Myth Makers

America needs its myths:

Every functional society had a mythos—an ethos based on myth. In antiquity, Mesopotamians, Greeks and Norsemen had a long list of rather unruly gods. These, in turn, provided stories to inculcate values and bind that society together. More recently, the rise of the nation-state combined many local groups, transferring the mythos from the city or tribe to the country at large. For example, the “Kalevala” was an ancient epic among the people of Karelia in the borderlands of Russia and Finland. Its translation into modern form was the basis of Finland’s identity after centuries of being ruled by her neighbors. The United States offered a special challenge, since it comprised citizens of different nations, faiths and civic ideals. As the people weren’t connected by blood, soil or even language, we focused on the few ideals we did share. The Declaration of Independence outlined several of these beliefs, the Constitution codified them and storytellers demonstrated how they could work in the real world. Young girls were weaned on tales of Betsy Ross and Molly Pitcher, while boys compared Nathan Hale’s bravery to Benedict Arnold’s treason. Our early unifying myths included the shared struggle of the American Revolution (even though many stayed on the sidelines) and the superhuman virtues of our Founding Fathers (despite their human flaws). As that generation passed from the scene, we focused on promulgating our “new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Through relentless migration to the west, we would enlighten the whole continent with our superior ideals. .... As you can see, a national mythos isn’t a static canon but a living tradition. Mythical stories are not necessarily false, but symbolic. Their purpose is to point toward truths about human character, national aspiration and communal destiny. Where history is prose, myth is poetry. Unlike ancient myths, the American mythos wasn’t about demigods, but average men and women overcoming fate and fortune to achieve greatness. The Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving, George Washington chopping down the cherry tree and Paul Revere’s ride fed into our creation myth. Daniel Boone’s trailblazing, Abraham Lincoln’s log cabin and the ability of impoverished kids to become Vanderbilts and Carnegies fleshed out the narrative further. These stories explained how our nation was formed, created a pantheon to look up to and provided an ideal for citizens to strive toward. They focused not on our differences, but on our commonalities, unifying radically different groups into a cohesive whole. This grand American mythos showed us what we think about ourselves and who we aspire to be.

When the myth becomes legend, print the legend...