Difference between revisions 1166676 and 1761101 on metawiki

{{essay|specifiedcategory=Essays on general topics}}
This page is for discussion of [[w:folklore]], [[w:religion]], and [[w:mythology]].

=== Use of the words 'Myth', 'Mythology', etc. ===

The word 'mMyth' has several meanings in the English language.  Probably the best place to find out these meanings is to consult [http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=myth a dictionary].  One meaning, roughly, has it that a myth is "a story that express the religion, beliefs and morals of a culture" and another meaning is roughly "a story that is false or made-up".  The boundary between the two meanings is unclear.

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Maybe it is just that the ancients preferred alegory?
A true myth: Wheat grows best if the sower is nude! This may be because a compassionate (but maybe not omnipotent) God sees the sower as too poor to buy clothes, as originally proposed, or perhaps it is because it is not very convenient to be walking naked on either wet or baked land, or when the wind blows, or the weather is unpleasant? Now, guess what conditions are ideal for seed germination?