According to Ions (1999), "The word "myth" is usually associated in two ways to a modern human" (p. 1). Firstly, the "myth" is often contrasted with "reality" - a popular technique used by journalists in the title, e.g. "Democracy in North Korea - a myth or reality?". When we see a headline, there is no doubt that under the "myth" in this case means "a lie, an illusion, deception." Secondly, each of us is familiar, for example, with the myths of ancient Greece and is aware of the myth as a literary heritage of the ancient Greece, often treating it as a kind of fairy tale.
However, if we trace the etymology of the word "myth", we will see that its first meaning is a "word" (in Greek - mythos.), and the ancient myths were perceived as authentic, a real event, a significant, serving as an example to follow.
Wright's (2008) study found the following: with the development of science and the spread of Christianity, myths could no longer be perceived as a true legend. They were losing their "higher meaning" giving way to scientific theory and religious beliefs. Many myths assimilated to Christianity as it appeared that the total eradication of mythological thinking was impossible, even with the passage of time. Gradually the myths became more desacralized, but they persisted in the form of works of art and literature. (p. 17)
But myths have not disappeared from our lives. They are manifested in different ways: some are used as a promotional move, the other - form the basis of ideologies and radically change people's lives. Myths have repeatability, reproducibility, address (addressed to a specific audience), and the main instrument of the myth - "naturalization."
In other words, a myth today - is, above all, a way of reflecting the world. It seems outdated perception of the myth as "sacred, absolutely true story about the deeds of supernatural beings in the Beginning of Beginnings". At the same time, in my opinion, the myth cannot be equated with illusion. What is built entirely on lies, will be lies and will never become anything else. Myth has to contain at least a drop of truth, and this truth must be such convincing that it can be perceived as natural, and, therefore, infallible. The myth is born out of this truth, develops, grows and turns into a unique interweaving of truth and fiction, which has a special appeal, forcing many people to believe in the myth and play it.
According to Ions (1999): mythology is a set of myths from different eras and peoples, where the myth is a narrative about the ancestor, gods, spirits, heroes. In the myths early elements of religion, philosophy, science and art are interwoven and myths of different nations have similar and recurring themes and motifs: the origin of the world (cosmogony myths) of the gods (theogonic myths), human (anthropogenic myths), the sun (solar deity) , moon (lunar myths), star (astral myths), various human skills, customs and rituals of life and death, and others. (p. 24). The myths explain the constitution of things and phenomena, the passage of time, tell us about the end of the world, in short, give a uniform picture of the world ancient man. All the myths are the main way of understanding the world in primitive society. In mythological tales experience and knowledge of many generations is being accumulated. In this case, maybe in any other science does not contain so many different hypotheses. Since the second half of the XIX century, the features of mythological explanation of reality began to show up even in places where they are least expected to see. Thus, the mythological ideas about space structure, the possibility of the Universe of different worlds, heterogeneity of time and space, the dialectic of past and present, the materiality of the time, the relationship of all living things, the extension of human life, cosmic and eternal life, the unity of living and inert, the artificial creation of life, the limits of human capabilities, and others largely stimulated the development of modern scientific thought.
Wright (2008) found that: all myths are very imaginative, visual: the explaining phenomenon are personified, but at the same time to some extent, and summarized. This symbol may not be a random figure, but only one that carries a universal explanatory load (egg, water, earth, fire, staircase, circle or square, etc.). Thus, myths can be regarded as knowledge, previous philosophy. (p. 38).
References
Ions, V. (1999). The history of mythology. Godalming, Surrey, England: CLB.
Wright, A. (2008). Mythology. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Focus.
