Literary notes about Myth (AI summary)
Literature employs the word "myth" in a multifaceted way, functioning not only as a traditional narrative recounting cosmic or historical events but also as a symbolic framework that captures cultural values and collective memory. At times, myth is presented as an ancient explanatory story that imbues nature and existence with meaning—for instance, accounts of cosmic separations or celestial origins ([1], [2]). In other contexts, myth evolves into a literary element that transcends mere fable, becoming a living symbol that influences character representations and societal ideals, as when a figure is transformed into an almost legendary embodiment of security ([3]). Furthermore, its narrative structure is valued for its ability to express deeper truths through internal evidence and metaphorical resonance rather than through strict historical accuracy ([4]).
- Note 1607 ( return ) [ The myth accounts for the separation of Heaven and Earth.
— from Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica by Hesiod - In this way the Persephone of one year becomes the Demeter of the next, and this may very well have been the original form of the myth.
— from The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by James George Frazer - He had become almost a myth—a kind of incarnation of security haunting the background of the Forsyte universe.
— from The Forsyte Saga, Volume I. by John Galsworthy - The myth, then, is a narrative of remote date, not necessarily true or false, but whose truth can only be certified by internal evidence.
— from The symbolism of Freemasonry : by Albert Gallatin Mackey
