Myth, Memory, and Meaning - Kazantzakis in Jerusalem, Theo in Athens, and Ladino in New York
An original handwritten fragment of Maimonides’ Mishne Tora , held at Cambridge The Greek word mythos , from which we get ‘myth’, ultimately means ‘storytelling.’ It embodies a more emotional experience. Such impassioned retelling contrasts with logos , rational thought. Myths are stories that are accorded a higher significance by people’s belief in them, factual or not. The Jewish tradition is full of mythic stories, from the biblical to the contemporary, and the communal to the individual....