Mythology

Myth is a short-cut taken by holistic thinking to instigate the production of signs of existence (sets of indexes such as emotions), it is a mental action of which the primary task is the suspension of verification. The utterance of an unverified truth which one can believe subordonate the demonstrative function of thinking to its illustrative function. When, in the process of circumventing the semantic dissemination of meaning with the help of analogical iconicity, discursive thinking uses the image as a concept, it creates allegory. Allegory is to holistic thinking what myth is to discursive thinking.

the myth of originality

To believe that each person is unique is to deny banalization and, by giving more value to symbols than indexes, to hinder iconicity. The emblematic figure of Apollo and the theme of heroïsm illustrate this myth.

the myth of reciprocity

To believe that there is someone who can fulfill all our needs, kindred spirit or better half, is to deny the importance of family ties. It triggers the instaurative iconicity making possible the replacement of the mother figure by that of the lover friend and sets the equivalence between index and symbol. Venus is here the emblematic figure and love the main theme.

the myth of indifferenciation

To believe that all is equal, that all symbolization of individuality is an illusion, is to place the index before any sign of essence. It is also, by pushing iconicity to its limit, to abolish the power of ressemblance. The main theme here is death and the emblematic figure of Dionysos is shaped after this myth.

the myth of heredity

To believe that the person is just a vehicle for the reproduction of the species is to minimize the power of love. Reductive iconicity makes it possible to save indexes threw symbolization. When someone has for instance the « same » nose as his or her father, the index (shape or color of the nose) become a symbol (conventional sign) of the kinship’s identity. Mercury is here the emblematic figure and humanity the main theme.

The different mythical narratives establish different sequences of myths : originality is central to the mythical narrative of Hercules and Penelope; reciprocity to that of Narcissus and Psyche; indifferenciation to Oedipus and Ariadne; and heredity to Ulysses and Pandora.