I have been thinking about Norse and Native American myths lately, and it seems to me that their purpose was not to be a scientifically accurate description of the world…but they were meant to be memorable inside an oral culture.

If the migration path passed by a mountain that looked like a sleeping man, then it was natural to conjure up a myth about a giant (perhaps while you camped nearby) and tell it to the kids. If it helped them remember the place then so much the better.

These myths were more like an error correcting code. It meant that it would be transmitted and not forgotten for hundreds of generations. The details didn’t have to be true, they just had to be memorable.

Myths about the planets would have been a great way to make sure future generations took this hard won knowledge seriously.

The ancient Greeks knew about epicycles…if you look at some Greek dances the entire family makes a large circle and steps to the right but occasionally takes a step left. Just like an epicycle. I think this was a cultural expression of some piece of knowledge they valued.