Legend

• the setting of legends are often specific times and places

• legends may be about real people and events

• legends may have elements of fact and elements of fiction

• a legend is usually an exaggerated true story

• legends deal with hereos

• legends often provide examples of the virtues of the known hero

• a legend may be passed down from one generation to the next

• a legend is a widely told story that may or may not have a basis in fact

• legends reflect cultural values or the identity of a people

• legends place emphasis on historical truth

• legends place less emphasis on the supernatural

• a legend is a traditional narrative or a collection of related narratives

Myth

• a myth is a traditional story accepted as history

• a myth explains the world view of a people

• a myth is fiction

• a myth may contain links to religion, matters of spiritual significance, or rituals

• a myth may describe the origins of the universe and life

• a myth may explain the actions of gods and hereos

• myths may explain the relationship between gods and humans

• a myth may give an explanation for natural phenomena, practice, or beliefs

• myths may be the earliest forms of history, science, or philosophy

• allusions to Greek, Roman, Norse, and Celtic myths are common in English Literature

• a myth is a story handed down through history usually through the oral tradition

• myths reflect the result of early man and the use of imaginations to interpret and understand the universe and how it functions

Polytheism

• polytheism is the worship of more than one god of deity

• the belief has been widespread in many cultures

• polytheism is a belief in the existence of many gods or divine beings

• each god usually cares for some aspect of human affairs

• each god usually possesses some particular trait

• polytheism played a major role in the ancient cultures of Greece, Rome, and Egypt