ABSTRACT
Malinowski’s findings from his research in the Trobriands were published in Myth in Primitive Psychology60 He shows that in archaic societies-where by definition there could be no ‘survivals’, since it is these societies that are considered the primary source from which other forms arose-myth is not a means of expressing theoretical or prescientific or even pre-rational knowledge of the environment. Instead, argues Malinowski, myth has a purely practical function. It maintains traditions and cultural continuity by linking past events to the supernatu ral. Myth codifies thought, reinforces mores, defines precise rules of behavior, sanctions rituals, and rationalizes and justifies the social order. Malinowski believes that the practical function of myth is as much to solve critical problems associated with the well-being of the individual and of society as to maintain social and economic harmony He shows that myth not only is a tale told by means of allegory and symbolism but is also seen by primitives as a kind of ‘Holy Scripture’, a reality that influences the destiny of man and the universe. The real character of myth can perhaps be traced to events in some mythical prehistoric past, but the psychological reality of myths for primitives is maintained when myths are reproduced in rituals to which are attached magical signifi cance. Malinowski makes a strong case for tracing myth to magic and ritual, and his clearly articulated view of the function of myth in primi tive societies is still relevant today.
