A Functional Approach to Egyptian Myth and Mythemes

Bibliographic Data

ID12838042
AuthorsKatja Goebs (corresponding author)
Year2002
Volume2
Issue1
Pages27-59
Publication date2002-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1569-2116 • E-ISSN: 1569-2124
PublisherBrill (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1163/156921202762733879
OpenAlexW1966389857
LanguageEN
Citations received7

The article re-examines the definition of the Egyptian mythical tradition as notably different from that of other cultures. In particular, the supposed late development of Egyptian (narrative) myths, which has traditionally been inferred from the variability in both content and form of mythical fragments/mythemes in different contexts, is re-evaluated. It is argued that the form a myth or mytheme takes is dependent on the function of the context in which it is used, with the (structural) relationships between actors (or actors and objects) taking precedence over their identity, which is variable. This apparent flexibility should be regarded as a positive, rather than a limiting feature of myths, since it allows them to be adapted to a variety of contexts and purposes

Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Biblical studies · Biology · Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Evolutionary biology · Flexibility (engineering · Function (biology · Identity (music · Limiting · Linguistics · Literature · Mythology · Narrative · Sociology · Statistics · Variable (mathematics · Variety (cybernetics · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Computer Science · Engineering · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Mathematics · Philosophy · Artificial Intelligence

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