The myth of “Marwe in the Underworld” provides a detailed sequence of events of how Marwe entered the land of the dead and later was reunited with her family. When Marwe sank at the bottom of the pol, she encountered an old woman who acted as her guide in the land of the dead. After some time, the old woman read, Marwe’s heart that she wanted to rejoin the living. Marwe was covered with jewels and finest robes before she was sent back to the living.
The old woman also prophesied that she would marry Sawoye. In the African culture, death did not mean the end of life since one continues to live in another realm and can return to their homes (Ekore and Bolatito 369). Amanda Coomaraswamy’s concept of myth as the nearest approach to absolute truth and George Santayana’s element of myth as an observation of things with a dramatic fancy best describes the story “Marwe in the Underworld”.
Amanda Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) states that a myth symbolizes the closest approach to absolute truth, and it can be easily expressed in words.
It is an important element about myths that resonates effectively with the “Marwe in the Underworld” story. When Marwe drowned and later came back to life to be reunited with her family, it is an indication of life in the realm of death. Moreover, the explanation about how she comes back to life can only be advanced through the creation of myths that try to provide a theory that is close to the absolute truth. For instance, the story points out that “when Marwe arrived home in her fine robes and jewels, her family was overjoyed. They had given her up for dead long before” (Bierlein 339).
There is a realm for the dead and the living. Therefore, the family is happy when Marwe returns as opposed to being frightened after a dead body has come back to life. To have a better understanding of the truth regarding the realm of the dead, a myth has to be established as close to the absolute truth. In this case, the description of how Marwe meets the old woman in the land of the dead acts as a logical explanation of life after death. Moreover, it supports the cultural beliefs in the African society that there is life after death, and individuals can come back to life. The myth gives a detailed illustration through words about the realm of the dead, which is close to the absolute truth regarding life after death. Thus, it is evident that a myth provides the nearest approach to absolute truth as it helps in making sense of a specific occurrence.
George Santayana argues that myth is an observation of things with a dramatic fancy.
The element he describes is well encapsulated in the story since the aspect of fanciness is evident in Marwe’s jewels and fine robes. The story states that “the old woman had Marwe dip her hands into a clay jar of cold water, and when she pulled her hands out, they were covered with jewels” (Bierlein 339). The narration clearly shows some form of fanciness since it is close to impossible for an individual to dip her hands in a jar of water and eventually be covered with jewels. It is a dramatic aspect which is a major characteristic of many myths.
The sequence of events is significantly exaggerated throughout a story, which makes a reader understand it as a fictitious narration. It is also evident that the happenings in a myth are less likely to occur in real life. Additionally, the old woman also prophesies that Marwe would be married to the finest man in the world. It is a dramatic fancy since it is impossible for a person to get marriage proposals from all men in the world to ensure they chose the finest.
The prophecy in the story is a dramatic fancy that plays a role in keeping the reader entertained and as a result creating imaginations based on the unfolding of events in the story. Moreover, the aspect of Sawoye’s death and coming back to life is as well dramatic, and it cannot be fathomed in real life. The story depicts the element of dramatic fancy that is a key characteristic of myths.
Amanda Coomaraswamy’s concept of myth as the nearest approach to absolute truth and George Santayana’s element of myth as an observation of things with a dramatic fancy best describes the story “Marwe in the Underworld”. The African culture was based on the belief that there is life after death. Therefore, the realm of the dead has some aspect of life in it, which is illustrated in the story. The unfolding of events between Marwe and the old woman is the closest approach to better understanding the absolute truth regarding the beliefs of life and death in the African setting. Moreover, the element of myths as a dramatic fancy is evident in the entire narration. The story is based on different fancies that act as a form of entertainment for the reader.
