Truth in Mythmaking

Reality and truth are vital to mythmaking.  Without truth, myths would be hollow and irrelevant, something not worth remembering or repeating.  We read and listen and care about stories because we want to feel like we are not alone.  We want to know that there are others who are struggling too, and they have survived.

Moreover, morals and laws are passed down through myths and mythology.  This could not be done without some elements of reality in mythology.  Ganymede taught the Greeks what is acceptable in relation to pederasty, but that entire story would not have been necessary if the Greeks of Crete had not commonly practiced pederasty.  Mythology reflects life--sometimes subtly, and sometimes more blatantly.

The most interesting thing about mythology is how much it tells us about ourselves.  The things that we preserve in mythology are the things that make our cultures unique—the things that are most important to our cultures.  This is the “truth” of mythology.