ARUTA, MARL INNO A.

BS Biology- II
Lit 1
Why do people create myths?

Myths have become an essential part in the growth of literature and the culture of a
nation. Myths may be fantasy stories of creation, heroism and whatnots. But, why do people
create myths?
Lets take the stories of creation from different ethnic groups in our country for example.
These myths are created to explain how things came to be. It is in the nature of humans to
search for its origin, to search for the truth. Thats why people of the past create myths to try to
explain these things through the objects that can be found in their surroundings, like stone,
water, and others.
Our ancestors or even our parents create myths to convey moral implications. The
younger ones love storytelling and thats how the elderly impart a lesson, of what is right and
wrong. Stories of humans turning into vegetables and fruits because of wrongdoings are
examples of myths with moral importance.
Another reason for creating myths may be to pacify children or to prevent them from
going out at night. The stories of aswang, mananaggal, kapre, and other hideous mythical
creatures are made to scare children from going outside at late night, and to make them go to
bed early.
But the most important reason for creating myths is to convey the culture and tradition
of a group, place, or nation to its listeners and readers, or perhaps a reflection of their longing
for progress or how they want their lives to be.