The Mythos
I believe in evolution. There is nothing in either myth or folklore that can compete, in my opinion, with the veracity of the theory. We see it happening every day in the microscopic world as germs, viruses, and microbes of all kind change generation by generation, a reflection of their environments. We see it in mankind, in the various ways we have adapted to our own environments, our skin darkening or lightening, our hair growing differently, our eyes taking on different shapes and colors to suit the ways our environments affect us.
Mythic systems, of course, tell us that man was created. But to deny evolution as a result of this is, in my opinion, stupid. I do, however, believe the Gods play an important part in evolution. Through adversity, life evolves, and we certainly see in the Gods martial aspects that clearly show their capacity to throw adversity our way. The Greeks were even fond of saying that the Gods gave man both good and evil, and in this the Greeks were not talking about the "Satanic" kind of evil that Christians believe in, but adversity and hardship.
According to Homeric myth, man is created five times. These five races of man are named after precious metals. Gold, Iron, Bronze, etc. as well as the Heroic Age, in which human beings were often the children of Gods.
Many states also had their own myths about the origins of their state, often self serving myths that elevated the local people above all others, such as the Attik myth of the Attik people having been born of the earth of Attika itself. Even today we still refer to the various stages of human history in terms of the metals we used in our technology. The stone age, iron age, bronze age, etc.
In these myths we see echos of the evolutionary process, even if incorrect in its base assumptions, but we see mankind going through many stages of change with various levels of technology and personal happiness and innocence, as if the earlier ages of men were more blessed because of their ignorance or animal like behavior.
Mankind has had to face, as a result of his emerging intellect, the realities of existence and mortality, and he has had to face the truths behind the turmoil and hardship that make up human existence from the moment we are born to the day we die. As animals, we would hardly have had the capacity to appreciate the truth of mortality, as intelligent human beings we have that capacity, and often regret it.
Mythic systems, of course, tell us that man was created. But to deny evolution as a result of this is, in my opinion, stupid. I do, however, believe the Gods play an important part in evolution. Through adversity, life evolves, and we certainly see in the Gods martial aspects that clearly show their capacity to throw adversity our way. The Greeks were even fond of saying that the Gods gave man both good and evil, and in this the Greeks were not talking about the "Satanic" kind of evil that Christians believe in, but adversity and hardship.
According to Homeric myth, man is created five times. These five races of man are named after precious metals. Gold, Iron, Bronze, etc. as well as the Heroic Age, in which human beings were often the children of Gods.
Many states also had their own myths about the origins of their state, often self serving myths that elevated the local people above all others, such as the Attik myth of the Attik people having been born of the earth of Attika itself. Even today we still refer to the various stages of human history in terms of the metals we used in our technology. The stone age, iron age, bronze age, etc.
In these myths we see echos of the evolutionary process, even if incorrect in its base assumptions, but we see mankind going through many stages of change with various levels of technology and personal happiness and innocence, as if the earlier ages of men were more blessed because of their ignorance or animal like behavior.
Mankind has had to face, as a result of his emerging intellect, the realities of existence and mortality, and he has had to face the truths behind the turmoil and hardship that make up human existence from the moment we are born to the day we die. As animals, we would hardly have had the capacity to appreciate the truth of mortality, as intelligent human beings we have that capacity, and often regret it.