XPost: alt.usage.english   
   From: hayesstw@telkomsa.net   
      
   On Tue, 4 Nov 2025 13:10:46 +0100, occam  wrote:   
      
   >On 29/10/2025 17:02, Tony Cooper wrote:   
   >   
   >> For something to be a "myth", it has to be something that is somewhat   
   >> widely stated, but can be shown to be in error.   
   >   
   >What?   
   >   
   >Greek myths (and mythology) are widely recounted. Yet they are not 'in   
   >error', mainly because they are made-up stories.   
      
     Myth is a reality immeasurably greater than concept. It is   
   high time that we stopped identifying myth with invention,   
   with the illusions of primitive mentality, and with anything,   
   in fact, which is essentially opposed to reality... The   
   creation of myths among peoples denotes a real spiritual life,   
   more real indeed than that of abstract concepts and rational   
   thought. Myth is always concrete and expresses life better   
   than abstract thought can do; its nature is bound up with that   
   of symbol. Myth is the concrete recital of events and original   
   phenomena of the spiritual life symbolized in the natural   
   world, which has engraved itself on the language memory and   
   creative energy of the people... it brings two worlds together   
   symbolically.   
      
   (Source: Nicolas Berdyaev, "Freedom and the Spirit", Goeffrey Bles,   
   London, 1948).   
      
   >Perhaps you are thinking of 'urban myths'?   
      
   What's the difference between an urban myth and an urban legend?   
      
      
      
      
   --   
   Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa   
   Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm   
   Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com   
   E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)