Myth

This article is about a folklore genre. For other uses, see Myth (disambiguation).

Mythology
Mythologies
Types
Lists
Related concepts
See also

Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the veracity of a myth is not a defining criterion.[1]

Myths are often endorsed by secular and religious authorities and are closely linked to religion or spirituality.[2] Many societies group their myths, legends, and history together, considering myths and legends to be factual accounts of their remote past.[6] In particular, creation myths take place in a primordial age when the world had not achieved its later form.[10] Origin myths explain how a society's customs, institutions, and taboos were established and sanctified.[2][8] National myths are narratives about a nation's past that symbolize the nation's values. There is a complex relationship between recital of myths and the enactment of rituals.

  1. ^ Deretic, Irina. “Why are myths true: Plato on the veracity of myths.” Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies (2020): vol. 36, issue 3, pp. 441–451.
  2. ^ a b c d Bascom 1965, p. 9.
  3. ^ Simpson, Jacqueline, and Steve Roud, eds. 2003. "Myths." In A Dictionary of English Folklore. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0191726644.
  4. ^ Eliade 1998, p. 23.
  5. ^ Pettazzoni 1984, p. 102.
  6. ^ [2][3][4][5]
  7. ^ Dundes 1984, p. 1.
  8. ^ a b Eliade 1998, p. 6.
  9. ^ Leeming, David Adams, and David Adams. A dictionary of creation myths. Oxford University Press, 1994.
  10. ^ [2][7][8][9]