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What Are The Similarities Between The Mayan And Maya Mythology

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Over the past few weeks, the presentations done by the various groups have exposed me to different myths from various civilizations. The presentations that had caught my interest were the Norse, Mayan and Inca mythologies. Despite the fact that each of the civilizations seen is from a distinct era and territory, I could see similarities between their myths. One striking point I have noticed is how the myths tend to teach a lesson or two through their stories. Indeed, one of the main reasons for the existence of myths is to educate the listeners about the civilization.

The first area of interest I have is about how the myths are so tightly associated to the civilization they originate from.

For example, Norse myths tend to focus on the glory of warfare, which reflects upon the Norse civilizations, where there is a huge focus on their warriors, the Vikings, …show more content…

This fact helps to address an issue I had with myths, whereby I had thought that myths were too implausible to be of any practical use. The second area of interest I have is about how the myths attempt to impart knowledge relevant to their civilization to their listeners.

For example, in the Mayan myths about the Mayan heroes, there is a trial they had to face call the House of Jaguar, whereby they used bones to divert the Jaguars’ attention. This is a reference to the actual threat by Jaguars faced by the Mayan civilization, which lived in the middle of a jungle. This myth thus teaches Mayan children about the threat of Jaguars, and even how to deal with them should they encounter one.

This example shows that myths is used to impart practical information about the civilization. To me, this means that the myths reveal what the civilization deems as important, and thus provide insight about the

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