Main article: Mythology

In the academic fields of mythology, mythography, or folkloristics, a myth (mythos) is a sacred story concerning the origins of the world or how the world and the creatures in it came to have their present form. The active beings in myths are generally gods and heroes. Myths often are said to take place before recorded history begins. In saying that a myth is a sacred narrative, what is meant is that a myth is believed to be true by people who attach religious or spiritual significance to it. Use of the term by scholars does not imply that the narrative is either true or false. See also legend and tale. Look up myth in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word mythology (from the Greek μυολογία mythología, from mythologein to relate myths, from mythos, meaning a narrative, and logos, meaning speech or argument) literally means the (oral) retelling of myths – stories that a particular culture believes to be true and that use the supernatural to interpret natural events and... The word mythology (from the Greek μυολογία mythología, from mythologein to relate myths, from mythos, meaning a narrative, and logos, meaning speech or argument) literally means the (oral) retelling of myths – stories that a particular culture believes to be true and that use the supernatural to interpret natural events and... A mythographer, or a mythologist, according to a strict dictionary definition, is a compiler of myths. ... Folkloristics is the formal academic study of folklore such as fairy tales and folk mythology in oral or non-literary traditions. ... Look up muthos in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Story in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Legend (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

A myth in popular use is something that is widely believed 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). This usage is frequently confused with fiction, legend, fairy tale, folklore, fable, and urban legend, each of which has a distinct meaning in academia. Religion and mythology differ, but have overlapping aspects. ... For other uses, see Fiction (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Legend (disambiguation). ... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For a comparison of fable with other kinds of stories, see Myth, legend, fairy tale, and fable. ... An urban legend or urban myth is similar to a modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ...

Urban myth is an alternate (not academic) term for urban legend An urban legend or urban myth is similar to a modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ...

See also

• Myth and ritual