Claude Levi-Strauss – The Structural Study of Myth – summary, review and analysis - part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4
In his "The Structural Study of Myth" anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss argues that myth is like language. One might suppose that myth is a subdivision of language (a specific form of using language) but according to Levi-Strauss myth has its own characteristics which distinguish it from its language and which make myth a language in itself. This special attribute of myth is revealed according to Levi-Strauss in the attempt to translate a mythical narrative form one language to another. Unlike other form of language, and especially poetry, which lose a lot in translation, myth retains its capacities even when poorly translated. According to Levi-Strauss, this is due to the nature of the structural components which make up a myth which are irreducible and recurrent across myths.
In his "The Structural Study of Myth" anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss argues that myth is like language. One might suppose that myth is a subdivision of language (a specific form of using language) but according to Levi-Strauss myth has its own characteristics which distinguish it from its language and which make myth a language in itself. This special attribute of myth is revealed according to Levi-Strauss in the attempt to translate a mythical narrative form one language to another. Unlike other form of language, and especially poetry, which lose a lot in translation, myth retains its capacities even when poorly translated. According to Levi-Strauss, this is due to the nature of the structural components which make up a myth which are irreducible and recurrent across myths.
These
structural components of myths, which Levi-Strauss terms "mythemes"
are not important in themselves and have no intrinsic value but rather, much
like the
nature of the linguistic sign according to de-Saussure, depend on their
structural alignment in order to gain meaning. Every mytheme receives its meaning
form its position in the myth and its relations with other mythemes.
In
"The Structural Study of Myth" Levi-Strauss is curious how different
mythemes group together and reproduced as an underlying structure of myth. The method
Levi-Strauss suggests for the study of myth is supposed to address exactly this
concern.
According
to Levi-Strauss, a myth should by analyzed into its mythemes which are
subsequently classified and visually sorted in columns. The horizontal axis of the
mythemes chart represents diachronical development in the myth. The vertical
column represents variations on the same subject. Thus a map of relations
between mythemes is received which enables the anthropologist to see both
temporal and thematic relations. Only is reading the myth with both these
aspects taken together into account can the meaning of the myth be deciphered.
Claude Levi-Strauss – The Structural Study of Myth – summary, review and analysis - part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4
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Claude Levi-Strauss – The Structural Study of Myth – summary, review and analysis - part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4
