myth
Untrue old story
A myth is a traditional story, typically involving gods, heroes, or supernatural beings, that explains natural phenomena, origins, or cultural beliefs: the Greek myths, creation myths.
By extension, myth means a widely held but false belief: the myth that we only use ten percent of our brains.
Something mythic has legendary or larger-than-life qualities.
The mythical can be either legendary or imaginary: a mythical creature.
Magical influence over someone
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
- magicSupernatural or illusory power
- sorceryPractice of dark magic
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
oracle · prophecy · ritual · sacred · ethereal · transcendent · otherworldly · shamanism
Unverified traditional tale
- folktaleTraditional narrative passed down
- sagaExtended heroic narrative
- epicImpressively grand in scope
- taleSpoken or written narrative
lore · mythos · storytelling · fable · fairy-tale · narrative · adventure · Aesop
Inherited cultural narratives
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- cosmogonyStudy of universal origins
- creationMaking something exist
gods · goddesses · deities · shamanism · totems · sacred · rituals · ancestor
Expose as false
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- fallacyError in reasoning
- fictionImagined narrative work
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
hoax · legend · untruth · misinformation · disinformation · propaganda · deception · distortion
Instructive allegorical narrative
- metaphorImplied identity comparison
- analogyExplanatory likeness between things
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- figurativeRepresenting through imagery
archetype · emblem · moral · lesson · cautionary · didactic · wisdom · teaching
enchantment
Magical influence over someone
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
- magicSupernatural or illusory power
- sorceryPractice of dark magic
divination · oracle · prophecy · ritual · sacred · ethereal · transcendent · otherworldly · shamanism · occult
legend
Unverified traditional tale
- folktaleTraditional narrative passed down
- sagaExtended heroic narrative
- epicImpressively grand in scope
tale · lore · mythos · storytelling · fable · fairy-tale · narrative · adventure · Aesop · folklore
folklore
Inherited cultural narratives
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- cosmogonyStudy of universal origins
creation · gods · goddesses · deities · shamanism · totems · sacred · rituals · ancestor · dreamtime
debunk
Expose as false
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- fallacyError in reasoning
- fictionImagined narrative work
fabrication · hoax · legend · untruth · misinformation · disinformation · propaganda · deception · distortion · rumor
parable
Instructive allegorical narrative
- metaphorImplied identity comparison
- analogyExplanatory likeness between things
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
figurative · archetype · emblem · moral · lesson · cautionary · didactic · wisdom · teaching · iconography
hero
One admired for courage
underworld · rebirth · quest · transformation · mother · father · shadow · threshold · journey · Jung
pantheon
All gods of a religion
Athena · Apollo · Aphrodite · Hermes · Hades · Olympus · Titans · Homer · Iliad · Odyssey
- fantasywizard, witch, magic, dragon, elf
- heroeshero, heroes, heroine, heroines, superhero
- storiesstory, tale, tales, legend, fable
- storytellingstorytelling, story, tale, narrative, narrator
- textstext, book, article, essay, document
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
mythhistory
Record of past events
non-fiction · documentary · chronicle · historical record · journalism
mythscience
Systematic study through observation
scientific theory · demythologization · debunking · skepticism
- mythical beastsImaginary animals from lore
- mythical creaturesImaginary beings from folklore
- traditional mythsInherited cultural narratives
- Greek mythAncient Aegean folklore
- urban mythFalse story believed widely
- Greek mythologyAncient Greek divine narratives
myths, mythical, mythic, mythology, mythologist, mythologize, demythologize