Mythology metaphorically explains aspects of the human condition

Though many people attempt to oversimplify myths as scientifically flawed explanations of natural phenomena, it is clear that many go deeper than that. After all, some myths end with a sort of thesis statement (“and that’s why the turtle has its shell,”) but many others do not seem to explain anything at all until we begin to look at them metaphorically. Take, for example, the famous ancient Greek myth of Icarus. The story tells of a man who, seeking to escape from the island Crete with his father Daedalus, makes wings for himself out of feathers and wax. Though Daedalus cautions him not to fly too close to the sun for fear of the wax melting, Icarus, delirious with excitement when he sees that his wings are working, ignores his warnings. As Icarus soars higher and higher, the wax of his wings starts to melt, plunging him to a watery death. Evidently, this tale does not explain any natural event. Rather, it relays the dangers of man’s hubris. Perhaps more importantly, it does so in a way that allows the audience to connect with ideals that could seem abstract. In other words, myths not only discuss important aspects of the human experience, but they also force the audience to relate to and reflect on the moral messages they relay. Thus, it is clear that myths were not created to merely explain the outside world. They connect far more intimately to the world that exists within each of us.