Purposes+and+Classifications

= // Myths exist in different cultures, times, and places, // = = // and yet serve certain universal functions. // = //**Origin Myths**// (ETIOLOGY) explain where //something specific// comes from, such as why there exists the phenomena of an "echo."

//**Creation Myths**// explain where //everything// comes from, how the world began, or what factors/forces started life on Earth.

//**Ritual Myths**// explain the performance of certain religious //practices// or patterns and are associated with temples or //places// of worship.

//**Cult Myths**// explain elaborate religious //festivals// that magnify the power of a deity.

//**Prestige Myths**// are associated with a divinely chosen //hero// or city or people.

//**Trickster Myths**// describe pranks or tricks played by gods or heroes.

//**Eschatological Myths**// describe catastrophic ends to the world order of the writers. These extend beyond any potential historical scope and deal with //ultimate destiny//.

//**Social Myths**// reinforce or defend current social values or practices, proper beliefs or behavior.

Myths may fit more than one category.