Mythology (from fiv^oc, a tale, and Xoyor, a word) is, according t<) I*t)cocke (India in Greece, p. 2, note), intended strictly as a term synonymous with "inven- tion," liaving no historical basis. Vet by usage the word is confined to fictions made in the early periods of a people's existence, for the purpose of j)resenting their religious belief, and generally their oldest traditions, in an attractive form. The tendency to create myths in this way seems inherent in every people ; certainly there is no people so sunk into the brute as to be without them. And, what is more noteworthy, the systems of mythology have by no means ceased to exist even in our own day. They have only taken different shapes, and have been more widelv diffused. The name is
changed, while the essence remains. In losing their character of celestial reference they have become more earthly and less splendid and imposing, but their vitaU ity is as great as ever. We might almost say of the gods as some do of the relics of saints of the Komish Church, that the more they are divided the more they multiply. The mystery with which the jiojtular fancy delights to envelop them serves instead of the immor- tal ambrosia which ministers to their heavenly life. '•Nothing," says De Gubernatis, "clings to the earth more closely than a superstition. A scientific triitli re- quires years and sometimes centuries before it can ob- tain general acceptance. The ancient myth gives us the germ of many existing traditions, and in the same manner the current popular legends often explain the enigma of the old celestial personifications" (Zuuluf/icul Mytholof/y, vol. i, Introd.).
Myths may be divided into several classes. The most important is the moral and theological. The lat- ter of these two is of course the more import<int ; for it is in the myth tliat the oldest theology of all non- Christian nations is embodied. " Jlythology," says one, "is not occupied merely or mainly with strange fancies and marvellous fictions, invented for the sake of amuse- ment, but contains the fundamental ideas belonging to the moral and religious nature of man as they have been embodied by the imaginative faculty of the most favor- ed races. It is this dominance of the imagination, so characteristic of the early stages of society, which gives to myth its peculiar dramatic expression, and stamps the popular creed of all nations with the character of a poetry of nature, of man, and of God." Hence arises the great importance of mythological study for the relig- ious student, now so iniiversally recognised.
Mythology, or, more strictly speaking, religious mj'- thology, may be taken in a wider or a narrower sense. In its wider signification it includes all that was be- lieved or might be aflirmed concerning the gods of any polytheistic system — not only ihtvknjy, or the doctrine concerning their nature, attributes, and operations, but their interferences in the history of the world. From the very nature of the case, the myth-producing faculty exercises itself with exuberance only under the iwly- theistic form of religion; for there only does a suflicient number of celestial personages exist whose attributes and actions may be clothed in a historical dress. There is nothing, however, to jjrevent even a monotheistic people from exhibiting certain great ideas of their faith in a narrative form, so as by prosaic minds to be taken for literal historical facts. The first of these divisions answers to the doctrine concerning (Jod found in the Scriptures; the other to the manifestation of Ciod in the events of the world, and especially in Jewish history. Besides strictly theological myths, there are physical myths, that is, fictions representing the most striking appearances and changes of external nature in the form of poetical history ; in which view the connection of legends about giants, chimeras, etc., with regions mark- ed by peculiar volcanic phenomena, has often been ob- I served. It is dij/iciilt indeed, in poh/theistic relit/ions, to \ draw any strict line between physicul and theolnyical myths; as the divinity of all the ojierations of nature is the first postulate of polytheism, and every physi- cal phenomenon becomes llie manifestation of a god. Again, though it may appear a contradiction, there are historical myths; that is, marvellous legends about per- sons who may with probability be supposed to have : actually existed. So intermingled, indeed, is fact with fable in early times that there nnist always Ix- a kind I of debatable land between plain theoldgical myth and i recognised historical fact. The laud is occupied by what are called the heroic myths; that is, legends about heroes, concerning whom it may often be doubtful whether they are merely a sort of inferior and nmre human-like gods, or only men of more than ordinary powers whom the popular imagination has elevated into demigods. Schelling, in his philosophy of mythology.
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uses the word in a somewhat broad meaning. He says that " these (divine, or mythological) personalities are at the same time thought of both in certain natural and in certain historical relations to one another. Kronus is called a son of Uranus ; this is a natural— ^shen he emasculates and dethrones his father, this is a historical, relation. As, however, natural relations in the wider sense are historical, this element is sufficiently indicated when we speak of it as the historical one" {Led. i, p. 7). And he goes on to remark that by their very nature the gods of heathenism as mythological beings have a his- torical character. They enter into the world of events in that part of the system of heathen religions, or rather of some religions, which speaks of their birth and of their relations among themselves, aside from any man- ifestations to men or interferences in human affiiirs. But if we make a distinction between the doctrinal part of polytheism, or of any particular religion, as that of India "or Greece, and the historical part from which and from its cultus the doctrinal part, or the religious faith, is ascertained, we shall not be far out of the way. For the doctrinal part we refer to the article Polytheism. For the sake of greater clearness, however, we shall, by way of preface, proceed to enumerate some of the prin- ciples which ought to be borne in mind when we treat of mj'thology.