The Pied Piper as an example of the sociological function of myth:

Storyboard

Robert SweeneyEDCI 56600

Context• This video is an instructional support for use in the Historical Archetypes and Mythology (HAM)

course taken by Video Game Production and Computer Animation students at the Los Angeles Film School.

• The HAM course’s main purpose is to educate students in the symbolic and archetypal elements in stories that give them their emotional power. Myths are the focus of the course, and the theories of Joseph Campbell are used as the theoretical grounding of the course.

• Students are typically ages 18-24 and enrolled in a career-oriented, community-college level program.

• The four functions of myth are covered in the classroom lecture, but students often have a hard time understanding some of the functions, and distinguishing them from each other while they are completing written homework assignments. A separate video explaining each function, available online in the LMS, is intended to help students who are struggling.

• Consistent with the multimedia principles discussed in EDCI 56600, the presentation is simple, with an avoidance of extraneous visual or audio input so as to not distract the learner. At most, only two of the three stimuli (text/voice/image) are used at any one time.

• A background musical piece is used during the storytelling section to distinguish it from the more lecture-ish portions, and to lend a sense of whimsy. The goal is to create a clear demarcation between the lecture and the story, to help the student in changing their mental mode when receiving the story.

General Instructions

• Presentation will be voiceover while proceeding through slides

• All text will be Calibri 30pt or 48 pt, black• Background color is light blue for the content

slides, and light orange/tan for the Pied Piper story slides.

• Slide transitions will be “uncover,” which alludes to pages in a book (a reference flipping through a picture book)

• Title slide with title of video, credits, and voiceover reading the text.

Scene 1

Voiceover script for next slide

As described by Joseph Campbell, there are four primary functions of myths: The mystical function, the cosmological function, the sociological function, and the psychological function. This video will demonstrate the sociological function of myths.

The Four Functions of Myth

• Mystical

• Cosmological

• Sociological

• Psychological

Scene 2

Voiceover script for next slide

According to Joseph Campbell, The sociological function of a myth is to “validate and maintain a certain sociological system: a shared set of rights and wrongs, proprieties or improprieties, on which your particular social unit depends for its existence.”In other words, myths can tell or remind a listener how they are expected to behave within the society that shares the myth. One possible sociological function is teaching listeners that they need to demonstrate gratitude. We will look in detail at the Pied Piper story, which teaches the importance of gratitude.

The Four Functions of Myth

• Mystical

• Cosmological

• Sociological

• Psychological

Scene 3

Voiceover script for next slide

“The Pied Piper of Hamelin” A folktale myth demonstrating the importance of appropriate gratitude.

Narrated by the voice of the Piper himself.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

As told by the Piperhimself

Scene 6

Notes for Piper story slides

• During the Piper story, soft music in the background, ideally a minimalist instrumental,

• The text on the story slides will be voiced-over, not shown on the slides themselves. Just the images will be shown. A full transcript will be provided as a separate resource for learners.

A town named Hamelin was having a terrible problem. The residents discovered that their food stores were being invaded by vermin.

Scene 7

Rats were in homes, in stores, in the church, all over the town square. All attempts at reducing the rat population had failed.

Scene 9

Citizens of Hamelin gathered one Friday to demand from the Mayor that something was done to address the rat problem before the residents were forced to move away.The story of Hamelin’s woes spread widely, and this is when I first heard of the town.

Scene 10

I appeared before the city council. I told them of how I had rid other towns of pestilences of toads, ant infestations, and mobs of crows.

Scene 11

The Mayor spoke for the council. He doubted my ability to solve their crisis, but given the fact that they had no other option, he hired me.

Scene 12

I assured the Mayor that I would indeed remove their infestation. In return for my services, I would receive 1000 gold coins as my payment. The Mayor and I shook hands on the deal and I left the town hall.

Scene 13

The next morning, children in the town began to scream as the rats from their homes ran out of their hiding places.From every storefront and yard, rats stormed out and scurried toward the town square.

Scene 14

I had lifted my magical flute to my lips, and begun playing a tune that only the rats could hear. Every rat ran toward me trying to find the source of the music.I strode out of town, with a parade of rats at my heels.

Scene 15

Once I reached the river outside Hamelin, I boarded a rowboat and pushed off from the dock.As I was still playing the flute, the rats were compelled to follow me. Even as strong swimmers, the rats quickly grew tired and sank into the cold water.Once the last rat had drowned, I put down the flute and rowed toward shore.

Scene 16

I returned triumphantly to the town hall where there was joyous celebration.I approached the mayor and requested my payment.

Scene 17

“One thousand gold coins is a steep price,” said the mayor.”“I held my part of the bargain,” I countered, “You must be a man of your word and pay me for what I have done for you and your town.”“Or what?” replied the mayor, “The rats are drowned; they cannot return. Even your magnificent flute cannot bring rats back from the dead.” He laughed and returned to his council.In the end, he would not relent and I left Hamelin empty-handed.

Scene 18

The next day I returned to Hamelin, and began playing my flute again. This was a different tune I was playing. The children nearby pricked their ears at the sound.

Scene 19

Throughout Hamelin, children wondered at the amazing music, which their parents could apparently not even hear.

Scene 20

In little time, there was a stampede of children entering the town square, every child over four years and younger than sixteen.

Scene 22

At the head of the parade I walked out through the gates of the town.

Scene 24

The city council stood outside the town hall, wondering at my magic. But they were not worried.“The foolish piper,” said the mayor to the others, “does not know that we have blocked the road to the river. If he plans to drown our children as he did the rats, he will find his plans foiled!”

Scene 25

A short while later, one boy hobbled back through the gate, balancing on crutches.“Where are the other children?” he was asked. He did not know. He had been too slow to keep up with the crowd, and from a distance could only see his friends disappear into the hillside. It was as if a cave opened up and swallowed them whole, he said.Weeks of searching produced no results. I and 130 of their children had vanished forever.

Scene 26

The grief that consumed Hamelin knew no end.The town paid in sorrow that which they would not pay in gratitude.

Scene 27

Voiceover script for next slide

As you read or remember other myths, fairy tales, and folklore, try to find the sociological function of the story. Sometimes it’s as simple as the moral of an Aesop’s fable, but other times it can be less obvious.

Thanks for listening!

Scene 29

Credits

• Includes list of sources of images and references of relevant Campbell works

Scene 30