So you’re interested in understanding mythology but you’re not sure where to start? In this article, we’ll touch on the schools of thought as it relates to interpreting mythology.

First of all, what is a myth?

A myth can be defined as a “purely fictitious narrative usually involving supernatural persons, actions or events and embodying some popular idea concerning natural or historical phenomena.”

There are seven schools of thought as it relates to interpreting mythology. We’ll dive a bit into each school of thought to give you a clear understanding of these schools of thought so you can use them in your practice of interpreting your favorite myths.

Human Error

Some people interpret myths as a failed attempt at explaining the phenomena of the world surrounding the people who lived in the time of myth creation. They are thought to be a pre-scientific notion of the way the world and by extension, the universe operates.

Symbol Interpretation

Other people don’t believe that the people of yesterday were so backward in their thinking and understanding of the world and our universe. 

Other view myths as symbolic representations not meant to be taken literally. To them, myths allude to the deeper happens of the world around us and the people who inhabit the various cultures of the world.

Psychoanalytical Theory

Birthed by Sigmund Freud, this view seeks to relate myths to mere workings of the conscious and subconscious minds.

Sociological Interpretation

Developed by Emile Durkheim, the sociological interpretation of myth argues that myths were developed in an attempt to institute social orders in their societies.

By passing myths around from generation to generation, installing a social order through the tales, positions of persons in the tales and consequences could serve as a plausible means of establishing social orders.

Myth as Ritual

Myths may be mere rituals.They may just have been tales drafted for purely ritualistic purposes, to recite at public events or on public holidays. They may have no inherent meaning at all.

Myth as Structural Philosophy

Myth as structural philosophy claims that myths were the ancient people's attempt at figuring out how the world around them operated.

Poetic Metaphor

This interpretation is quite a romanticized version. This interpretation seeks to say that myths were poetic representations of the times that were.People who view myths in this way normally have a nostalgic connotation to their view as they have glorified the seemingly poetic nature of myths.