mythology

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The collection of myths of a people, concerning the origin of the people, history, deities, ancestors and heroes.

   “Now the great obstacle in tracing the identity of any of the basic forms of worship lies in the vast number of names which appear in the ancient idolatries and mythologies, creating the illusion of a miscellany of gods, whereas many of these different names refer to the same deity. Thus the sun has been personified and worshipped under as many different names as there are nations on the surface of the earth.”

   “The solitary, lumbering trolls of Scandinavian mythology would sometimes be turned to stone by exposure to sunlight. Barack Obama is hoping that several measures announced on June 4th will have a similarly paralysing effect on their modern incarnation, the patent troll.”

2. (countable, uncountable)A similar body of myths concerning an event, person or institution.

   “This program to distinguish Austria from Germany was important to building a new Austria, but it also indirectly contributed to victim mythology by implying that participation in the Nazi war of conquest was antithetical to Austrian identity.”

3. (countable, uncountable)Pervasive elements of a fictional universe that resemble a mythological universe.

   “This tongue-in-cheek episode is especially fun for people who don’t take their “X-Files” mythology seriously.”

4. (countable, uncountable)The set of misconceptions and false attitudes that are held about something and contribute to its perception.

   “Straight people who do not know, or do not know that they know, any gays, can accept all the mythology about us that is paramount in the propaganda of our enemies.”

5. (uncountable)The systematic collection and study of myths.