Myth literacy through mythemes : Focusing on the automaton mytheme

Abstract

This study develops a mytheme-based myth literacy education model centered on Hephaestus’s automata (the plural form of ‘automaton’) and combines it with working- group discussions to explore the potential for critical and collaborative liberal arts education in a myth literacy context linking mythology with contemporary technological society. Rather than treating ancient automata as direct precursors of modern robots or artificial intelligence, it uses their actions and relational structures in primary texts to compare ancient technological imagination with contemporary technological society. Eight automaton types attributed to Hephaestus are examined: the horses of the Kabeiroi, the Caucasian eagle, the singing golden statues (Keledones), the golden maidens, Talos, the gold and silver guard dogs, the bronze bull, and the automatic tripods. Primary-text analysis identifies each automaton’s maker and material, self-motion or command execution, imitation or substitution, relational roles, narrative outcome, and controllability. Recurring relational structures and case-specific differences are then inductively organized into six analytical axes: artifactuality, functional autonomy, imitation, instrumentality, vulnerability, and questions of ethical responsibility. These axes underpin a two-week, six-hour model comprising primary-text analysis, two rounds of working-group discussions, feedback, and reflection. Through this model, learners distinguish textual statements from interpretations and modern analogies, record revisions to their interpretations, and engage in metacognitive monitoring. The study links mytheme analysis to reciprocal review and collaborative interpretation. However, the model requires further examination through classroom implementation, as it remains a theoretical design.