Mother Earth Mythology

Gill makes sure to clarify that he is not discussing “myths” as in fiction, but rather stories. Myth has a Western etymology, rooted in the Greek muthos meaning "word" or "speech" about the gods and supernatural. The classic Greek stories, as well as the ancient and sacred stories of the peoples of Asia, Africa, Melanesia, and the Americas, have been most commonly designated as myths by Westerners. The term myth may have a variety of meanings: It may be thought of as a true story or a foundational underpinning of a society. Yet, the use of the word nearly always conveys a qualitative, even emotional judgment. For many, referring to a story as a myth often bestows a special quality upon it--a spirituality, a primordiality, even a romanticism. In this essay, made available by The World & I Online, examines a lineage of Western writers who have considered the Mother Earth figure as a Native American goddess. From their writing a story of Mother Earth emerges, a story ascribed to Native Americans but actually created by the writers themselves.