FACTS ABOUT MYTHS

Wafiyat Ize
2 min readOct 25, 2023

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Did you know?

Most people often confuse the concept of myths with that of legends, but alas, there is quite a bit of difference between them.

So, today I’m going to hit you with a few facts about myths.

I hope you enjoy reading them.
 
Myths are stories woven around ancient traditions. Some may have historical roots, while others are entirely fictitious.

But myths are more than just stories, and they serve a more profound purpose in both ancient and modern cultures.
 
 
 
Myths are as relevant to us today as they were to the ancients.

Myths provide timeless answers to timeless questions and serve as a guide for each generation.
 
The myths of lost paradise, for example, give people hope that by living virtuously, they can secure a good life in the afterlife.
 
The myths of a golden age give people hope that there will be great leaders who will improve their lives.
 
 
 
A myth taps into a universal cultural narrative—the collective wisdom of mankind.

The fact that so many people who have never met create myths that are similar is an excellent illustration of the universality of these themes.
 
For example, myths about great floods, virgin births, and the afterlife exist in cultures all over the world, from the Middle East to the distant mountains of South America.

Myths, unlike fairy tales, are not always optimistic.

The essence of myths, true to the nature of life, is that they are as often warnings as promises.
 
Many myths are instructive and serve as a guide to social norms, such as incest, fratricide, and greed.
 
People who have grown up immersed in these legendary stories can relate greatly to a name, phrase, or image that is derived from a well-known myth.
 
For example, the phrase "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts" and television commercials with an army of troops mounted on a wooden horse are references to Odysseus, who deceived the Trojans into allowing an army into their city.
 
When Jacqueline Kennedy described her husband’s reign as a "new Camelot," she meant a golden age just like King Arthur’s.
 
The themes and characters of myths are eternal and constantly relevant because each generation of storytellers adds a new layer of fact and fiction to the stories.
 
Other key features of myths also include:
 
 — They involve gods or god-like figures and their stories, or how the gods interact with humans.
 
 — They often involve explanations for natural phenomena like thunder/lighting, earthquakes, volcanic activity, day/night, and winter/spring.
 
 — Myths evolved out of man’s need to impose order on the universe and explain things.
 
 — It is usually considered religious or sacred in their original context and typically used in worship practice.
 
 
Thank you for reading. I hope you learned facts about myths that you didn’t know before. Comment and share your thoughts.
 
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