which include, gods, humans, animals and inanimate objects. The myth goes to tell the world has ended many times before and will end some other time. When recreating the world, god Brahma does so with justice (Karma), where everyone is punished for their sins or rewarded for their excellent (Mackenzie, pg. 229). However, humans are not immortal, so despite observing the values, one must cease to exist after his life comes to an end. This myth is similar to others that show that good and evil have their origins during creation, and humans are expected to choose according to what god acknowledges as good.
Secondly, myths of creation can help us understand a view of the physical world and a possible explanation for the geographical scenario that surrounds us. For instance, in the Shinto myth: Origin of The Japanese Islands, Izanami and Izanagi create the land through sexual intercourse. The eight (ancient) islands that formed Japan are believed to be part of the many children Izanami and Izanagi produced. The many children (named Kamis), also included other elements of the Japanese landscape: valleys, mountains, rivers and other natural features.
Benstown, The 8 Islands From Ancient Japan, Creative Commons (under GNU Free Documentation License, 2007). Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Japan_yashima.png
Thirdly, the literature of a culture can also provide an insight on the partition of roles according to the characteristics of a particular individual. The “duties” are not handed to a single entity but rather to a group of people (deities). This again can underline the status of the social bonds or break-away within a group by means of role-assignment. Hindu tradition exemplifies this with the trimurti: the gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. In the trimurti, each God is responsible for a particular task. Brahma is responsible for the “creation of the universe”, Vishnu is known as the protector or preserver of the universe and Shiva is thought to be the “destroyer of the universe”. In addition to that, the god Brahma is also known for the creation of the varnas or caste system: a system that determines the direction and social positon of a particular person from birth.
Pieter Weltevrede, Trimurti Painting-Holy Trinity Art, Sagar World (2019). Available from: https://www.sagarworld.com/trimurti-painting-the-holy-trinity-art-by-pieter-weltevrede
The caste system still shapes people’s lives in rural India. For instance, in the picture presented below we can observe a girl, arguably a member of the “untouchables”, a category that sits below the other four varnas (classes). The girl herself and her family are in charge of washing the “polluted” (blood or human waste) clothing of the other varnas, as performing this particular job would be considered as an unclean doing for the upper classes (Bhramanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras). These people are often marginalized under the belief that caste guides the everyday life of the people in the company of “their own kind”.
William Albert Allard, Child of the Dhobi Caste, Photo of the Day: William Albert Allard, Dehli (2002). Available from: https://thevelvetrocket.com/2010/09/25/photos-of-the-day-william-albert-allard/
Finally, myths can also shape the roles of people according to gender within a grander worldview. As frustrating as it may be, Shintoists (as many other cultures) put in place a hierarchical order of roles according to gender. For example, in the Izanami/Izanagi creation myth the couple wasn’t able to bear “good” children mainly because Izanami (being a female Kami) spoke first in the wedding ceremony. This again helps us understand the Shinto worldview of a “natural” order of roles and things.
Then again, as much as we may disagree with this view it gives an insight into the societal patterns of this culture. Another example can be traced back to the Buddhist Jataka Tale of Sulasa and Sattuka. The tale portrays the submissive behavior of the female character to the greed of the male character in an attempt to exemplify the dominance from one gender over the other. Sadly, some of these conceptions still hold to this day. I took a sociology class in winter and I remember there was a lecture regarding job opportunities and gender-wage gap. A graphic showed that the wage gap between men and women had decreased gradually since 1998. Unfortunately, as of 2018 (if I remember correctly) women still earned about 15-20% less an hour compared to men. On top of that, we studied a chart of “unpaid” work that women typically perform in the household. This “unpaid” work in the household (i.e.: childcare, cleaning, etc) forces a vast number of Canadian women to work part-time which by consequence also increases the annual income gap between men and women.
The myths of creation tend to vary in every culture, but most agree that a supernatural being or power took a central part. The literature found in these groups help us to identify similarities and differences in our cultures. Moreover, the creation myth tends to explain everything and gives people an angle of how they should live and behave. The myth dictates many beliefs, behaviors, lifestyles, and how many Indians view the world in general much like the structuralism approach of Claude-Levi Strauss explained in week one.
References:
Kornvipa Boonsue, and Women in Development Consortium in Thailand. Thai Studies Project. Buddhism and Gender Bias : An Analysis of a Jataka Tale. Toronto: York U, 1990.
Valerie Haines. Sociology, 9th CDN. Boston: Pearson Collections, 2017.
Lumen Candela. “Buddhism Today”. Accessed, July 19th 2020.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-fscj-worldreligions/chapter/buddhism-today/
Video references:
“Shinto Creation Myth: Izanami and Izanagi”. Accessed, July 18th 2020.
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