And who gets to say when a story is a myth. Thank you in advance for your help. Sincerely yours Jonathan Coors Ref 325. Well, you ve asked some very relevant questions which have intrigued scholars and mystics for aeons and which have spawned entire university departments of comparative religion, comparative mythology and anthropology and miles of bookshelves packed with different people s answers to your questions. So, here s my take on them.
Legends recount actual historical events and people.
Legends can become mythic when they embody some universal truth as opposed to being culture-specific. Needless to say there is some crossover among all these. Legends and folklore also get woven into a culture s myths. Some people speculate that the Greek pantheon is a mythologization of the actual rulers of Atlantis, which would be an example of legend into myth. Some say that the myths are the science, psychology, physiology, astronomy, etc. of the ancients or the aliens dumbed down for humans.