Prompted by my text book--the World of Myth, or something of that order--let's consider myth as any tale categorized under cosmic, hero, place or object, and I forgot the last one, lemme go look ... theistic. And the book is by David Adams Leeming. The guy's a genius from what I could tell. No he's not. I'm just saying that. I'm enjoying the read is all.

I think it's na-nee-na time for a baby. Hold on....

It's a wonder I can think to write here. The jumbling of thoughts comes with good reason. Babies don't care about stuff they can't see, such as the brain snapping my attempt at making history.

Myth is metaphor. What isn't? Put to words, explanations of the in-between, the known and unknown, through metaphor, is myth, my friends. And art is modern myth. Art is also a broad term. We all do it, and it is how we fold ourselves into loss, into nature's take, and return again.

Cosmic myth = existence, creation/the beginning, the end/apocalypse, floods, and the afterlife. Kosmos means order. It's the myth of making order out of chaos. Right now I'm not sure I see the Universe itself as being chaotic but quite serene. Life for man, the word chaos is our invention, is nothing but. Leeming says, and I love this, both myth (primitive literature) and poetry [as well as art and modern literature] serve to order chaos. Like I said above.

Theistic myth = hierarchy--god, father, conventions. Self-explanatory. I thought god was the greatest myth of all but, as I don't believe in an ultimate bearded figure ordering chaos, god as myth is rather dull. My god is more cosmic than hierarchal, though I do like the stories of who married whom and has what virtue, etc.

Hero myth = the individual. I'll fill ya in more when I know more. Lame Americana myths of Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed whoop-de-do may fall under this category. Really exciting the mixed bag of Americans is.

Place and object myth = just that. Again, I need to read more.

What interests me most about the categories is that writers, artists, and people like me who don't know where their talents lie, can do their things under one or more of the four realms and appeal to an audience. Their work may even be considered timeless and universal. Is Casablanca chock-full-'o-myth? I believe so.

And belief itself? It is, like science, the acceptance of something, with the knowledge that it is subject to change. Art believes nothing but itself. Myth fills a niche between art and science. Myth is art that makes a long-lasting impression. That's what I believe anyway ... subject to be improved upon once I learn more.

How about if I concentrate on the most giant holiday now instead of fiddling with this! So is the life of a student. I have a paper due tonight and then two weeks off.

Merry Mythmas and hope you're all nestled snug in your wherevers.