2025年2月10日 · myth, a symbolic narrative, usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relates actual events and that is especially associated with religious belief. It is distinguished from symbolic behaviour (cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (temples, icons).

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]

2023年9月6日 · Myths are traditional stories passed on in the form of folklore or cultural storytelling. They often represent the fundamental and philosophical beliefs of the community, connecting generations through metaphorical but impactful narratives (Doty, 2014).

2018年10月31日 · Mythology (from the Greek mythos for story-of-the-people, and logos for word or speech, so the spoken story of a people) is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a culture known as myths or the collection of such stories which deal with various aspects of the human condition: good and evil; the meaning of suffering ...

I. What is Myth? A myth is a classic or legendary story that usually focuses on a particular hero or event, and explains mysteries of nature, existence, or the universe with no true basis in fact. Myths exist in every culture; but the most well known in Western culture and literature are part of Greek and Roman mythology.

Though not the only functions a mythology can perform, these four are essential to any active, living mythology. From their first appearance fully formulated in print, in 1964’s Occidental Mythology, in lecture after lecture and book after book these four functions provide a framework for understanding Joseph Campbell’s mythological perspective:

2025年2月10日 · Many myths explain ritual and cultic customs. According to myths from the island of Ceram (in Indonesia), in the beginning life was not complete, or not yet “human”: vegetation and animals did not exist, and there was neither death nor sexuality. In a mysterious manner Hainuwele, a girl with extraordinary gift-bestowing powers, appeared.

2023年11月23日 · A myth is a traditional story or collection of stories that often involve gods, supernatural beings, heroes, or ancestral figures. Myths serve to explain cultural beliefs, natural phenomena, origins of the world, or human behavior through symbolic narratives.

From the many definitions of myth in books and on the web, we can see that myths have four basic attributes in common: They are cultural —they reflect the beliefs and values of a group of people. They are sacred —they concern the spiritual or divine aspects of existence that human beings cannot understand.

Analyzing myth for what it can tell us about how the various peoples of the world have attempted to answer such questions sheds light on that most basic of human activities: that is, the search for a framework through which personal and collective purpose and meaning can emerge.