The Ancients Origins of Mythology
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Oct 2, 2025 Laura Spinney, an author and journalist specializing in historical linguistics, dives into the fascinating origins of mythology. She explores why storytelling is essential for humanity, discussing universal archetypes like the hero's journey and tales of dragons and creation. Spinney reveals how myths can arise independently yet share common threads, and links the works of the Brothers Grimm to linguistic reconstructions of ancient narratives. She also highlights how myths evolve over time and elucidates the bond between language and cultural beliefs.
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Deep Time Origins Of Storytelling
- Humans likely told stories as soon as they could speak, possibly as far back as 60,000 years ago during migrations out of Africa.
- Enduring story elements suggest storytelling served deep practical and social functions beyond mere entertainment.
Stories As Survival Tools
- Some myths preserve survival information about landscapes, animals, or plants useful to a group.
- Persistent story elements across cultures hint that stories function to transmit practical knowledge.
Stories Forge Social Cohesion
- Stories also strengthen social bonds by synchronising emotions and creating shared identity during oral performance.
- Brain-imaging evidence shows listeners can exhibit synchronized activity when engaged by a good storyteller.
