Mythology of myths, folktales and stories have been around for thousands of years. The very essence of these myths has shaped our world and the way we perceive it. From Egyptian mythology, to the famous Norse and Greek mythologies these stories orally passed down and written texts have showed us history of cultures and beliefs from across the world. Recent times in the 21st century has shown us that these myths are not dying down but been revolutionised to fit the modern times as they see it.
We are seeing on increase and the flourishment of pagan religions that are making a comeback in the western world as people search for meaning in life. In Iceland alone we are seeing resurrections of temples to embrace old gods. But how enthusiastic are Icelanders, among the most atheistic people on the planet about embracing the old gods?
According to reports the old Norse gods have once again “emerged from the clouds to claim a people once theirs”. In more than ten centuries these people soon will be able to worship Thor, Odin, Frigg and others at a new temple if they so desire. So why all this uprising suddenly? It is not just temples being built but we are seeing and experiencing mythology everywhere from billboards, to games and music, movies and dramas to the very words in our vocab we use in our everyday lives.
Today religious entertainment has evolved into an industry of its own. Today traditional stories are being told at a different perspective and modernised. Corrupting the mind of those people who are already confused about the perception of god and beliefs to why they are here on this earth in the first place and serving mythology in this era makes it easy for people to have a new meaning and direction to follow. Movies like Noah, Passion of Christ and Exodus all come from religion roots yet Its subject is messages by large are political ones that are transmitted and reinforced by the media; a simultaneously more accurate and more sensational title would be ‘you’re being brainwashed’ but that itself is nothing new, over the years the concept of these mythology tales have evolved into something more sinister that goes against the very perception of god itself, therefore questioning and undermining the beliefs of the major religions in the world.
Religion remains one of the most divisive topics in any culture, from Christianity, Islam, and Judaism but the one thing that many people can agree on is that the stories passed through the years remain epic but when this overlap and compete with mythology tales from different cultures it seems to fall behind in all aspects and dissect their beliefs to the masses. You see Greek mythology being shown in action films such as Clash of the titans and Hercules and remain bold over their message.
You see huge companies like Marvel comics and DC to Disney who not only infiltrate the media but also skilfully capitalise on their intellectual property by using its success on its mastery of the three elements of modern myth-making: tropes, technology and toys and with this it has cemented its position as the market leader in the industrialisation of mythology. Disney properties, which include everything from ‘Thor’ to ‘Toy Story’, draw on well-worn devices of mythic structure to give their stories cultural resonance. But Marvel comics and DC have gone beyond that by making heroic figures in the figures of god(s) themselves. People have already made the Thor god a religion itself in which masses follow blindly, but is it innocent to say that making humans as gods is all myth stories or is it a deliberate plan in the world to make people come away from the perception of one unseen god in what the major religions teach.
In a new era in this world we are seeing a monomyth structure of belief in which a hero answers a call, is assisted by a mentor figure, voyages to another world, survives various trials and emerges triumphant. Film-makers and media have simply plundered ancient mythology and folklore. The Marvel universe goes even further, directly appropriating parts of Greco-Roman and Norse mythology. This by far shows that the way myths were told have not changed over the years but the technology used to impart them certainly has.
The re-emergence of Mythology in everyday lives have captivated us and diverted us to a one-way belief system but this unfortunately has filled a void left by the decline of religion in a more secular world. We live in a world of uncertain times, where governments and military might seem unable to keep people safe or stay honest, people are taking comfort in the idea of superheroes who ride to the rescue. The myths also have the power to unify people across generations, social groups and cultures, creating frameworks of shared references even as other forms of media consumption become ever more fragmented.
Every society has its own form of myths, and interestingly, often these different myths are re-telling of central archetypal stories that are changed slightly to fit different cultures and experiences. But the decline in religion has contributing to the fact that people are looking for answers and are finding their answers in the revival of pagan religions of myth tales showing a different world to where they live in.
People want to fill in gaps in knowledge that can’t be rationally answered through experimentation and observation because we can’t use logic to explain such situations, however, the alternative becomes the development of a mythological explanation, using supernatural beings or powers and events to provide the explanation that is otherwise unavailable. This is an indication of human creativity needing answers and the need to introduce new ways to survive in something greater than ourselves into our existence by providing answers of the origin of existence of good vs evil and ignorance vs enlightenment.
It seems like in a world filled with people who cannot find themselves and cannot reason, the world itself has declared a war against religion making belief that religion somehow subverts knowledge and progress and therefore gets in the way.
Mythology figures will only serve to invalidate an already highly misunderstood minority religious group and people who are already in search, because it is hard to find religious acceptance within society when everyone puts God in the same category as the figures of comics.
Humans have always been in pursuit of meaning, purpose, and protection over the centuries. Religion has been replaced by music, New Age beliefs, the occult and pagan religion all to do with mythology tales and the common theme of historical figures who appear and reappear in various time-periods to either destroy or rebuild points to the cyclical nature of human existence. In recent years, various movements to reinstate the old gods have come and gone and yet the Influence of mythology only serves to legitimate interests of certain sects for a wider gender to deviate ourselves from religion, but the moral of god and where divinity comes from always remains the same.

Published article by

Mary S (Editor Truth revoloution)

Abrams Jason (co-editor)

References

http://www.reference.com/art-literature/reasons-people-study-greek-mythology
http://www.edx.org/course/rise-superheroes-impact-pop-culture
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-zuckerman/religion-declining
http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/greek-gods
http://www.romanfitnesssystems.com/articles/mythology-and-superheroes