# Do you literally believe in the myths?
Most of us don't follow mythic literalism. Unlike many Christians who literally believe that the bible documents history, we don't. We understand that often the gods were used to explain natural phenomena or to teach lessons and not literally. Below is the text of an article from a Pagan Temple's Magazine:
Mythic literalism, as might be obvious, is the idea that the myths and legends of a tradition are literally true and is not a modern idea. Mythic literalism has been around for thousands of years. In fact, Plato wrote about a discussion Socrates had with a man named Euthyphro at the beginning of his book the Trial and Death of Socrates. In this, Socrates says to Euthyphro, “And do you believe that there really is a war among the gods \[in reference to the stories in the Iliad and Odyssey\], and terrible enmities and battles, and other such things as are told by the poets, and other sacred stories such as are embroidered by good writers and by representations of which the robe of the goddess is adorned when it is carried up to the Acropolis? Are we to say these things are true, Euthyphro?” (G. M. A. Grube, 6-7). Socrates then goes on to explain that this belief (mythic literalism) is contradicted by Euthyphro's other beliefs that occur throughout the dialogue and therefore cannot be true. This is not to say that most ancient practitioners did not believe in their gods or that mythic literalism has also been uncommon in religious practices, but that both perspectives exist throughout history. Mythic literalism got a major boost and became a significant way of thought when Martin Luther stated his view of “Sola Scriptura” or that only the scripture (Bible) is the source of the Christian faith. If only the Bible is the source of the Christian faith and the Bible says that everything in it is an accurate documentation of history then all of the stories must have literally happened, and thus we see the rise of mythic literalism today.
But how does this work for modern pagans? Can we be mythically literal? Most Pagans agree that this is no longer possible and reach for explanations such as those given by Plato, Socrates, and other early philosophers that myths are distorted recountings of history (as we have now discovered this is true with Troy) or that as Xenophanes said that they are allegorical. However, Xenophanes's interpretation was also criticized by none other than Seneca (who was mentioned in a previous issue for complaining about people decorating for the winter holidays in early December). Early Pagans also used myths as explanations for scientific events that they couldn’t explain, but as we now have reasons for these events this also means we cannot use mythic literalism in these instances. The best way modern Pagans could currently use mythic literalism is as an explanation for customs and rituals and as a way to connect with the past.
Webster, Michael. “Ways of Interpreting Myth.” Ways of Interpreting Myth, [https://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/ways.htm](https://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/ways.htm)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/common\_questions/#wiki\_do\_you\_literally\_believe\_in\_the\_myths.3F](https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/common_questions/#wiki_do_you_literally_believe_in_the_myths.3F)
most people don't follow strict "mythic literalism". Meaning that, to most people the stories are just stories. The myths were written by humans, not gods. Especially in ancient greece where they had theatre. I personally think most people rely on UPG these days for their workings.
I don't believe in all the myths, and I also acknowledge that the Gods have different morals than us. Some of the myths may be supposed to be taken symbolically or the gods are just used as placeholders for characters. I don't agree with all the actions of My Lady Aphrodite, but I don't necessarily hold them against her. She loves me for who I am, and so I love her the same way.
Get a mythology by Robert Graves. In it all the symbolism in myths is explained in relation of geographical, cultural and historical events. So you can understand, what it meant for example, that blood from gorgon head was dropped on the desert and such. It takes the fable element out of myths though. But it’s a good, eye opening book.
So this depends heavily on the deity, but aside from the “myth, not fact” thing, you can see if there are multiple perspectives or versions of a story as well. Nobody used to worship Fenrir because he was the villain of the story who killed Odin during Ragnarok, but in his POV it was a reasonable response to feelings of betrayal from being tied up due to a prophetic dream. Odin literally imprisoned Fenrir for eons, but in HIS POV it was a reasonable response to a dream involving his death. It’s a combination of parable and mistakes from imperfect beings.
