History is usually laden with facts–dates, people, events–while myths are the cultural stories that have been handed down for generations.
It’s often said we want to study history to learn from past mistakes, and so we don’t repeat it. I agree, and think there are ample opportunities for personal application as we study what’s gone on before us.
But as a religious family that believes in worshipping one God, I began to wonder during this study of ancient history—why should I teach my kids about ancient mythology?
After some exploration, here are a few thoughts:
Discover Culture:
Studying ancient mythology serves as a building block to help us understand culture. We may not believe in or worship the mythological characters of ancient times, but learning the stories gives us a bigger picture of history as we discover what motivated their beliefs, fears, hopes, and traditions.
{our study of Egyptian gods}
Personal Application:
With all great storytelling, putting ourselves into someone else’s perspective helps us examine our own lives, and hopefully apply the lessons to ourselves. The specific circumstances may be different, but challenges, triumphs, needs, wants, and emotions are often universal.
An example (although this is a fable, not an ancient myth) is that my kids don’t have any personal experience raising sheep on the hill of a village, but they’re learning there are consequences to crying wolf.
It follows the idea: You tell your story, and I’ll get mine.
Reflection:
Learning about other time periods and cultures can cause us to reflect on the time we’re living in. When I think about today, I sometimes wonder, what stories will be passed on to our future generations?
What lessons will they learn from the social, economical, or technological stories we’re telling today?
What values are impressed in these stories we’re telling?
And will they learn from the history we’re creating, so it’s not repeated it in their future?
In this way, studying ancient mythology reminds me of scrapbooking. The ancient people saw importance in passing on their stories to help preserve their family and cultural histories.