Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. Scholars use the term in a sense distinct from its everyday meaning of a widely held but false belief: in the folkloristic sense, whether a given story is factually true has no bearing on whether it counts as a myth. A myth is defined by the cultural role its narrative performs, not by its truth value.
Facts
Place of OriginAncient Greece, where the critical interpretation of myth began with the Presocratic philosophers. 1 Notable ExampleGreek mythology, the most widely studied body of traditional myth, alongside other national mythologies such as Roman, Celtic and Hittite mythology. 1 Defining TraitA genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, distinct from the everyday sense of myth as a false belief. 1 Sources
1. Myth (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Lead section, opening sentence
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society.
Related terms section, Mythology subsection
For example, Greek mythology, Roman mythology, Celtic mythology and Hittite mythology all describe the body of myths retold among those cultures.
Academic discipline history section, Ancient Greece subsection, opening sentence
The critical interpretation of myth began with the Presocratics.
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