Mythology

I was having a conversation at Drones today about the nature of mythology, during which we discussed what constitutes a mythological system. We were debating, in particular, whether the Lord of the Rings trilogy or the DC and Marvell Comics qualified as mythology. Here are my thoughts on the matter:

Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" Project" does not constitute a legitimate mythology. When Tolkien, a preeminent Medievalist and critic, set out to compose a mythology for England set in a kingdom known as Middle Earth--a place with which all of us are familiar through generic writings but different names--he undercut any possibility of Middle Earth being a legitimate mythology of England. Mythology is like culture: It is not made, but is. Hence, the only prominent English mythology is the legend of King Arthur. King Arthur may not have sought after the Grail, but he was an actual historical figure known for his attempts to stave off Germanic invaders, and, in doing so, he so captured the imaginations of the Britons that all Anglo-Saxons are now familiar with who Arthur, the mythological figure, is and what he did. Even those of us who have not read Chretien, Geoffrey of Monmouth or Edmund Spenser can take educated guesses at who Arthur is. I doubt that many people who have not read or seen the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy can speak about who Frodo Baggins or Gandalf are.

Batman and Superman, on the other hand, do constitute mythological American figures because they have become ingrained in the American consciousness to such an extent that everyone knows who they are and what they do. Furthermore, both--in one way or another--are avatars of American ideals. Superman is quintessentially American because of his unflinching devotion to justice (and don't forget the American Way) and Batman because of his dedication to self-improvement. More importantly, whereas they are extraordinary figures, they find it necessary to maintain their ordinary identities; Superman as Clark Kent and Batman as Bruce Wayne. The anonymity implied by this vocation makes these comic book characters distinctly American in that, unlike the heroes of the classical or chivalric age, neither of them fight for idealistic honor, but rather for practical justice. They are, in a sense, the very incarnations of American identity. Lastly, the two characters can be identified as mythological because they are constantly being reinterpreted and reinvented. For example, I have never opened a Marvell or DC comic in my life, but am reasonably familiar with the biographies of both characters. The different stories are often conflicting (it is difficult to square Tim Burton's 1989 telling of "Batman" with Christopher Nolan's 2005 version, "Batman Begins") but this is one of the attributes of mythology. There is more than one version of the tale of Iphigenia, for instance. There is an almost unbridgeable chasm between the sane Ajax of the "Iliad" and the unstable Ajax who becomes envious to the point of suicide in the "Metamorphoses." The Marvell and DC comics are no exception and, for this reason, they are their own urban mythology, although they may not last as long as the story of Achilles has.