Quote:
Originally Posted by MarchHare
I didn't intend to imply that changes to myths across cultures were purely unintentional. What I meant with the telephone metaphor is that there may have been an "original" Mesopotamian flood myth but it was changed and adapted over centuries as different cultures modified the story, so in the end the base myth is relatively unchanged (a great flood -- which may or may not have been an actual historical event -- is sent by the god(s) to destroy civilization) but specific details and characters vary greatly depending on the region and culture re-telling the story.
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Fair enough. You will forgive me for the knee-jerk reaction. It is borne of years of teaching religious studies and the unbelievable frustration that the telephone analogy creates among first and second year undergraduates.