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myth
an anonymous, traditional story that explains a natural phenomenon, an aspect of human behavior, or a mystery of the universe
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creation myths
tell how the world and human beings came to exist
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origin myths
- how natural phenomena (stars, moon, mountains) came to be
- why society has certain customs
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archetype
- a symbol, story pattern, or character type that is found in the literature of many cultures
- Ex: children with opposite qualities born from the same parent (good and evil)
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trickster
- character, frequently an animal (coyote, raven, mink) that speaks and explains other human traits, has 2 sides to its personality
- defy authority and cause trouble, but are clever and creative who give unexpected wisdom
- Ex: Coyote brought dath because he realized the world would be too crowded if people livved forever
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totem
animals and natural objects from which certain clans descended. These clans are responsible for the myths of the animal/object, while it served as their spiritual guide.
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