why did myths get started and why would anyone would belive them?

Answer 1

Not only is it often difficult to tell truth from fiction, but sometimes people simply make mistakes.

Take a recent event - in a speech the head of the Humane Society made a joking reference to 'Canine Americans', and the next day a dozen papers reported that this was a new term for dogs that they were going to push. Just a misunderstanding, but to some people it sounds reasonable so it spreads.

Of course, there are some people who WANT to believe unlikely stuff because it makes them feel better or supports their pre-existing ideas, or whatnot. It's not likely that anyone ever really believed that there really was a Hercules, but it was probably fun for even ancient Greeks to sometimes talk as if there was. There's certainly something to be said about someone who can put Death in a head-lock (one of my favourite Hercules stories!).

That's probably where a lot of our pervasive urban myths come from. Like people being stabbed with AIDS-infected needles when they pump gas, or Mr Ed being a zebra instead of a horse. Some of them are true, some of them are false, but most of them are interesting!

Answer 2

tories to pass time these days BUT a lot of ancient greek, egyptian, norse, and mayan myths are based on actual events that have occured. Usually to do with a hero overcoming a great challenge or doing overwhelming tasks which inspire people to glorify that person or their area and even add a few tell tales to further make that person as an idol. Example.. HERCULES was an actual person, Herculi, who done great tasks but over time grew into a demigod due to peoples imagination.. and alongside hjim came the medusa the cyclops and so forth.
Another "myth" if you call it is the ATLANTIS... which was an actual large landmass which disapeared off the face of the earth. According to the old egyptian library an advanced civilization existed there.... this library is now gone and the only record of it was with a greek philosopher that retold the story and wrote it down in the book... a book which he never finished.. There were obviously exadurations in that book which grew into even bigger ones over thousands of years

Answer 3

Mythology is a wonderful study. Every ancient culture had legends of great and powerful "gods" who controlled all of the various elements of life , as well as the reoccurring events of earth, planets, agriculture etc. These were spoken legends passed down through generations. In recent years some of these legends have actually been found to have some credibility such as Troy. New archaeological discoveries are unearthing valuable items which cause you to wonder whether myths are really imaginary or could they possibly be real?

Answer 4

Think about it. It's Winter. Harvest is in, the Spring planting is months away, and it's 100 centuries before the invention of the internet. People would tell stories about the gods, making things up to see who could come up with the biggest tales. After awhile they'd run out of stories and start repeating the best ones, and after a few generations ...... the MYTHS are born. Tell a story often enough, no matter how big a lie it is, and people will begin to believe it's the truth.

That's the reason we still have Democrats.

Answer 5

Myth's were created to exsplain the unexsplainable like why it rains or why we have diffrent seasons a lot of myths delt with nature and if you look up greek mythology you could probaly find more about it

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 6

Myths are stories that attempt to explain the unknown.

Answer 7

What we call myths now were not known like that when they were invented, they were beliefs just like anything we believe know that doesn't have any real proof:)

Answer 8

myths were started first wiht the greeks, they believed the they were need to sacrrafice things to gods tht they had made up. They made these gods up because they did not have any other wat to answer questions such as why the earth goes round, or why we were put on this earth in the first place, People blelived them because they were to ignorant to fight against them and say other wise. I hope i answered your question right!

Answer 9

you don't have to belive them you just have to think it is a good story and tell it to other people

Answer 10

hey there people that will believe anything just look at what george bush has gotten away with , weapons of mass destruction, family values and the contract with america.