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mythology Definition

my·thol·ogy (-jē)

noun pl. -·gies

  1. the science or study of myths
  2. a book of or about myths
  3. myths collectively; esp., all the myths of a specific people or about a specific being

Etymology: ME methologie < LL mythologia < Gr, a telling of tales or legends < mythos, myth + -logia, -logy

mythology Synonyms

mythology

n.

belief, conviction, mythicism; see faith 2, religion 1.

Systems of mythology include: Chaldean, Roman, Semitic, Bantu, Sumerian, Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Germanic, Celtic, Hindu, American Indian.

mythology Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • culture: They are woven into the mythologies of many cultures.
  • people: Unfortunately the subject that really interested him, the mythology of the Slavic peoples, was not available at any of these new institutions.

Converse of subject

  • inspire: The pieces were inspired by the mythology of fairies and research into the trends of fashion at the time.

Converse of object

  • invent: Instead the actors become part of a real crew and the invented mythology partly takes shape in the real world.
  • associate: The poem draws upon mythology associated with the castle from medieval times.
  • explore: It was to explore urban mythology in a unique way while avoiding horror cliches.
  • create: Tolkien created a new mythology in an invented world which has proved timeless in its appeal.
  • build: In the years that followed his death, the established church built the mythology that still surrounds Saint Patrick.
  • base: Sir Gus O'Donnell: I do not think it is mythology based.

Adjective modifier

  • Norse: There are a fair number of things from Norse mythology he could do.
  • Greek: The motif is likewise present in Greek mythology, Mount Olympus being the home of the gods.
  • Celtic: An American, he moved to Britain to research Celtic mythology.
  • Egyptian: In Egyptian mythology, Seth causes the death of his brother Osiris, the first king of Egypt.
  • Sumerian: See S. N. Kramer: Sumerian Mythology ( revised edition by Harper Torchbooks, 1961 - 1st publication 1944 ), p. 40.
  • Nordic: In it, you can find the Nordic mythology of Yggdrasil described in some detail.

Noun used with modifier

  • pagan: He found in Christ the source of the truth and delight he had known in pagan mythology.
  • Greek: I just liked the whole based on greek mythology.
  • world: I chose a scenario straight out of world mythology, a world where you go through space on the back of a giant turtle.
  • creation: It is a sociology textbook for the comparative study of world creation mythology.
  • vampire: Vampire: Despite not having any real vampires the film boasts plenty of vampire mythology.
mythology Quotes

Literature is conscious mythology: as society develops, its mythical stories become structural principles of story-telling, its mythical concepts, sun-gods and the like, become habits of metaphoric thought. In a fully mature literary tradition the writerenters intoa structure of traditional stories and images.

—Frye, Northrop

What counted was the mythology of self, Blotched out beyond unblotching.

—Stevens,Wallace

Browse dictionary entries near mythology

  1. mythologize
  2. mythologist
  3. mythological
  4. mythography
  5. mythographer
  6. mytho-
  7. mythmaking
  8. mythmaker
  9. mythicize
  10. mythical
  1. mythomania
  2. mythopoeia
  3. mythos
  4. Mytilene
  5. myxedema
  6. myxo-
  7. myxoma
  8. myxomatosis
  9. myxomycete
  10. myxovirus