Geomythology

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Geomythology is analysis of mythological stories to learn about geological events portrayed in them. Sometimes this gives valuable information about old earthquakes, tsunamies, floods, etc. which are either scientifically not known or hard to know. These stories give scientists hints and clues about old unknown geological events which can then later on be analyzed and scientifically studied in detail. Additionally, such study provides insights into early cultures.

An example is the Native American legend of a giant bear chasing a couple who were saved when the land rose beneath their feet; the bear's claws left gouge marks on the sides of the uplift known today as Devil's Tower, Wyoming.

The word was coined in 1968 by Dorothy Vitaliano, a geologist at Indiana University.

[edit] References

A news story by Robin McKie
Vitaliano, D. B., 1968, Geomythology, Journal of the Folklore Institute, Vol. 5, No. 1 (June 1968), p. 11.
Vitaliano, D.B., 1973, Legends of the Earth: Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 305 p.