Truth of Myth

The Truth of Myth is a thorough and accessible introduction to the study of myth, surveying the intellectual history of the topic, methods for studying myth cross-culturally, and emerging trends. Readers will encounter insightful commentaries on such questions as: What is the relation of mythology to religion? To science? To popular culture? Did the events recounted in myths actually occur? Why does the term "e;myth"e; have so many contradictory definitions and connotations? Offering serious students with an intellectual "e;toolkit"e; for launching into this fascinating field, the book is especially useful in conjunction with case studies of individual mythological traditions.