Mythology and Religion

When early civilizations began developing new technology, this simultaneously caused the people to be separated from nature. This happened in Mesopotamia and Egypt first around 400 B.C.E., and later on the new lifestyle spread to Crete, India, and China. The development also brought fear to the citizens; “there were wars, massacres, revolutions and deportations...there was constant fear that life would revert to the old barbarism” (Armstrong, 2005, p. 59). This period in history was also a time that people related their surroundings to their religious teachings. The perceived decline of civilization at the same time as a rise in technology in new ways was reminiscent for some of the murderer Cain’s founding of the first city and the technological advances made there. There were positive Biblical interpretations during this time as well. Mesopotamia, a city at the forefront of development, was seen by its residents as “a place where they could encounter the divine” although this caused outsiders to accuse the Mesopotamians of hubris (Armstrong, 2005, p. 61).

These examples of humans becoming aware that their surroundings were similar to the places described in their mythology are similar to modern interpretations of religion. Just as outsiders may have cautioned Mesopotamians to be careful about feeling too self-important about their great city because they might fall from grace as Cain had done, modern people often refer to Biblical stories as words of caution. It can be argued that religious stories are mythology in their purest form. They began as oral tradition and were passed down through generations. Then, the Bible was written in its various forms and passed down from Ancient times to present day. The stories are used as cautionary tales, inspirational anecdotes, and words of wisdom that still guide people of certain faiths through their everyday lives.

Ancient Mesopotamian religious ceremony

The Mesopotamians and similar ancient peoples felt they had a direct connection to the divine in their everyday lives. This feeling dissipated as time went on and civilizations became even more industrialized. “In some parts of the world, the old spirituality declined and nothing new appeared to take its place,” and many people were dissatisfied with this shift (Armstrong, 2005, p. 78). According to philosopher Karl Jaspers, the Axial Age (~800 to 200 B.C.E.) “marks the beginning of religion as we know it” today because societies finally combined their connections with nature and newly developed religious and philosophical systems (Armstrong, 2005, p. 79). These new traditions were developed all over the world, from Confucianism in China to Greek rationalism in Europe to monotheism in the Middle East. While only select religions were involved, the Axial Age was a turning point for religion making its way back to the forefront of human consciousness.

Especially for members of major religions who acknowledge their Gods and the stories told in their chosen religious text on a regular basis, religion is a modern culture’s version of keeping mythology alive. While some might balk at religious stories being called “myth,” there are indisputable similarities between the two. Narrowing the scope to the version of the Bible that most American Christians recognize today, the stories should be taken as parables or fables; guidance in how one should live. Also, many tell how aspects of society came to be, such as Eve’s eating the forbidden fruit being the reason women experience pain in childbirth. This is what myths are as well. They tell the listener why something in nature is the way it is, or they instruct the listener on how to live their lives in a way that will bring them contentment and satisfaction. Religious and mythological tradition have intertwined throughout history, sometimes existing side by side and sometimes indistinguishable from one another.

Painting of Adam and Eve