Myth, symbol, and sacred space
Religions tell stories and use symbols that explain the world and guide how people live.
Myth
In anthropology, a myth is a sacred story that explains origins, the order of the world, or why things are as they are. Calling a story a myth says nothing about whether it is true; it describes its role. Earth-diver myths, found across North America and Asia, tell of a creature diving into primeval waters to bring up the mud that becomes land.
Symbols
Religious symbols condense complex ideas into objects, images, or actions. They are often multivocal, carrying several meanings at once: water can mean purity, life, and rebirth. Clifford Geertz described religion as a system of symbols that makes a worldview feel uniquely real and gives people powerful moods and motivations.
Sacred space and pilgrimage
Places become sacred where people believe the divine has appeared or acted, sometimes called a hierophany. Temples, shrines, and natural features can all be sacred spaces. Pilgrimage is a journey to such a place, which often brings people of different backgrounds together as fellow travellers.
Flashcard
A sacred narrative explaining origins or the order of the world
Check your understanding
When an anthropologist calls a creation story a 'myth', they mean that: