Myth

The term has been used in many different ways over the centuries. Its most common use refers to a story or explanation which is unhistorical or fictional. In the past it referred to stories about gods from other religious traditions or about human heroes or heroines. Myth is used to communicate ideas or values that are difficult to state in a rational or scientific way. Myth provides a way to express faith and to communicate experience, intuition, or recognition of truth that seems beyond other forms of expression. Through myth, the limitations of our own time and cultural context can be overcome with sacred stories. In this respect, a myth is in the deepest sense “true.”