Definition nach Bronisław Malinowski

_"Myth (...) is not merely a story told but a reality lived. It is not of the nature of fiction. \[...\] Myth (...) expresses, enhances, and codifies belief; it safeguards and enforces morality; (...) and contains practical rules for the guidance of men. Myth is thus a vital ingredient of human civilization; it is not an idle tale, but a hard-worked active force; it is not an intellectual explanation or an artistic imagery, but a pragmatic charter of primitive faith and moral wisdom."_

[MALINOWSKI, Bronislaw|Bronisław Malinowski] (1954\[1926\]): _Magic, Science and Religion, and other Essays_, S. 100 f.

Siehe auch den Artikel Elke Mader - Mythen.