Since the beginning of time, mythology has helped people to better understand the world around them, or as Joseph Campbell said, put our “mind in touch with this experience of being alive.”

When I was seven, I dove into every book on Greek mythology I could find in the Boise Central Library (yes there were more than one). I was captivated by the adventures of the gods…one of my favorites was of Prometheus sneaking up Mount Olympus to bring fire to the people.

Prometheus Shares the Light

I still love reading the old myths. But more and more I’m asking: what of today’s myths put our minds in touch with the experience of being alive in a sustainable society? When we think of our energy future, or when we begin to learn about fish eating plastics in the North Pacific Gyre, where is the myth to provide essential guidance, the hero’s journey that provides an ethical compass that brings us more close in touch with the realities of our world?

Walt Disney of course did a great job of bringing old myths to the screen. One of that I recently saw my son watching was Paul Bunyan:

Hey, Paul (Keep swingin’, Paul!) Paul Bunyan
Cut that timber, show him now
Beat that city slicker now
Hey, Paul (Get up, Paul!)
Paul Bunyan

No wonder we got into these environmental challenges with guys like Paul as our inspiration. And perhaps we just haven’t had enough time for the new stories to bubble up. Maybe the environmental challenges of modern society (pollution, depleting fuel sources, deforestation, plastics in the Gyre) have occurred too quickly for inspiring stories to rise to the forefront.

James Cameron brought us Avatar, a myth that gives us insight into the interconnectedness of nature. Pixar made Wall-E which gave us a great way to see the pitfalls of a wasteful society, although I would have liked to see a bit more about how to avoid such a world. I’ve had more than a few conversations on this topic with Jonah Sachs, my friend and associate who co-founded Free Range Studios–see The Meatrix and Story of Stuff–both short films that are good examples of modern myths (although admittedly The Meatrix is more of a classic story). But these kinds of stories are still few and far between.

Paul Bunyan sure could cut down those forests. And we’re thankful to have houses to show for it…but as we’re considering the idea that keeping what remains of our forests could be a good call, Paul and his ox Babe are going to have to make way for other myths that tell us about the forest. And about the oceans. And our trash. And while we’re at it, I’m hoping one day to see Prometheus passing out solar panels.

Tags: joseph campbell, modern myth, mythology, Social Action, social media, storytelling, sustainability, video, viral video

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 4:15 am and is filed under Storytelling as Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.