What is a Myth?

"What we have today is a demythologized world...And, as a result, the students I meet are very much interested in mythology because myths bring them messages."

---Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

Mythology is the study and interpretation of myth and the body of myths of a particular culture. Myth is a complex cultural phenomenon that can be approached from a number of viewpoints. As generally understood, a myth is a story or narrative that is traditional in a certain culture, having been passed down from early times and regarded as true. It may be said to portray symbolically the origin of the basic elements and assumptions of a culture. Mythic narratives frequently revolve around the doings of gods or heroes, and may relate, for example, how the world began, how humans and animals came into being, or how certain customs, gestures, or forms of human activities originated. Almost all cultures possess or at one time possessed and lived in terms of myths.

Myths differ from fairy tales in that they refer to a time that is different from ordinary time. The time sequence of myth is extraordinary - an "other" time - the time before the conventional world came into being. Because myths refer to an extraordinary time and place and to gods and other supernatural beings and processes, they have usually been seen as aspects of religion. Because of the all-encompassing nature of myth, however, it can illuminate many aspects of individual and cultural life.

An article from Funk & Wagnalls® New Encyclopedia. © 2007 World Almanac Education Group. A WRC Media Company. All rights reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by written agreement, uses of the work inconsistent with U.S. and applicable foreign copyright and related laws are prohibited.

© 2007 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. Used under authorization.