The Relationship between Myth and History

                Whenever I hear the word Myth, I think of Greek Mythology.  The myths about Zeus and all the other Greek Gods are probably the most well-known myths in the world.  Although we haven’t studied any Greek myths in class, Native American myths and creation stories serve the same purpose:  to explain the history of a certain group of people.  I believe myths are created not only to explain creation, but also as a history for ancient civilizations, like the Greek and the Native Americans, who had no other explanation for their existence. 

                In class we read “The World on the Turtle’s Back”, which was a creation myth written by the Iroquois.  It explained creation, but it also served as a history for the Iroquois, explaining were and from whom they came from.  The same is true in “The Way to Rainy Mountain” by Scott Momaday.  This piece was written by one person, which means it’s not a real myth, but it explains the history of the Kiowa tribe.  In parts, it sounds like a history book, but in other parts it sounds like a myth.  This is an example of why myth is another form of history.