Universal properties of mythological networks by Pádraig Mac Carron and Ralph Kenna (2012 EPL 99 28002 doi:10.1209/0295-5075/99/28002)
Abstract:
As in statistical physics, the concept of universality plays an important, albeit qualitative, role in the field of comparative mythology. Here we apply statistical mechanical tools to analyse the networks underlying three iconic mythological narratives with a view to identifying common and distinguishing quantitative features. Of the three narratives, an Anglo-Saxon and a Greek text are mostly believed by antiquarians to be partly historically based while the third, an Irish epic, is often considered to be fictional. Here we use network analysis in an attempt to discriminate real from imaginary social networks and place mythological narratives on the spectrum between them. This suggests that the perceived artificiality of the Irish narrative can be traced back to anomalous features associated with six characters. Speculating that these are amalgams of several entities or proxies, renders the plausibility of the Irish text comparable to the others from a network-theoretic point of view.
A study that suggests there is more to be learned about networks, social, mythological and otherwise. But three (3) examples out of extant accounts, mythological and otherwise, isn’t enough for definitive conclusions.
BTW, if you are interested in the use of social networks with literature, see: Extracting Social Networks from Literary Fiction by David K. Elson , Nicholas Dames , Kathleen R. Mckeown for one approach. (If you know of a recent survey on extraction of social networks, please forward and I will cite you in a post.)