Conversion of Virus into Eschatology Myth: Coronavirus

ABSTRACT

Myths include stories about the beginning, creation and the end and destruction of the world and the universe. The narrative types about the beginning constitute the myths of cosmogony, while the narratives about the end of the world constitute various eschatological myths. The general acceptance about eschatology myths is that these myths take place in oral or written products and beliefs that contain traces of the archaic period. For this reason, the beliefs of distant past communities are seen as the source of eschatology myths. However, in recent years, some beliefs about the end of the world and humanity show that eschatology myths have been produced among modern societies as well. Therefore, it is possible to say that myths continue their existence in different ways today. These myths can be encountered in communities, beliefs, daily practices, ritualistic actions, and verbal narrative types. These myths can also be encountered in recent social events, which are highly sought after by the society, or in the case of doomsday scenarios spread over social media. These scenarios have included the coronavirus since the beginning of 2020. When coronavirus first emerged, it did not cause fear in human communities. However, with the subsequent deaths from the virus and the declaration of the contagiousness of the virus, the virus has put the world into a transformation that will leave deep traces in the history of the world. The fact that the virus has such a social impact has brought along many discussions on the source of the virus, the reason for its emergence, its effects on the human body and its consequences. The lack of information about the virus and the characterization of the virus as an invisible enemy made it easier to evaluate the virus as a doomsday scenario. Particularly, the posts on social media platforms that have no scientific basis about the virus provided content for the negative scenarios of the epidemic. Based on the beliefs about the virus in social media, this study aims to determine the emergence of a new element of the eschatology myth. In order to make this determination, first of all, an analysis is carried out regarding the formation of beliefs about the end of the world and humanity around the virus. The rapidly changing scientific views about the virus, the negative epidemic process such as the variant of the virus, caused the acceleration of the fear and panic process based on false information called infodemic. The mystery of the virus, the increasing fear and panic, and the negative thoughts about the virus that spread rapidly on social media fed the process of turning the epidemic into an eschatology myth. The fact that people have recently increased ideas about the abuse of nature during the epidemic has made the virus compatible with the traditional content of eschatology myths. In the findings obtained in the study, it is seen that a context has emerged that will enable the virus to become a current element of eschatology myths. Finally, there are two important outputs about the relationship between myth and virus. The first is that eschatology myths have been revived in modern societies through coronavirus, making the virus a new element of eschatology. The second is that the virus turns into a mythical element and regains its influence and sanction power on the community with the holiness of coronavirus. As a result of this, it is possible to say that the beliefs formed around the virus and the effect of these beliefs are a current example for the continuity of the myth, the con-text of the performance of the myth and the function of the myth.