“The word myth comes from the ancient Greek word muthos
meaning ‘a story’,” explains Pieter Scholtz.
‘To re-tell or re-enact a myth is to step out of this world
and into the myth world. The myth world is one in which the powerful unseen
forces that shape and animate the everyday world are present. A myth is a way
of understanding or negotiating with those forces to create a pathway between
the two worlds.
This book offers a glimpse into a few of these myth worlds,
and into the worlds of the myth-makers. Some cultures may be poor by material
standards, but their myths are rich in imaginative beauty.
One of the myths, The
Tale of the Golden Serpent, is the incredible story of a shipwrecked sailor
and his encounter with a mythical creature. It is also the story of Ra who
brought everything into being by naming it.
Within each myth is a whole world, complete in every detail,
like the world the god Ra brought into being.
Myths are many-layered and rich in meaning. They are a
vehicle for the deepest truths that human beings are able to understand or
express. So although myths are best understood in the context of the society
that created them, they are also a treasure that belongs to all humanity. We
forget or ignore them at our peril.”
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