Essay on Myths: Folklore and Myths

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Mythology
What is mythology? What is a myth? These are the questions I try to answer in today’s paper. The term mythology refers to the study of myths or the collection of myths. “The word myth derives from the Greek mythos, which has a range of meanings from “word,” through “saying” and “story” to “fiction” (“Myth,”2013).
Myth could be defined as a symbolic narrative from a civilization or past period which describes gods or superhuman beings involved in events beyond belief in an unspecified time. Each society around the world has its own box of myths to dole out across the globe. Even though each society has its own set of mythologies, there are several similarities which link all cultures. The study of myth has proven to be very useful in the study of specific societies and the human culture all together.
Myths are not to be confused with fairy tales, fables, sagas, parables, or legends; however, the natures of those narratives are similar to myths. Fairy tales offer stories of astonishing people and ordeals but tales’ location and time are often ambiguous. Fables, like fairy tales, tend to be overly ambiguous when it comes to setting and they often end with a moral message. Sagas are more rooted in reality with a detailed historical background. Parables illustrate ideas or reasoning of specific cultural/religious doctrine. Legends customarily depict tales believed to have a historical connection, for example, King Odysseus, El Dorado, or the Holy Grail. Myths offer

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