MYTHS

What is a myth?
   







Myth is a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or even with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.

Classical mythology

      -Through it,according to this view ,we can retrace the path from civilized man who lives so far from nature, the man who lived in close companionship with nature ; and the real interest of the myths is that they lead us back to a time when the world was young and people had a connection with the earth , with trees and seas , and flowers and hills, unlike anything we ourselves can feel . When the stories were being shaped ,we are given to understand, little distinction had as yet been made between the real and unreal. The imagination was vividly alive and not checked by the reason so that anyone in the woods might see through the trees a feeling nymph, or bending over a clear pool to drink behold in the depths a naiad's face.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Goddesses. New York City: Penguins Books USA Inc.1940.Print