Why do people who don't believe in myths come to the Mythology & Folklore section?

Question

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Au16cXbetTZNVn6ItePUj93sy6IX?qid=20060713070137AAZgq0H

Answer 1

Y'know, it is possible to enjoy and study a story without believing it to be true.

Answer 2

actually because of the very truth we do not imagine the myths does no longer propose we've not heard them, or have heard some reason how the myth were given the following about. as an party, i do now no longer imagine in Atlantis, in accordance to se, yet i do not forget that at cutting-edge, archeologists have found a Minoan custom in the Mediterranean on a small island which grew to grow to be into destroyed by using a volcano, and the custom is an identical because the single defined in the Atlantis myths. that would not make it the grandiose society that the legends portray, inspite of the plain shown truth that it ought to favor to be the grain of truth that the legend is in preserving with.

Answer 3

Just because we don't believe the myths doesn't mean we haven't heard them, or have heard some reason how the myth came about. For example, I don't believe in Atlantis, per se, but I do know that recently, archeologists have found a Minoan culture in the Mediterranean on a small island which was destroyed by a volcano, and the culture is similar to the one described in the Atlantis myths. That doesn't make it the grandiose society that the legends portray, but it could be the grain of truth that the legend is based on.

Answer 4

Definition of myth: a traditional story often presented as historical
You don't necessarily believe in a myth. Part of it might be based on the truth, but you don't know which part. Anyway a myth says more about the people who tell the story and the history of thought at a certain time in the past. So cultural historians, literary people and others will naturally be interested in myths.

Answer 5

to be honest i would consider mythology and folklore section to be primarily who believe its called mythology because everything it encompasses is a myth...i would say it is More for discussion, of why people at the time believed such things....and even for those atheists out there to ask the ? why doesn't the Christian god go the way of mythology things like that.

Answer 6

They are looking for answers to the things that they have heard or have been taught. And if they tell you that they don't believe, then its your job not to believe them. For fact are far stranger then fiction. And this world has many many strange things that happen that can never be understood without the mythology or folklore explanation.

Answer 7

Maybe it's because although they don't believe in it, it's still interesting to them? Just a guess. Something to keep in mind though, a lot of people on yahoo answers are just here to get points. In a perfect world, people would be serious about the answers they give, or give a sh*t about certain topics.

Answer 8

They're being led by Athena to fulfill the Gods-shaped void in their lives, obviously! They prove that they can't go on rejecting multiple Gods by their actions, and that what they say they believe isn't what their soul needs.

(Seriously, I love this! Finally!)

Answer 9

possibly to study cultural acheivements through archaic thinking,
what is a myth today was not a myth during its heyday, it was common knowledge to those people.
take your most cherished beliefs, what if you found absolute proof tomorrow that what you believe is a myth?

Answer 10

there are people out there who believe in myths? that's silly. the name myth implies that it's only a rumor or an exagerated story.

Answer 11

Same reason that atheists try to collect insurance for damage caused by acts of God! Go figure.