What is a myth?
A myth is a narrative that seeks to provide an explanation for the origins of a natural phenomenon. Myths focus on the emergence of a community or other natural occurrences. Typically, myths incorporate gods or other supernatural beings within their structure. Communities treasure myths due to their religious significance and also because they act as their official account of how they came into existence.
An Example of a Myth: The Origin of Death (Kalenjin)
According to the Kalenjin, the number of hunters in their land had reached a point where the wild animals were being decimated. These hunters decided to hunt all the animals on the plains. One day, one of the hunters stopped to drink water from a pool. As he was drinking, he noticed a reflection in the water. The reflection was of a beautiful bird that resembled a rooster, however, it had four legs and a large blue comb on its head.
The hunter had never seen such a creature before and thought that he was just dreaming. After he finished drinking, he rose to go. Suddenly, he realized that the creature was real. The creature moved and watched the hunter, who decided to aim an arrow at it. He thought that the meat of the unknown creature might be delicious. After the bird fell dead, there followed a rain that was heavier than any that had ever been seen before. The rain was full of thunder and lightning. No one knows where the hunter went, but it is known that he never returned to his family. From that day of heavy rain, people began to sleep forever.
According to the Kalenjin myth, the thunder became very angry at the shooting of his innocent son, so he sent heavy rain and death as punishment to the people. Before the heavy rain, people had slept and woken up as usual. Thus, the long sleep known as death was caused by the hunter's curiosity.
Why is the narrative a myth?
The Kalenjin story about the origin of death seeks to explain the origin of death, a natural phenomenon. It is delivered in a serious tone and involves powerful supernatural beings, such as thunder.To access sample oral literature questions on myths, follow this link.