A-Z: General definitions: Myth

Definition

Each culture and belief-system has its own set of explanations and stories which deal with the creation of the world; natural phenomena and the way the universe is upheld; the way God, or the gods, deal with humans; and how the particular culture or belief was founded. Such stories are known as myths. The term should be distinguished from a fiction, which is a crafted story told by a known author. Myths also make truth claims of a more religious nature than do fictions. The collection of the myths of a particular culture is its mythology.

• Tweet