Myth, Religion and archytypal approach

Literature and Religion

Archetypal approach


Hello friends,

It is very difficult to say that from where literature has begun but one can certainly say that myths and religion have provided fundamental base to literature. If someone asks “Do literature and religion are connected to each other?” Literature student must say that religion and Literature are different two corner of triangle.

As any other social institute Religion can also be thought as a set of institution, ideas, believes. What is most obvious, however, is often overlooked. Frequently we have noted that literature is directly influenced by religion but impact of this in every writing has different significance, purpose and intention too.  German scholar Albin Lesky noted in A History of Greek Literature (1966) that the "relation between gods and men is central in the world of Homer" to an even greater extent, Lesky's observation would describe a vast amount of ancient Near Eastern and Indian Literature.

While we are discussing about religion and DHARMA, first of all we have to make our idea very much clear that Dharma has nothing to do with fact or reality or even with spirituality too. For example when someone in India says that “I am a Hindu” one should be very much clear about that Hinduism is not dharma, but rather it is way of living life. Dharma is also very greater concept which has also nothing to do with  religion! Dharma means duty and that’s why Duty could be social duty, universal duties as well and it could be personal also.

Writers! Which is near to impossible for everyone is quite easy for writer to see.  Even when it is parallel, writer can easily see the water of the bottom and bottom of the water. May be this plays major roles for having great insight to writers and that’s why the controversy has been, and will continue to be for years between writers and Dharmagurus.

Writers are supposed to discover realities rather than surrender to power or authority. Science is also keeps on inventing and discovering human life from the ages and still it keeps on doing while religion is static, full of superstitions and it does not allows people to grow but it holds tightly, it damages people’s mentality and that’s why religious is invisible social barriers. We can also say that religion is not chiefly invisible social barrier but people are constructed and conditioned in a way that it is very difficult to see.  

That’s why if writers directly oppose religion there are more chances that it may not accepted by people and so writer uses rituals and myth and makes it archetypes of literature.

Though we are discussing this, we have to keep this in mind that we can not take people's religion from them.As it is the only religion what commonly larger people have enough faith to survive. It very surface level, it seems that religion and literature are tightly connected with each other but as a student of literature I have to say that literature is directly opposing to religion because religion has nothing to do with spirituality. Religion makes people blind from that realities which is prier right of each and every human being. When religion and authority are merged there is only darkness and we have very strong example of “Puritan Age”.

Thank you.