Throughout history people have been fascinated with the subject of religion and mythology. In this paper I will define both religion and mythology, and show how mythology can be seen as a religion. First you must have some understanding and definition of religion before you can see how it relates to mythology. Webster's New Riverside Dictionary defines religion as, "a. Belief in and reference for a supernatural power accepted as the creator and governor of the universe." My definition of religion would be a belief in a god as a higher or Supreme Being, and with a system of beliefs and practices. I perceive religion as a way to explain the unexplainable. Secondly you must determine what myths are and how they are created. The word myth comes from the Greek word mythos, which in turn means story, tale or fiction. Webster's New Riverside Dictionary defines a myth as, " A traditional story originating in a preliterate society, dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serve as primordial types in a primitive view of the world." Myths like any religion try to provide an explanation for unanswerable questions. Greek mythology should not be mistaken for fact since there is no scientific evidence of these events but should be taken as advice. This is not saying that all mythology is untrue or fictional. Like in any religion, faith is the domineering factor; for without faith religion would cease to exist. Joseph Campbell states that, "The material of myth is the material of our life, the material of our body, and the material of our environment, and a living, vital mythology deals with these in terms that are appropriate to the nature of knowledge of the time" (Campbell 01). Greek mythology is similar to modern religion in many ways. Like Christianity, Mythology gave meaning to everyday situations. It also formed religious bases and a social structure for which it laid the common law for people. In today's religious settin...
