How Myth and Folklore Still Haunt Our Modern World

In our hyper-rational, scientific age, we like to think we have outgrown the need for myth and folklore. We see these tales as charming relics, the pre-scientific attempts of ancient people to explain a world they didn't understand. Yet, to dismiss myth as merely a historical curiosity is to fundamentally misunderstand its nature. Myth and folklore are not dead; they are the invisible architecture of our modern world, shaping our stories, our psychology, and even our political narratives. They are the "ghost in the machine," a persistent echo of the past that continues to influence the present.

The Hero’s Journey

The most obvious influence of myth can be seen in our storytelling. Joseph Campbell, the American mythologist, popularised the concept of the "Hero's Journey", a monomythical narrative pattern that appears in virtually every culture's stories. The hero leaves their ordinary world, faces a series of trials, undergoes a major transformation, and returns with a "boon" to benefit their society.

We see this pattern in everything from Homer's The Odyssey to the Star Wars saga, from the legend of King Arthur to The Lord of the Rings. Luke Skywalker, like Odysseus, leaves his humble home, receives a special call to adventure, confronts a dark lord (the modern equivalent of a divine or demonic antagonist), and returns a changed person to restore balance to his world. The power of these stories isn't in their originality, but in their familiarity. They resonate with us because they speak to a universal human experience of growth and change, a pattern that is hardwired into our collective psyche.

Rumours, Legends, and the Urban Myth as Modern Folklore

Beyond the grand epics, folklore has also adapted to the digital age. We no longer tell tales of trickster gods by the firelight; instead, we have "urban legends" and "creepypastas". These stories, though often dismissed as hoaxes, function in the same way as ancient folklore: they encode our contemporary fears and anxieties. The legend of the "alligator in the sewer" reflects our fear of the unknown lurking beneath our civilised world. A story about a phantom hitchhiker speaks to our deep-seated unease with the stranger. These tales are not a new phenomenon; they are simply the latest iteration of a timeless tradition. The digital world has become the new campfire.

These stories don't need a single author; they are collectively authored, adapted, and retold by thousands of anonymous individuals, much like the folklore of the past. The same can be said for modern rumours, superstitions, and even the iconography of popular figures. Consider how figures like Marilyn Monroe or Elvis have taken on a mythical status, embodying abstract ideas of glamour and rebellion far beyond their historical reality. Their stories, filled with both truth and exaggeration, are a modern form of myth-making.

Collective Narrative and Commercialism

In the modern era, myth-making is not limited to organic folklore; it has been co-opted by commercial and entertainment interests. Corporations and brands build their own origin myths, turning their founders into heroic figures and their products into magical objects that promise a better life. The rags-to-riches story of a tech founder or the saga of a company's fight against a market rival are all modern epics. They borrow from the classic narrative of the underdog hero and the formidable enemy, making consumers feel like they're part of a grand story just by buying a product. These commercial myths are incredibly powerful, as they bypass our rational minds and appeal directly to our desire for meaning and belonging.

In the end, myths are not just stories we tell; they are stories that tell us. They tell us about our fears, our desires, and our place in the world. Even as we build our skyscrapers and launch our rockets, we are still living and breathing within a world shaped by ancient narratives. The gods may have gone, but the myths they inspired are still very much with us.