"The myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths."
Stories about deities, heroes, and supernatural beings that embody religious and spiritual beliefs.
Creation Myths: Creation myths explore the origins of the universe and the first humans, expressed in different ways across cultures and religions.
Gods and Goddesses: Mythology often includes a complex pantheon of gods and goddesses who embody various aspects of nature and human experience.
Heroes and Heroines: Mythology often features storied figures who represent the ideals and virtues of a given culture, who rise to overcome great challenges, inspire their people, or defend them from danger.
Ritual and Ceremony: Mythology frequently informs spiritual practices and ceremonies, which are designed to honor the gods, nourish the soul, and nourish the community.
Death and the Afterlife: Many mythologies also explore concepts of death and what happens after one dies, with different cultures developing different beliefs about the nature of the soul, reincarnation, and the afterlife.
Sacred Texts and Literature: Many mythologies, like Hinduism and Christianity, have sacred texts that guide their practice and have been interpreted and refined over the centuries.
Folklore and Oral Tradition: Many mythologies have their roots in the oral traditions of cultures that predate writing, and continue to thrive as part of folklore and storytelling today.
Symbols and Icons: Symbols and images play a major role in most mythologies, and are used to convey complex ideas about gods, heroes, and other important aspects of the religion.
Nature and the Environment: Mythologies often reflect the cultures and environments they arise in, with stories and symbols specifically related to the natural world, like animal totems, seasonal cycles, or geographic features.
Ethics and Morality: Like all religions, mythology provides moral guidance and a framework for how to live one’s life in a meaningful and virtuous way.
"Myths play a fundamental role in society..."
"Myths are often endorsed by secular and religious authorities..."
"Myths are closely linked to religion or spirituality."
"Many societies group their myths, legends, and history together..."
"Myths are sometimes distinguished from legends in that myths deal with gods..."
"The main characters in myths are usually non-humans, such as gods, demigods, and other supernatural figures."
"Others include humans, animals, or combinations in their classification of myth."
"Stories of everyday humans, although often of leaders of some type, are usually contained in legends, as opposed to myths."
"Myths are set in a world of the remote past, very different from that of the present."
"Creation myths take place in a primordial age when the world had not achieved its later form."
"Other myths explain how a society's customs, institutions, and taboos were established and sanctified."
"There is a complex relationship between the recital of myths and the enactment of rituals."
"Myths... usually have no historical basis..."
"Foundational tales or origin myths play a fundamental role in a society..."
"The main characters in myths are usually non-humans..."
"Myths are often endorsed by secular and religious authorities..."
"Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society..."
"Many societies group their myths, legends, and history together, considering myths and legends to be true accounts of their remote past."
"Myths are set in a world of the remote past, very different from that of the present."