Words with Mr. Kaumans
Let me ask you a question, fellow readers. How old were you when you first heard of the term “mythology”? And when I ask this question, I’m just asking about any mythology in general, whether it be European, Asian, African, North American, etc. Were you taught about it in school? Did your parents read you bedtime stories that were based off of these legends? Or did you first discover these stories while surfing the internet? Whatever the reason may be, I believe we can all agree that these stories, despite being created thousands of years ago, still have a big impact on the writing world as we know it today.
Take The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest surviving story that was discovered in Mesopotamia, one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
Despite its age, this tale has everything you’d see in a modern-day book, movie, or even video game; a protagonist, a conflict, and a resolution. And while this information may not seem worth much, this proves that even the oldest mythology story in existence, we wouldn’t have the rules of storytelling that we have today if it weren’t for these stories from ancient civilization.
Tell me, fellow reader, besides the three things mentioned in the last paragraph, what else does a story need in order to function? That’s correct: A setting, an antagonist, a plot, a theme, and a climax. If so much as one of these things are missing, there can not be a story. And whenever you read a mythology story from any ancient civilization in the world, no matter the country in question, you will without fail find these tropes within these stories, no matter how long or short. This goes to show just how much of an effect these ancient cultures have on literature.
As someone who has been obsessed with mythology ever since he was in elementary school, I can say in full confidence that without these stories, I would not be the writer I am today simply because the concept itself wouldn’t exist. And I want all of you reading this to really think about it; why is it we still have people writing tales of Greek, Chinese, Norse, and so many other mythology stories, whether it be a retelling or original concept all on its own? If you’re a literature major of any language, it is imperative you study these ancient stories and really understand just where the idea of storytelling came from.