The First Function of Mythology

Consciousness Has other notions Of how things ought to be What virtue is And so on And so on One Of the problems That Man has to face Is reconciling himself to the foundations of his own existence And this Is the first function Of mythology And this Is the first function Of mythology That reconciliation Of consciousness With the mystery of being And this Is the first function Of mythology Not Criticizing it Shakespeare In his definition of art in Hamlet Where he says "Art" "Holds the mirror up to nature" Is a perfect Definition I would say Of the first Function Of mythology When you hold the mirror Up to your self Your consciousness becomes aware Of Its Support What it is What it is That it is supporting it You may be shocked At what you see You may be greatly pleased But one way or another You become aware Of yourself Your consciousness becomes aware of that darkness That being Which came into being Out of darkness, and which is its own support And this Is the first function Of mythology And this Is the first function Of mythology That reconciliation Of consciousness With the mystery of being And this Is the first function Of mythology And the realization Of their mystery As something that consciousness Is not going to be able to criticize Not even going to be able to elucidate Not even going to be able to name It is something Beyond naming Beyond all definitions That is the first point And when that is lost One loses This sense of Awe Which Goethe calls, "The best thing in man." The sense Of gratitude for one's Privilege Of having This Center of consciousness aware of these things And this Is the first function Of mythology And this Is the first function Of mythology That reconciliation Of consciousness With the mystery of being And this Is the first function Of mythology