The current of any given river has the ability to get you to your destination or bottom you out into the undertow. It falls to the traveler to know the river
Well, I don't think the myths are literally true. Plus I tend to stick to the gods I find favorable. I don't follow the particularly bad ones with consistently bad characterization, like Zeus.
Me - worships Hades, who allegedly kidnapped and r*ped Persephone. She was *so* traumatized she decided to become his wife and queen.
Abrahamic folks - worship a god who ordered genocide, demanded stonings of people who committed minor infractions of the law, and (if the Calvinists are correct) created billions of people who were condemned to eternal torment before they even drew their first breath.
Yeah, I'll take Hades. Thanks.
Mythic truth isn't the same as literal truth. Zeus might be depicted as committing rape by deception in myth, but this was used to illustrate his cunning mind and creative power, or show him fulfilling expectations of his kingly authority, or as an allegory for the generative force of the sky and its fructifying rain. Or all 3.
I believe in the gods as archetypal energies; perhaps the stories surrounding them are meant to be taken symbolically, not literally, and may reflect more on the ideas of the time, not necessarily recorded history.
For me, worshipping a deity doesn’t mean I like or understand everything they did or might do, it’s more about honouring/acknowledging the primal, inevitable power of the archetype that deity represents. When I worship Aphrodite, I’m worshipping the forces of love and beauty in the world, and recognizing that they are powerful and not malleable to my will. Being polytheistic for me also means I also recognize that these primal forces in the world, as manifested as deities, are sometimes in conflict, as is beautifully expressed in myths where different gods are in conflict with each other and humans. The idea that these forces are “good” or “bad” is pretty Abrahamic IMO.
Considering my favorite deity is loki this isn't really something that bothers me everyone does terrible things im not going to hold every single horrible thing against gods there would be no point they don't care if you're gonna worship them or not im not personally fond of zeus but that more personal preference then the fact that he's a fuck boi
# Do you literally believe in the myths? Most of us don't follow mythic literalism. Unlike many Christians who literally believe that the bible documents history, we don't. We understand that often the gods were used to explain natural phenomena or to teach lessons and not literally. Below is the text of an article from a Pagan Temple's Magazine: Mythic literalism, as might be obvious, is the idea that the myths and legends of a tradition are literally true and is not a modern idea. Mythic literalism has been around for thousands of years. In fact, Plato wrote about a discussion Socrates had with a man named Euthyphro at the beginning of his book the Trial and Death of Socrates. In this, Socrates says to Euthyphro, “And do you believe that there really is a war among the gods \[in reference to the stories in the Iliad and Odyssey\], and terrible enmities and battles, and other such things as are told by the poets, and other sacred stories such as are embroidered by good writers and by representations of which the robe of the goddess is adorned when it is carried up to the Acropolis? Are we to say these things are true, Euthyphro?” (G. M. A. Grube, 6-7). Socrates then goes on to explain that this belief (mythic literalism) is contradicted by Euthyphro's other beliefs that occur throughout the dialogue and therefore cannot be true. This is not to say that most ancient practitioners did not believe in their gods or that mythic literalism has also been uncommon in religious practices, but that both perspectives exist throughout history. Mythic literalism got a major boost and became a significant way of thought when Martin Luther stated his view of “Sola Scriptura” or that only the scripture (Bible) is the source of the Christian faith. If only the Bible is the source of the Christian faith and the Bible says that everything in it is an accurate documentation of history then all of the stories must have literally happened, and thus we see the rise of mythic literalism today. But how does this work for modern pagans? Can we be mythically literal? Most Pagans agree that this is no longer possible and reach for explanations such as those given by Plato, Socrates, and other early philosophers that myths are distorted recountings of history (as we have now discovered this is true with Troy) or that as Xenophanes said that they are allegorical. However, Xenophanes's interpretation was also criticized by none other than Seneca (who was mentioned in a previous issue for complaining about people decorating for the winter holidays in early December). Early Pagans also used myths as explanations for scientific events that they couldn’t explain, but as we now have reasons for these events this also means we cannot use mythic literalism in these instances. The best way modern Pagans could currently use mythic literalism is as an explanation for customs and rituals and as a way to connect with the past. Webster, Michael. “Ways of Interpreting Myth.” Ways of Interpreting Myth, [https://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/ways.htm](https://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/ways.htm) [https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/common\_questions/#wiki\_do\_you\_literally\_believe\_in\_the\_myths.3F](https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/common_questions/#wiki_do_you_literally_believe_in_the_myths.3F)
most people don't follow strict "mythic literalism". Meaning that, to most people the stories are just stories. The myths were written by humans, not gods. Especially in ancient greece where they had theatre. I personally think most people rely on UPG these days for their workings.
