Religion, Tylor thought, was a holdover from those primitive mythological times, the root and fruit of a backward, superstitious mindset. Now that we have science we know better, and we should discard myth. Myths, in his opinion, were the theories that primitive people devised to explain the world. Tylor is considered the father of “cultural evolutionism.” He considered myth and primitive religion as failed attempts at science. The worthlessness of myth is rooted in the work of several academics from the turn of the twentieth century. To the scientific man a myth is a curious but valueless cultural artifact from a superstitious age. Because ancient Greeks and Romans told stories about Zeus and Jupiter, and because they were fantasy stories, and because Zeus and Jupiter were gods, the cynic in the street concludes that all stories from ancient times that feature the supernatural must also be fanciful old time stories that may be somewhat entertaining, but which are all make believe.

This fact makes the definition of myth even more complex and therefore more easily misunderstood. Yes, some ancient fanciful stories are called myths and have a religious dimension.

It might be a pretend story told for a religious purpose or at worst it is an intentional fabrication devised to hoodwink the gullible. At best it is a harmless children’s story. He uses the word “myth” to mean “useless fairy tale.” A myth is a fantasy, a fable or a fanciful fiction. One of the most tiresome misconceptions of the cynic in the street is his idea of myth.

The power of myth