"I identify these two myths as replacement myths (Lindhard, 2018c), which are
created when there is a change over in the ruling order of society, in this case
from a matriarchal society to a patriarchal society or from a female goddess
religion to male god religion. It is understandable from the point of view of the
replacing group but the effects produced by these myths is not only on
behaviour but possibly also involves psychic and cognitive processes. It is on
this level that I feel the myth of Apollo has made a lasting impact, which is still
influencing us today.
A historical example of a myth that gave rise to behaviour is the Hebrew
subjugation of the Canaanites, whose principle divinity was the Goddess and
her symbol the snake, which represents the mystery of life (Campbell, 1991).
The subjugation of women in many countries where Abrahamic male God
religions predominate, can also be seen as being linked to this myth although
this is slowly changing in most Western countries where women are gaining
many rights that they previously did not have. Interestingly, the myth of Eve
eating of the tree of life did not seem to affect how people obtained knowledge
about themselves or the world they lived in because in the Bible, both the Old
and New Testament, the intuitive way of knowing is fully accepted and
examples can be found where both genders received information from dreams,
visions, precognition and nonverbal communication with a Higher Intelligence
(Lindhard, 2018c). So although women were subjugated, intuition was an
accepted method of receiving information from the subconscious or elsewhere."
Tina Lindhard
Topic Author
