The Power of Myth

Chapter 4 opens with a conversation about sacred spaces and the ways early mythologies saw living creatures as sacred. Campbell argues that nature reveals the divine energy of the world in a way that manmade structures cannot. A culture’s geography and the sex of its gods determine how individuals relate to nature, and Campbell believes that the modern biblical tradition hinders people from recognizing divinity in nature. He considers cultures that imbued their buildings and communal spaces with sacred numerology, orientations, and symbols so that their people were always connected to the cosmic order. Campbell has a particular affinity for Chartres Cathedral in France. The cathedral leaves Campbell with an intense feeling of spiritual awareness that he does not experience in contemporary churches.

Throughout the chapter, Campbell discusses the differences between hunting and planting cultures. Both cultures understand that death is necessary to bring about life. In some planting mythologies, food crops first arose after planting the body of a willing human sacrifice. In other cultures, rituals of eating the flesh of human sacrifices express the hope of future prosperity. Campbell gives the example of ritualistic cannibalism in New Guinea and compares it to the Catholic