The Age of Fable Bulfinch's Mythology Author:Thoman Bulfinch The great myths are intuitive. They contain poetic truths, whether told to amuse and delight or to convey the best science man knew in a pre-scientific age, as witness the Creation story in the Book of Genesis. In a mysterious universe, says Arnold Toynbee, man tries to express what he can of the ineffable. Human ideas and values have been sh... more »ared by many cultures: the intangibles of beauty, hope, vision, and aspiration.
Myths helped to explain the natural world, the seasons, the weather, the heavens. They were often grounded in physical reality, though their imagination reached far beyond the boundaries of empirical experience. Religious myths were concerned with the meaning of life, the ways of men and the ways of the gods. Man sought to explain himself to himself. Mythology was used to inspire the young and teach them while they were being entertained.« less