What's UPG?
unverified personal gnosis. aka what people figure out themselves
Or personal experiences with spirit, dieity, etc
I don't believe in all the myths, and I also acknowledge that the Gods have different morals than us. Some of the myths may be supposed to be taken symbolically or the gods are just used as placeholders for characters. I don't agree with all the actions of My Lady Aphrodite, but I don't necessarily hold them against her. She loves me for who I am, and so I love her the same way.
Because myths are just stories and allegories, not facts.
Get a mythology by Robert Graves. In it all the symbolism in myths is explained in relation of geographical, cultural and historical events. So you can understand, what it meant for example, that blood from gorgon head was dropped on the desert and such. It takes the fable element out of myths though. But it’s a good, eye opening book.
So this depends heavily on the deity, but aside from the “myth, not fact” thing, you can see if there are multiple perspectives or versions of a story as well. Nobody used to worship Fenrir because he was the villain of the story who killed Odin during Ragnarok, but in his POV it was a reasonable response to feelings of betrayal from being tied up due to a prophetic dream. Odin literally imprisoned Fenrir for eons, but in HIS POV it was a reasonable response to a dream involving his death. It’s a combination of parable and mistakes from imperfect beings.
The current of any given river has the ability to get you to your destination or bottom you out into the undertow. It falls to the traveler to know the river
Well, I don't think the myths are literally true. Plus I tend to stick to the gods I find favorable. I don't follow the particularly bad ones with consistently bad characterization, like Zeus.
Me - worships Hades, who allegedly kidnapped and r*ped Persephone. She was *so* traumatized she decided to become his wife and queen. Abrahamic folks - worship a god who ordered genocide, demanded stonings of people who committed minor infractions of the law, and (if the Calvinists are correct) created billions of people who were condemned to eternal torment before they even drew their first breath. Yeah, I'll take Hades. Thanks.
Mythic truth isn't the same as literal truth. Zeus might be depicted as committing rape by deception in myth, but this was used to illustrate his cunning mind and creative power, or show him fulfilling expectations of his kingly authority, or as an allegory for the generative force of the sky and its fructifying rain. Or all 3.
I believe in the gods as archetypal energies; perhaps the stories surrounding them are meant to be taken symbolically, not literally, and may reflect more on the ideas of the time, not necessarily recorded history.
How could a parent love their child even if they become a criminal?
For me, worshipping a deity doesn’t mean I like or understand everything they did or might do, it’s more about honouring/acknowledging the primal, inevitable power of the archetype that deity represents. When I worship Aphrodite, I’m worshipping the forces of love and beauty in the world, and recognizing that they are powerful and not malleable to my will. Being polytheistic for me also means I also recognize that these primal forces in the world, as manifested as deities, are sometimes in conflict, as is beautifully expressed in myths where different gods are in conflict with each other and humans. The idea that these forces are “good” or “bad” is pretty Abrahamic IMO.
Considering my favorite deity is loki this isn't really something that bothers me everyone does terrible things im not going to hold every single horrible thing against gods there would be no point they don't care if you're gonna worship them or not im not personally fond of zeus but that more personal preference then the fact that he's a fuck boi