What is Myth?

The word "Myth" has baggage. It refers to a relic of a bygone era, an outdated notion that has since been replaced by reason or logic. People use it the term to debunk, illuminate falsehood or refer to something fake. Myth has become synonymous with falsehoods and untruth. Look around and find harticles decrying "the myth of dieting"or "the myth of passive income." Headline after headline utilizes this definition, continuing to cast myth as the binary opposite of truth.

Myth is not dead. Myth, mythology, and mythic images surround us and continue to hold resonance. There are the apparent myths, like the Norse gods Thor and Loki appearing in Marvel comics and movies, Slender Man, Zombies, Atlantis, Vampires, UFOs, Friday the Thirteenth, black cats, and killer clowns. Every superhero iteration is a reiteration of an older myth that has been retold.

Then there are deeper myths that emerge when we peel back the top layers of the world. Apple chose to use the forbidden the fruit of knowledge to represent their company. Their knowledge. When harnessed, they grant their users access to unlimited knowledge. Our information is stored on the cloud, a realm of heavenly assent where the wisest and most powerful beings dwell.

Bots online are called Trolls, creatures that are not human who lurk under bridges, out of sight, and harass people. Vans intended for long journeys are named Odyssey after Odysseus, cleaning products boasting to be the strongest are called Ajax after a mighty Greek Warrior and bulls, and an ancient sign of fertility and strength stands guard outside Wall Street. Each of these, and countless other images, represent thriving myths.

But what exactly is myth?

There is no one way to define it. Each scholar can come to different contentious about what constitutes as myth. Like a spider's silken web or the vanishing trails of smoke, myth defies definition. Myth must be seen like the individual-colored threads that make up a tapestry, each meaning serving a different purpose that, when woven together, offers an underlying worldview.

Myth, like dreams, has been brushed aside as unimportant when in actuality, myth, stories and dreams are the bedrock of what it means to be human. Humans tell stories. That how how meaning is given to the world. This ongoing series "What is Myth" invites mythologists to engage with the the endless world of mythology and the stories that spiral from our collective human imagination. Each brings unique preservative, stemming from the personal, artistic,academic, spiritual, traditional wisdom interaction. Our aim is to open the conversation around myth and its continue relevance for our world.

Read Articles in the Series

• “Reflections on Myth" by Christine Downing, Ph.D

• "Moving Inside Myth" by Craig Chalquistn, Ph.D

• "What is Myth: An Archaeomythological Perspective" by Joan M. Cichon, Ph.D

• "The Awe in Mythology" by Heather Taylor, Ph.D

• "What is Mythology: An Astronomer's Perspective" by Moiya McTeir, Ph.D