mythoecology
Mythoecology is the study of how myths, legends, and cosmologies shape and reflect human relations with the natural world. It examines how narrative systems encode ecological knowledge, ethical norms, and practical understandings of ecosystems, including how landscapes, species, and processes are interpreted within cultural frameworks.
As an interdisciplinary field, it draws on anthropology, folklore, religious studies, ecology, and the environmental humanities.
Core topics include sacred landscapes and place-making; taboos and moral codes that regulate hunting, gathering, and
Relation to conservation: by revealing traditional ecological knowledge embedded in stories and practices, mythoecology can inform
Challenges include interpretive bias, translation across languages, syncretism with external belief systems, and differentiating historical memory
Related fields include traditional ecological knowledge, ethnobiology, environmental anthropology, ecocriticism, religious ecology, and sacred ecology.