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Human history has brought thousands of mythologies all over the world. These still have a significant impact on our lives even centuries after their golden years.
The art of storytelling has been around as long as humanity itself, with every civilization around the world having its own collection of narratives that with time have developed into what we now call Mythologies. These have been orally passed across generations for thousands of years before being transposed to the written word holding beliefs, traditions, and lessons. Slowly each one of these collections evolved to become a fully fledged religion of their respective regions.
Despite most of these stories being part of the ancient world, and regarded as myths by those religions that managed to withstand to this day. They still hold a heavy influence on humanity, from the evolution and persistence of these as seen in Hellenism to the footprints marked across the film and television industries.
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The Sagas of The World
Mythologies have held many responsibilities in their civilizations. They passed on important lessons and explore their regions’ history, using them to explain the world around them and the intricacies of human nature. Entire tropes like the hero’s journey and superhuman abilities have been borrowed from set mythologies.
Many storytelling concepts originate from world mythology. One that in the last couple of decades has grown in popularity in the entertainment industry is cyclical storytelling. Popularized by pieces like the cult classic crime film ‘Pulp Fiction’ and later by the acclaimed thriller show ‘Dark’. While it saw its rise through the Mid-1990s to early 2000s, the concept of cyclical storytelling has been an important aspect of Aztec Mythology, with it being the center of its creation myth.
Another interesting aspect that can be surprisingly seen in many media is the concept of Animism. Seen in many Native American Myths as well as Japanese ones, the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence has seen a variety of uses in the industry. From Grandmother Willow in Disney’s ‘Pocahontas’ to the adorable BMO in ‘Adventure Time’.
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Some pieces like the 1999 films ‘The Mummy’ and ‘The Matrix’ do not hide their mythological inspirations, with ‘The Mummy’ taking a lot from the story of Osiris and the viewpoints on curses seen throughout Egyptian mythology. Even the latter one names its main characters after the protagonists of the Greek myth of Prometheus. These films take very heavy inspiration from their respective mythologies, not being direct retellings but original stories drawing from set narratives to increase their worlds.
On the other hand, stands films like 2008’s action science fiction film ‘Outlander’ whose plot is loosely based on the epic tale of Beowulf in Germanic Mythologies. Another example is the beloved DreamWorks film ‘Kung Fu Panda’, despite passing as an iteration of the classic underdog trope after a thorough look at the classic Kung Fu masterpiece acts as essentially a retelling of the classic Chinese myth of the Dragon King (Longwang).
Proving once again the importance of inspiration when it comes to creativity and storytelling. Teaching creatives to not see it as a block but rather as fuel for their creativity and imagination that allows narratives to be more human and spread across a more engaging audience.
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Beasts That Surpass Time
One thing that all mythologies have in common is the existence of Mythological Creatures. Some like the Nahual in Mesoamerican Mythologies and the Changelings in Celtic Mythology hold unease similarities, while others are exclusive to their home mythos. These creatures have persisted and grown alongside the art form of storytelling.
The most recognizable thanks to its long-standing feature on fantasy films and shows across the ages is by far the European Dragon. With roots being traced all the way back to the Kur in Sumerian Mythology as part of the belief system by the first literate civilization found in recorded history, this timeless creature has played pivotal roles across Cinema and Television. From the feared Smaug in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Saga to Snowball in ‘The Fairly OddParents’ dragons have made a significant impact in storytelling as a whole.
A franchise that has drawn from mythology ever since its roots in novel form is Harry Potter and where this can be mostly appreciated is with the wide array of beasts and creatures that inhabit its universe. Some like the infamous Basilisk or the legendary Troll have their origins more well known, yet within the vast sea of beasts that exist in the magical world there are some lesser known to be derived from mythology. The Hippogriff is one of the most surprising, originating from Italian Mythology this beaked stallion regained its popularity thanks to Alfonso Cuarón’s great depiction of the creature when adapting ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ to the big screen.
These are just a few creatures that have been used to increase the immersion of the entertainment industry. These remind us of the power of human creativity, while they saw their birth thousands of years ago they have strengthened and adapted as the medium of storytelling changes.
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From The Pages of History to Everyone’s Screens
We are currently standing at the golden of adaptations, with up to half of films and shows released each year being a form of adaptation. As world myths are greatly considered classic narratives, it makes complete sense that they’re the subjects of many of these.
Considered one of the two popular mythologies in modern media alongside Greek Mythology is Norse Mythology. Just as the Greek Mythos conquered the last half of the 20th century, Norse Mythology has taken a massive rise in popularity this 21st century. Franchises like ‘Vikings’ and Marvel’s ‘Thor’ lead this trend grossing millions in mere years of existence.
Despite the popularity of these mythologies, the most adapted figure in media is Sun Wukong the protagonist of the 1592 Chinese novel ‘Journey to the West’. Seeing adaptations of all kinds, from direct adaptations like the massively popular Japanese 70s show ‘Monkey’ to being the direct inspiration for the most popular anime franchise of all time that is ‘Dragon Ball’. This monkey has left an infinite trail in the entertainment industry across all of its mediums.
Over 130 years there have been billions of films and shows, more than 40% of them have taken some sort of inspiration from mythologies around the world. As this number just keeps increasing each year, they allow their legacy to truly live forever while fostering the natural human talent of creativity for generations to come.
By Mario Martinez Ignacio
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Author
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Mario Martinez Ignacio is a writer from Mexico City. As a child, he spent most of his free time deep-diving into online wikis, which sparked a passion for lore and worldbuilding. Driven by his love for writing, Mario obtained a BFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. With the objective of inspiring others, he fuses writing and education to create narratives that entertain while igniting curiosity and fostering new perspectives, one word at a time.
Mario Martinez Ignacio is a writer from Mexico City. As a child, he spent most of his free time deep-diving into online wikis, which sparked a passion for lore and worldbuilding. Driven by his love for writing, Mario obtained a BFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. With the objective of inspiring others, he fuses writing and education to create narratives that entertain while igniting curiosity and fostering new perspectives, one word at a time.
