The materials given here are based on Leonard & McClure with additional notes added by Bill Stifler, 2005, 2016.
The Rise and Fall of Comparative Mythology
Comparative mythology is rooted in the idea "that physical environment has a direct influence on people's collective disposition and body type and, indirectly, on their sociocultural values" (Leonard and McClure 10), which was based in Herder's Volk theory. "[I]n the 19th century the study of myths was primarily a matter of sorting out the races according to the similarities and dissimilarities in their languages and sacred narratives" (Leonard and McClure 10). While there was certainly value in examining the ethnic qualities and values of myth, these values were overshadowed by the 19th century confusion of ethnicity with the concept of race, which had grown out of both the slavery movement and the nationalist movement as a means to suggest one group of people was superior to others. Biologically, there is just one extant race of human beings, homo sapiens.
Three Schools (Approaches) to the Study of Myth
Comparative Mythologists: The comparative mythologists tried to "identify myth types and trace them back" to their origins (Leonard and McClure 10). The concept of types came from theological studies. Biblical scholars believed the Old Testament stories contained metaphors or patterns that expressed New Testament truths about Christ. These metaphorical references were called "types." For instance, when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, this was interpreted as a type of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. The comparative mythologists applied this concept of types or patterns to other myths. For instance, Arthur, at his death, was spirited away to Avalon with the prophesy that he would return again to lead the British people. Comparative mythologists saw this story as representative of the Christ type, the once and future king.
Nature School: The "Nature School" sought to "identify the environmental cause of a given people's myths" (Leonard and McClure 10). In this view, Prometheus bringing fire to earth was an imaginative retelling of a lightning strike causing a fire. The Nature school worked to find the environmental "triggers" for all mythic stories.
Ethnologists: The ethnologists studied the "specific and defining quality" of various Völker (folk people) (Leonard and McClure 10) . The ethnologists focused on Herder's idea that the environment of a culture would define its unique characteristics. For instance, the Middle Eastern concept of "hell" is a place of fire, so that, in our modern culture people will sometimes say "It's hot as hell outside." The Norse vision of hell was of a place of cold and ice ruled over by the goddess Hel (from whom we get our word "hell"), so, sometimes modern people will say things like "It's cold as hell outside." The two seemingly contradictory statements are taken from two different cultures that have influenced modern American culture.
The "Aryan Hypothesis"
Grimm Brothers: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm collected German fairy tales "that would demonstrate that which was distinctive in the German character" (Leonard and McClure 11). While there was value in preserving these stories, the purpose seemed to be to suggest that the stories revealed those qualities that made the German people superior to other nationalities.
Richard Wagner: In Wagner's Ring Cycle, "we see an almost religious devotion to the values of the Aryan (Leonard and McClure 11). In his theoretical works, his racism becomes apparent as he denigrates the Jews, arguing, for instance, they "were incapable of producing any original art or music" (Leonard and McClure 11). Since the Jews had been expelled from their land, Wagner argues, using Herder's Volk theory, that the Jews, lacking that close connection with the soil, were parasites on the lands where they lived.
Friedrich Nietzsche: Nietzsche romanticized the early Aryans as "triumphant monsters" and described the Aryan as "the splendid blond beast prowling about avidly in search of spoil and victory" (Leonard and McClure 11). This idea of the blond superior Aryan can be seen in some Christian story books where Christ is pictured with blond hair. One suggestion by those who supported the Aryan hypothesis was that Jesus was a superior human being because he was the offspring of the rape of Mary by a German Aryan soldier working in the Roman army.
Adalbert Kuhn: Kuhn (Nature School) suggested an Aryan Ur-myth. Stories of the gods bringing gifts, like fire, are "allegories of natural phenomenon" such as lightning (Leonard and McClure 12). In Kuhn's view, other people's myths were based on the original Aryan myths.
Friedrich Max Müller: Müller saw myth as "a disease of language." What began as "poetic descriptions" of natural phenomenon came to be interpreted as a "bewildering array of deities, rituals, and superstitions" (Leonard and McClure 12-13). In Müller's view, while brilliant, creative, and intelligent Aryans had created masterfully poetic metaphors, lesser humans had taken the stories literally, creating a hodgepodge of superstitious mumbo-jumbo.
The Decline of Comparative Mythology
Despite the many varieties of approaches to myth in the 19th century, all depended on comparing myths by reading and studying the collected stories of myth (Leonard and McClure 13).
Positive Traits of 19th Century Approaches
Collected and preserved many myths: Many of the myths available today would have been lost if not for their efforts.
Interested in content and origins of myth: In their efforts, they tried to determine the meaning behind myths.
Cross-cultural studies: By studying the myths of one culture and comparing those to the myths of another culture, they were able to gain new insights into myth.
Multidisciplinary approaches: They did not limit the study of myth to a single academic approach but looked at myth from many perspectives.
Revealed and valued culture of Volk: The error is not in valuing ethnic stories but in privileging some cultures as superior to others.
Longing for Golden Age: I am not certain why Leonard and McClure see this as a positive except, perhaps, as an encouragement to improve.
Negative Traits of 19th Century Approaches
Static cultural artifacts: They failed to see myth as part of changing, living culture.
Relevant to primitive past: They failed to recognize that modern "enlightened" people also had myths.
Seen as "irrational and crudely primitive": They assumed myths were created by people who lacked the intelligence to recognize nature, literature, or history for what it was.
Saw as explanation of natural phenomena: They assumed myths arose because people lacked the intelligence to recognize nature.
Largely ignored function of myth: The function of myth becomes the focus of 20th century approaches.