Although it is difficult to draw rigid distinctions
among various types of traditional tales, people who study mythology find it
useful to categorize them. The three most common types of tales are sagas,
legends, and folktales.
When a tale is based on a great historical (or supposedly historical) event, it
is generally known as a saga. Despite a saga�s basis in very distant historical
events, its dramatic structure and characters are the product of storytellers�
imaginations. Famous sagas include the Greek story of the Trojan War and the
Germanic epic poem the Nibelungenlied (Song of the Nibelungs).
Myths may include features of sagas, legends, and folktales. What makes one of
these tales a myth is its serious purpose and its importance to the culture.
Experts usually define a myth as a story that has compelling drama and deals
with basic elements and assumptions of a culture. Myths explain, for example,
how the world began; how humans and animals came into being; how certain
customs, gestures, or forms of human activity originated; and how the divine and
human worlds interact. Many myths take place at a time before the world as human
beings know it came into being. Because myth-making often involves gods, other
supernatural beings, and processes beyond human understanding, some scholars
have viewed it as a dimension of religion. However, many myths address topics
that are not typically considered religious�for example, why features of the
landscape take a certain shape.
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