Creating a new Myth

    Recently I've had to create a new mythical idea for my English class. This experience has certainly offered me an experience of what it's like to create something new while also needing it to teach my audience a moral and historical idea. 

    I made a website focused on the idea of why dogs are often considered "guardians" according to various human cultures. I got the idea from my love of animals and the various dogs I have met in my life. (I also wanted an excuse to share pictures of Comet). Basically, in my new myth, a dog was once enlightened and then sent all other dogs to protect the spirits of humans, physically and morally. When making my new myth, I had to study the history and mythology of a few cultures that related to the idea, so I learned a lot about the Fu dogs from Chinese mythology and Shiisaa from Japanese Mythology. Of course there is also the famous Cerberus from Greek mythology, who guards the entrance to the realm of Hades. My biggest concern for this assignment was creating a myth that is both entertaining and has connections to ancient and modern times. When teaching history and myth to children, I think this will be especially important. Kids will want to see reflections of themselves in what they learn, or at least something that entertains them. This is part of why I chose to write about both dogs (everyone loves dogs!) and about a myth that has connections to multiple cultures. Even if students don't see themselves in the cultures referenced, they can at least think about their pets and the roles they fill within their home, thus connecting them to the myth. 

    The creation of my own myth definitely required me to think more deeply about how to connect with an audience (students, in my case) and how to relate my writing to those who read it. The study of myths also taught me quite a bit about Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Greek cultures.