Poulami Chakraborty (Editor)
The myth is a set of age-old beliefs or stories based on religion, culture, nature or history. As Oxford dictionary explains, “A traditional tale, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events”.
MYTH? Wondering about the topic? This is really a topic unsaid and naturally adapted to. Let’s talk about the wonder facets of it.
However, people in general often get confused between myths and superstition. The clear distinction between these two is that the former is a traditional story based on both natural and unnatural characters, circumstances and ambiance, but the later is a negative force that involves supernatural characters and evil practices. Knowingly or unknowingly, myths are a larger aspect of any culture, be it Indian or Greece or some other country.
While talking only about myths or mythology, new discoveries say that most of the told stories, if connected with today’s era, can be well related to science and technology being used as a part of modern life. There exists some correlation and can be explained; for instance, the Mahabharata has descriptions of flying vehicles called ‘Vimanas’ and Arjuna’s travels in a flying chariot across the Himalayas, connecting a parallel coexistence with the choppers and airplanes used in modern life. Also, the mention of ‘Nivata Kavachas’ which means men in space suits clearly speaks volume about the bizarre link that existed then. Though there is no substantial evidence to support the link yet the similarities between the myths and today’s science can compel anyone to draw juxtaposition between the two. Possibilities of nuclear weapons being used in the Mahabharata war or post-war can be concluded after the recent discoveries of green glass, which is said to form when sand melts at very high temperatures prevalent in Nuclear Explosions, and many radioactive samples in certain excavations, in India, which apparently were associated with the Mahabharata war. According to the description in the Mahabharata, the Kauravas were created by splitting the single embryo into hundred parts and growing each part in a separate container. This tool exists in modern times that we know of test-tube babies. They also had the technology to grow human fetuses outside the human body.
In Roman mythology too, things are similar, one such myth is the Lycurgus Cup, which is a 1,600-year-old jade green Roman chalice that changes color depending on the direction of the light upon it. Since ages, this had baffled scientists as they could not work out why the cup appeared jade green when lit from the front but blood-red when lit from behind. In 1990, the researchers unwrapped the mystery when they discovered that the Roman artisans were nanotechnology pioneers: they had impregnated the glass with particles of silver and gold, ground down until they were as small as 50 nanometers in diameter.
There are many facts behind the myths too, but the other side of it is that for few people myths are religious lessons to be followed.
Banani Das Chowdhury, a blogger, and a young aspiring writer say, “I believed in myths blindfolded when I was a teenager but now I reason everything. Myths like I should not touch God during periods and no haircut on Thursdays (as Goddess Laxmi might get enraged) were a part of my not-to-do lists.”
Many such mythological does’ and doesn’t exist in the shell of religious covering, like carrying pickle during the journey is considered ‘apshagun’ (evil omen), keeping fast while going to a Mandir, being on a vegetarian diet during exams, on eclipses eating, peeing or drinking water is a blasphemy and the list has no ending. If minutely observed, though not all but some of the myths has a scientific bearing, as a vegetarian diet helps in faster digestion and during exams both body and mind must be healthy. Pickle is generally stored in glass containers and might break while on the move. Similarly, when an eclipse takes place the power of the Sun is minimum hence powerful germs which are destroyed otherwise might breed in food items, hence scientifically for health issues, these are good practices but nothing to do with religion.
“I don’t believe in myths. My mother tells me not to go for a haircut on Sundays as it is my day of birth, but I get only Sunday as a holiday to take out time from my schedule for hairdressing,” says Tamal Chakraborty, a 30-year-old finance executive in the corporate sector.
It needs courage and the right attitude to reason or question the age-old myths that have colonized our thought process.
Rashmi Narzary, the Sahitya Akademi Bal Puruskar Award winner says, “Depending on what myth is about, I sometimes go by it but I do not believe in them. Things which are harmless to me and society, but at the same are fun, I try them like taking green tea for glowing skin.”
Few know the art of making life simple and those few take myths for fun. “And what I absolutely don’t go by are myths like this one predicting the sex of an unborn baby. If the mother-to-be craves for salty food, it means she’s carrying a boy. And if she craves sweet, it’s a girl! I don’t believe in them, but yes, these can definitely entertain and are good for only entertainment purposes.” adds the award winner Narzary. The world has a diverse cultural and religious history, which trends on different myths. Hence, do not just believe in myths, but also reason them. So far it is for harmless entertainment let us be mythical!
