Myth information

Myth is a genre of folklore or theology consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. For folklorists, historians, philosophers or theologians this is very different from the use of "myth" simply indicating that something is not true. Instead, the truth value 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 true accounts of their remote past.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] In particular, creation myths take place in a primordial age when the world had not achieved its later form.^[2]^[6]^[7]^[8] Other myths explain how a society's customs, institutions, and taboos were established and sanctified.^[2]^[7] There is a complex relationship between recital of myths and the enactment of rituals.

^ 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Bascom 1965, p. 9.
^ Simpson, Jacqueline, and Steve Roud, eds. 2003. "Myths." In A Dictionary of English Folklore. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0191726644.
^ Eliade 1998, p. 23.
^ Pettazzoni 1984, p. 102.
^ Dundes 1984, p. 1.
^ ^a ^b Eliade 1998, p. 6.
^ Leeming, David Adams, and David Adams. A dictionary of creation myths. Oxford University Press, 1994.

[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.

[FOOTNOTEBascom19659-2] Bascom 1965, p. 9.

[mythfolk3-3] Simpson, Jacqueline, and Steve Roud, eds. 2003. "Myths." In A Dictionary of English Folklore. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0191726644.

[FOOTNOTEEliade199823-4] Eliade 1998, p. 23.

[FOOTNOTEPettazzoni1984102-5] Pettazzoni 1984, p. 102.

[FOOTNOTEDundes19841-6] Dundes 1984, p. 1.

[FOOTNOTEEliade19986-7] Eliade 1998, p. 6.

[8] Leeming, David Adams, and David Adams. A dictionary of creation myths. Oxford University Press, 1994.

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Mythology
Mythologies Albanian Arabian Armenian Aboriginal Australian Berber Baltic (Latvian - Lithuanian - Prussian) Basque Bantu Brazilian Buddhist Catalan Cantabrian Celtic Breton Cornish Irish Scottish Welsh Chinese Efik Egyptian English Estonian Etruscan Finnish French Georgian Germanic Frankish Continental Germanic Norse Anglo-Saxon Gothic Greek Guanche Hindu Hittite Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Kongo Korean Lugbara Lusitanian Maasai Malagasy Māori Mbuti Meitei Melanesian Mesopotamian Micronesian Mongol Native American Algonquian Abenaki Blackfoot Lenape Aztec Californian Miwok Ohlone Chaná Chilote Choctaw Creek Guarani Haida Inca Inuit Iroquois Maya Muisca Pacific Northwest Kwakwakaʼwakw Plains Indians Ho-Chunk Lakota Pawnee Puebloan Hopi Zuni Selk'nam Talamancan Ossetian Papuan Persian Philippine Polynesian Proto-Indo-European Proto-Uralic Roman Romanian Sámi Slavic Somali Talysh Tai Thai Tibetan Turkic Vietnamese West African Yoruba
Types Creation Flood National Origin
Lists Creations Creatures Deities Feral children Floods Heroes Culture Folk Objects Pairs Places Sources
Related concepts Deity Legendary creature Type Legendary progenitor Twins Culture hero Folk hero
See also Comparative mythology Comparative religion Euhemerism Folklore Epics Lower mythology Pseudo-mythology Religion and mythology Symbolism Theology
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