Myths are often considered as trivializations, deceptions, or falsehoods. However,
mythologies are more correctly understood as framing metaphors which hold and
carry forth the values and beliefs of a culture. Myths are stories which organize and
carry the plots of dramatic life events. And plots are organizations of narratives into
significant themes. Plots of life, themes of significance woven into its experience, are both
organized and perceived through the lenses of one’s value systems. As framing
metaphors, myths then not only carry forward a culture’s fundamental beliefs, but also
juxtapose those beliefs with the dramatic plots of life. They frame the way events are
perceived and experienced, and as a result, frame the significance accorded
them. Myths provide coherence in the face of changing life conditions.
This from an article I wrote for HeadlineMuse.com some years ago.
