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8.3
The concepts of myth and mysticism
 
  The second major obstacle before beginning to consider the oldest and most sacred of humanities texts is the popular classification of these ancient religious works and stories as "myths".  
8.3.1 The concept and definition of the word "myth"  
  The word "myth" comes from the late Greek muqoV (Late Latin = mythos) meaning " a purely fictitious narrative usually involving supernatural persons, actions, or events, and embodying some popular idea concerning natural or historical phenomena. Often used vaguely to include any narrative having fictitious elements."  
  Hence when the word mythology is used to describe the ancient writings of Egypt, Greece, or even South America, the word means "a body of myths, that belong to the religious literature or tradition of a country or people" (1784).  
  The word "myth" in large part is an offensive word, because of its implications, yet it is used freely to describe the ancient writings of traditional cultures.  
  We describe the history of philosophical and religious thought of the Egyptians "mythology", yet contemporary science has no comprehensive and provable theory on the construction of the Great Pyramid.  
8.3.2 The concept and definition of Mystic  
  The word mystic and mystical comes from the Greek concept, translating into mysticus in Latin. The ancient original meaning was a combination of words, from "close + eyes/lips" and in its first combined meaning meant "initiated one."  
  The combined meaning and the combination of words of close + lips is interesting, given those "initiated" into the mystics of the Greek traditions of the temples to Orpheus were sworn to secrecy, under penalty of death.

 
  Thus the words initiation and secrecy are synonymous with the word mystic. As in its first meaning, the word mystic applies to people, not to objects or concepts, as concepts of secret knowledge to the Greeks was called "gnosis", a completely separate word. Therefore, one schooled in "gnosis" was a "mystic".  
  The word mystery, itself has an interesting pedigree, comes from the Latin word mysterium meaning secret thing or ceremony, as in the ceremony (mystery) of an initiated one (mystic).  
  Interestingly, during the mid 16th Century with the rise of the trade guilds in Europe, the skills, occupation and art of crafts were called by the word mystery, from the contraction of the Latin word misterium , related to ministerium meaning "to apply, to serve, to impart".  
  Given the closed shop nature of the craft guilds and their codification of skills as secret arts, it is entirely common sense that the word should have been used in this context, later to be developed to the abbreviation of a person skilled in an art or craft or occupation as Mister (later contracted to Mr).  
8.3.3 The negation of the word "mystic"  
  It was only around the 14th to 16th Century that the words “mystic” and “mystical” developed their negative connotation in European languages thanks to the rulings of the Roman Catholic Church to make clear distinctions between church doctrine and the complete separation and suppression of any magic remnants from the holy scriptures and holy rituals of church history, except of course those permitted under church law ( such as the sacraments).  
  This is probably in large part in response to the mass extermination of heretical thought and regions of heretical thought during this period by the church and its supporters. It is during this period that mystic and mystical developed an apparently negative connotation of “ of dark import, obscure meaning, or occult influence,” and “ of a person: obscure in speech or style”.  
  Thus the term mysticism emerged at the end of this period at around 1700 meaning “ (a) as a term of reproach: applied loosely to any religious belief associated with self delusion and dreamy confusion of thought” and (b) “Sometimes applied to philosophical and scientific theories which assume occult qualities or mysterious agencies of which no rational account can be given.”  
  Hence also the derisive word “mystify”, meaning “to bewilder, to play on the credulity of: to hoax, humbug, to wrap up or involve in mystery: to make mystical, to involve obscurity.”  
8.3.4 The creation of the science of “myth”  
  The success of the word myth, compared to the other derisive words attacking mystic history is that under the guise of common senses it attacked as unscientific and fictional the cultural heritage of non-Christian cultures.  
  The duplicity of such descriptions were largely hidden by including the condition that myths usually include such supernatural events in a context as to be highly questionable. Therefore Christian historians deemed the Egyptian religions as being based on myth, while the Virgin Birth, resurrection of Jesus Christ and the the possession of the Holy Spirit as matters of personal faith.  
8.3.5 The subtle rhetoric of myth and mysticism  
  In combination the concepts of myth and mysticism are a powerful defence for the Roman Christian and Neo Platonic view of the world. On the one hand, stories of the past and ancient knowledge can be classed as myth, therefore having no practical basis, except of course for that literature that coincidentally is deemed to have some factual and spiritual basis such as The Bible.  
  This wipes out the past. Then if one is to attempt to apply any ritual outside the norms of the christian concept, to question concepts not described in the christian concept, then the concepts are described as mysteries or mysticism. Strike 2 and 3 once mysticism is applied, the derision is already implied.  
  All a critic need do is look to those religions and philosophies that happily accept the branding of mysticism and accept the branding as a point of difference and summarize these as bewildering clap-trap and game-set-match.  
  This is the greatest sadness of the emerging new age debate. That the words of derision of the past are not considered by the authors of the present. They view the nature of words such as mystical and mysticism as an advantage against theology- not realizing that the words were created and carry the legacy of the past derision to which they were designed.  
 
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