6 Myth

Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop that lived around 1700 years ago.  The myth (Santa Claus) that spawned from his charitable behavior has been so successful in encouraging prosocial behavior in others that it has lasted to the present day.  Myths are traditional stories containing supernatural claims that are used to influence human behavior (Steadman and Palmer 2007).  Though the myth of Santa Claus has undoubtedly been modified for current circumstances, the messages are still clear; kids should behave well and parents should reward good behavior.

Many tellings of the legend of Sasquatch can be considered myth, too.  John Steinbeck’s version of the myth focuses on Sasquatch being harmless to people that treat the forest respectfully and Dr. Emily Zarka’s (from the link above) interpretation has a similar message.  To her, Sasquatch reminds, “Us to keep an eye on the big footprints that we leave behind as we move through this world” (PBS 2023).  This makes the sharing of tales about Bigfoot (who is often confused with Sasquatch, Yeti never complains) a perfect example of using a supernatural claim to influence human behavior.

These “messages from the ancestors” (myths) were implemented to ensure their immediate and distant descendants would keep behaving prosocially for generations.  In other words, myths allow the ancestors to continue influencing their descendants long after they are gone.