How Their Societies are Reflected In Myth".
Ancient cultures tried to explain the workings of the universe by applying their.
experiences in everyday life to the movements of the heavens. The Inuits of the North American.
arctic were a tribal society that lived from day to day. The ancient Egyptians were a more.
complex society that advanced itself through study and experimentation. Sky myths help show.
the formation of the society's survival tactics, family organization, and view of the world around.
them.
The Inuits were a simple society based mostly on the hunting and gathering of food within.
the arctic of North America. It was an oral culture, meaning that the people used word of mouth.
in order to pass their history through the generations. The culture was polytheistic, and its gods.
and goddesses were personifications of the nature forces (thunder, light, etc.) (Encyclopedia.
Mythica). The people had to struggle in order to survive, and held every piece of food, metal,.
and wood as something precious. It was known that tribes of Inuits would search abandoned.
camps of European fur traders in search of pieces of iron and scraps of wood (Brice-Bennett). .
Family and hunting groups were one and the same, and each group was small and tightly-knit and.
called themselves "muit," or "the people of," of whatever area of land the group was living on and.
using as a hunting and fishing ground(Brice-Bennett) . Family and survival were important to.
these people (Brice-Bennett). This idea is reflected in their myth about the creation of the moon.
and the sun.
The story goes that the sun-goddess, Malina, had a horrible fight with her brother, the.
moon-god, Anningan. She covered her brother's face with soot and grease, and then ran away in.
terror. Anningan ran after her, but could not catch her no matter how quickly he ran (Family.
Education Network). This myth is meant to explain why the moon seems to chase after the sun.
