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Myth: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions), by Robert Segal
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Where do myths come from? What is their function and what do they mean?
In this Very Short Introduction Robert Segal introduces the array of approaches used to understand the study of myth. These approaches hail from disciplines as varied as anthropology, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, philosophy, science, and religious studies. Including ideas from theorists as varied as Sigmund Freud, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Albert Camus, and Roland Barthes, Segal uses the famous ancient myth of Adonis to analyse their individual approaches and theories.
In this new edition, he not only considers the future study of myth, but also considers the interactions of myth theory with cognitive science, the implications of the myth of Gaia, and the differences between story-telling and myth.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
- Sales Rank: #136153 in eBooks
- Published on: 2015-07-23
- Released on: 2015-07-23
- Format: Kindle eBook
Review
Science Fiction readers, and more so writers, may well find this short introduction to myth of interest. SF has drawn on mythological tropes from supermen (including Superman) and technology with, and imparting, god-like powers, through to flights to the heavens. Concatenation, Jonathan Cowie
About the Author
Robert A. Segal was born, raised, and educated in the United States. He received his PhD in religion from Princeton University. He taught in the US for many years at Reed College, Stanford University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Tulane University before relocating to the UK in fall 1994. He taught at Lancaster University, before moving in 2006 to the University of Aberdeen, where he is Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies. He teaches and writes on theories of myth and on theories of religion. Among the books he has written or edited are Joseph Campbell (1987, 1990) The Gnostic Jung (1992), Jung on Mythology (1998), The Myth and Ritual Theory (1998), Theorizing about Myth (1999), The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion (2006), and 30-Second Mythology (2012). He is currently editing the Oxford Handbook of Myth Theory.
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Myth theory, not mythology!
By HH
This is the second edition of Robert Segal’s VSI to theories of myth. The book is ostensibly aimed at beginners to theories of myth, and it achieves that goal with aplomb. However, it is also a handy reference that can be of value to most people researching myth or related topics.
Segal introduces his primary "lens" for the study of myth -- origin, function, and subject-matter -- and uses it to summarize how the study of myth has changed in the past couple of centuries. He explains his definition of myth -- a tenaciously held story about something significant -- which he relates to some key theorists, such as Tylor or Lévi-Strauss. He also relates his definition to other key concepts such as text, narrative, folk tales, legend, colloquial usage of ‘myth’, and so on. The introduction includes an outline of the myth of Adonis, which he uses throughout the rest of the book to illustrate how different theorists analyse the same myth differently.
Chapter 2 discusses one of the most significant challenges of our time: the various attempts that are made to resolve the clash between myth and science. For example, he discusses myth taking precedence, myth being separated from science (de-mythologizing), the reinterpretation of myth as science, or abandoning myth for science. He then provides the first of many in-depth discussions of theorists of myth – E. B. Tylor, in this case – and the manner in which he would analyse the myth of Adonis. He uses Tylor as a springboard to discuss other theorists of myth, such as Frazer, Lévy-Bruhl, Malinowski, Lévi-Strauss, and the philosopher of science Karl Popper. In chapter 3, Segal discusses the relation of myth and philosophy – again including the various ways their differences are resolved or related. He also discusses some of the key theorists who are relevant to the topic, such as Radin, Cassirer, Bultmann, Jonas, and Camus. Bultmann makes a more extensive appearance in the next chapter – on religion – where Segal provides an extensive discussion of his process of demythologisation. Other theorists also reappear in later chapters, wherever they are relevant to the topic. Most of the remaining chapters follow a similar pattern, each taking a particular topic and relating it to myth and the most relevant theorists. The chapters seem to be roughly in descending order of myth’s significance to contemporary issues – science, philosophy, religion, ritual, literature, psychology, structure and politics. Woven into that structure is the discussion of important myths, such as the hero (in the chapter on literature), comparisons between theorists, and comparisons of how they interpret Adonis and other myths. The final chapter returns to the key theme of Chapter 2 -- the reconciliation of myth and science. Segal asks "whether myth can be brought back to the physical world, but without facilely dismissing the authority of science" (p. 123). To answer that question, he takes an in-depth look at Lovelock’s myth of Gaia – but concludes that (in Lovelock’s use of it) it fails to do so. Segal does not himself provide another answer, but leaves that question intriguingly hanging in the air.
Jung is mentioned at various times throughout the book, though the most extensive discussion, unsurprisingly, is in the chapter on psychology. With the benefit of understanding Jung, one can see the approach Segal takes with each theorist and how that enhances the value of the book. Although his treatment of Jung is dispassionate, he has focused on what he sees as the main similarities and differences between Freud, Jung, Campbell and others. In a book that is limited to 40,000 words, there is necessarily a reduction in scope of such argument, and different authors might have made different judgments about what to include or emphasise. But the deeper analysis of Jung can be found elsewhere, such as Segal’s book Jung on Mythology, Theorizing About Myth (which includes Segal’s text from Jung on Mythology), his works on Campbell that discuss his relation to Jung, or (in Segal’s Theorists of Myth series) Steven Walker’s Jung and the Jungians on Myth. The value of this Very Short Introduction book is the breadth of coverage and the overall mental map it provides of how the main theorists of myth relate to each other and to the development of myth.
This edition seems a little shorter than the first (142 versus 163 pages), though the word count is the same. Segal’s writing tends to be concise and well structured, and the main reason for the apparent reduction in words seems to be even greater efficiency in his writing. For example, he has removed quotes/paragraphs and discussion of certain theorists (e.g. Robin Horton) that don’t seem to add substantial value to the first text; this leaves a narrative in the second edition that now seems even more focused. In both editions, it is easy to follow Segal’s argument when read from cover to cover, while remaining just as easy to find relevant topics when using it as a reference work. Though much of the text is the same, or similar, there are also some changes; but these are mostly minor. There are some examples and explanations that are added, to help clarify and illustrate his argument. Some theorists make an appearance, who were absent from the first edition. And there are also some shifts in emphasis, such as there being a little less prominence of Christian examples, and the use of more examples from other sources of myth. The most significant change is in the final chapter, which looks at the contemporary form and future of myth. The first edition focused on Winnicott’s transitional objects and the status of film stars as contemporary ‘gods’. The second edition replaces this discussion with a look at whether the ancient myth of Gaia can be both a contemporary and a scientific myth. Segal points to a tendency among most mythologists to defer to science, including the foremost contemporary presenter of the myth of Gaia, James Lovelock. That question, of the integration of myth and science through Gaia, is left open. There are also other questions that could have been considered -- such as computer gaming, social media, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Whether Gaia or these other topics are of most relevance depends on the interests and perspective of the reader.
Overall, this is an excellent book. If you already have the first edition, then it is probably best to spend your money on another of Segal’s books. However, if you don’t have a copy of either edition then this is an essential addition to your library. It is an inexpensive book that maps out the territory of the theories of myth, covering a lot of academic ground while being very readable and accessible.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Five Stars
By Frank D. Tikalsky
Outstanding book authored by a person generally regarded as the eminent scholar myth theories.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Five Stars
By Dr. Jacqueline S. Thursby
Thank you.
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