Mythology
Legends as discipline
Mythology is a body of traditional stories explaining natural phenomena, origins, or cultural beliefs—typically involving gods, heroes, and supernatural beings.
Greek mythology, Norse mythology, Egyptian mythology each form distinct traditions.
By extension, mythology can mean any collection of widely held but unfounded beliefs: the mythology surrounding the American frontier.
The adjective is mythological.
Unverified traditional tale
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- epicImpressively grand in scope
- sagaExtended heroic narrative
- fableMoral tale with animals
oral tradition · storytelling · allegory · cosmogony · creation · underworld · afterlife · apocalypse
Involving measured contrast
- Joseph CampbellMythologist who mapped heroic patterns
- Carl JungAnalytical psychology founder
- archetypesUniversal symbolic patterns
- monomythUniversal narrative archetype
anthropology · religious studies · ethnography · interpretation · symbolism · collective unconscious · hero's journey · structuralism
Legendary Greek strongman
- OdysseusIthaca's long-wandering monarch
- GilgameshMesopotamian epic protagonist
- BeowulfOld English epic's protagonist
- PerseusGorgon-slaying demigod
Achilles · Sigurd · Rama · quest · trials · labors · journey · slayer
gods
Supernatural beings worshipped
Odin · Ra · Vishnu · Thor · Athena · Shiva · Isis · demigods · divine · immortals
legend
Unverified traditional tale
fable · oral tradition · storytelling · allegory · cosmogony · creation · underworld · afterlife · apocalypse · flood
comparative
Involving measured contrast
- Joseph CampbellMythologist who mapped heroic patterns
- Carl JungAnalytical psychology founder
- archetypesUniversal symbolic patterns
monomyth · anthropology · religious studies · ethnography · interpretation · symbolism · collective unconscious · hero's journey · structuralism · cultural memory
Hercules
Legendary Greek strongman
- OdysseusIthaca's long-wandering monarch
- GilgameshMesopotamian epic protagonist
- BeowulfOld English epic's protagonist
Perseus · Achilles · Sigurd · Rama · quest · trials · labors · journey · slayer · warrior
Greek
Of Athenian origin
- NorseAncient Scandinavian civilization
- EgyptianRelating to the pharaohs' land
- HinduFollower of ancient Indian religion
Celtic · Roman · Japanese · Chinese · Aztec · Mayan · Slavic · African · Polynesian · Mesopotamian
dragon
Legendary fire-breathing reptile
- phoenixSelf-immolating, regenerating bird
- unicornMythical one-horned horse
- centaurHalf-human, half-equine being
minotaur · griffin · hydra · chimera · kraken · thunderbird · kitsune · yeti · basilisk · werewolf
Mythologyfact
Verifiable piece of information
truth · reality · history · historical record · actuality
Mythologynonfiction
Literature about real events
documentary · journalism · reportage · historical account · biography
Mythologyscience
Systematic study through observation
empiricism · scientific method · natural science · scientific knowledge · physics
- Greek mythologyAncient Greek divine narratives
- ancient mythologyOld stories of gods
- Roman mythologyAncient Italian religious narratives
- Norse mythologyScandinavian pagan religion
- classical mythologyAncient Mediterranean divine narratives
- Hindu mythologyIndia's traditional religious narratives