1. Where do we come from and why is the world the way it is?

2. Any story that attempts to explain how the world was created or why the world is the way that it is. Myths are stories that are passed on from generation to generation and often involve religion. Most myths were first spread by oral tradition and then were written down in some literary form. supernatural beings and events intersect with the lives of humans and the natural world Mythos=speech or story Colloquial use—fiction or falsehood (like mythbusters!) “Partakes of a more religious, symbolic, or dreamlike truth: its origins and elements belong more to the spiritual than the historic realm” (Holley 702).

3. Naturalization: using an ancient myth in a modern work Marriage: using myths to point out harmony of different cultures Prioritization: when one mythical system denies or supplants the truth of another

4. Definition: A pattern that appears in literature across cultures and is repeated through the ages Archetypes that were present in ancient times often are used in modern times in the same way.

6. Holley, Margaret. “Myth and Legend.” Continuum Encyclopedia of British Literature. Contiuum International Publishing Group Ltd. EBSCOhost. 12 July 2010.