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What
are myths?
Myths are stories.
Sometimes partly true,
sometimes totally fictional.
That helped people to make sense of the world around them. Myths can help
us understand the beliefs and traditions of ancient cultures.
Many, many ancient myths involve animals. Not only are animals very common in these tales. They are also extremely varied.
They range from the strange and fantastical, such as centaurs or satyrs, to the ordinary, such as dogs, cows, and horses. The mythic roles played by animals are plentiful and diverse. Some animals possessed supernatural attributes; they ravaged lands and inspired great fear in people’s hearts and minds.
Other animals aided heroes in their quests; some were even revered as gods. The universal presence and the great power of animals in mythology demonstrate their tremendous importance to the people of the ancient world.
Web site created by CHICO,
which is based at the
University of Michigan, School
of Information