MYTH AS A CRITICAL RELIGIO-CULTURAL PHENOMENON IN AFRICAN STUDIES

Abstract

Myths are accounts of the origin of societies and institutions not subject to rationalization but often used by historians and religious scholars in their quest to study African history; for it is only thus that man can comprehend the various aspects of the continent’s history and culture. This paper examines the critical understanding of the African worldview from its mythological perspective, the place of African studies, and the significance of myths in the reflection of the African religious experience. On the forgoing, this work examined the phenomenon of religion; culture; religion, and cultural alignment of the concept of myth; its typologies as well as function; myth and religion; African traditional religion and mythology. These Sub-thematic assertions (notions) are been judiciously adhered to in other to productively state a comprehensive standpoint of the topic under study.  In this context, the study adopted Rudoff Ottos’ Functional Myth theory to solve the problem of gross hermeneutic re-contextualization of myth in African studies. This problematic fact was handled by the Emphatic Regurgitation on the Viability and Criticality of Myth in African Studies. Not also undermining the contributions and findings of the different functions myth play in African traditional religion; such as explanation, justification or validation, description, healing, renewal, and inspiration.