![]() ![]() ĭefinitions of "myth" vary to some extent among scholars, though Finnish folklorist Lauri Honko offers a widely-cited definition: Myths are sometimes distinguished from legends in that myths deal with gods, usually have no historical basis, and are set in a world of the remote past, very different from that of the present. Stories of everyday humans, although often of leaders of some type, are usually contained in legends, as opposed to myths. ![]() Others also include humans, animals, or combinations in their classification of myth. The main characters in myths are usually non-humans, such as gods, demigods, and other supernatural figures. There is a complex relationship between recital of myths and the enactment of rituals. Other myths explain how a society's customs, institutions, and taboos were established and sanctified. In particular, creation myths take place in a primordial age when the world had not achieved its later form. Many societies group their myths, legends, and history together, considering myths and legends to be true accounts of their remote past. Myths are often endorsed by secular and religious authorities and are closely linked to religion or spirituality. Other scholars avoid using the term "myth" altogether and instead utilize different terms like "sacred history", "holy story", or simply "history" to avoid placing pejorative overtones on any sacred narrative. As such, some scholars label all religious narratives "myths" for practical reasons, such as to avoid depreciating any one tradition because cultures interpret each other differently relative to one another. Many adherents of religions view their own religions' stories as truth and so object to their characterization as myth, the way they see the stories of other religions. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrative as a myth can be highly controversial. Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. ![]()
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