Mythology and Values

Download or read book Mythology and Values written by Katherine Spencer and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2014-11-11 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, Katherine Spencer examines Navaho cultural values by studying a specific subset of Navaho mythology: chantway myths, part of ceremonies performed to cure illness. She begins with a summary of the general plot construction of chantway myths and the value themes presented in these plots, then discusses “explanatory elements” inserted by the narrators of the myths. She continues with a deeper analysis of the cultural value judgements conveyed by these myths. At the end of the book, Spencer includes abstracts of the myths she discusses.