Myth is derived from the Greek word mythos, which means "word of mouth. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly "
In the academic fields of mythology, mythography, or folkloristics, a myth is a sacred story usually concerning the origins of the world or how the world and the creatures in it came to be their present form. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" A mythographer, or a mythologist, according to a strict dictionary definition is a compiler of myths Mythography (from Greek μυθογραφία Folkloristics is the formal academic study of Folklore. What actually constitutes folklore is disputed even within the discipline but generally folklore focuses on the The active beings in myths are generally gods and heroes. Myths are often said to take place before recorded history begins. A myth is a sacred narrative in the sense that it contributes to systems of thought and values, and that people attach religious or spiritual significance to it. Use of the term by scholars does not imply that the narrative is either true or false.
In popular use, a myth is something that is widely thought to be false. This usage, which is often pejorative, arose from labeling the religious myths and beliefs of other cultures as being incorrect, but it has spread to cover non-religious beliefs as well. Because of this usage, many people take offense when the religious narratives they believe to be true are called myths (see religion and mythology for more information). Religion and mythology differ but have overlapping aspects Both terms refer to systems of concepts that are of high importance to a certain community making statements concerning the This usage is frequently confused with legend, fiction, fairy tale, folklore, fable, and urban legend, each of which has a distinct meaning in academia. A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological A fable is a succinct story in prose or verse that features Animals Plants inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them
Urban myth is an alternate term for urban legend. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them