Euhemerism

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /juˈhiməˌɹɪzəm/

Definitions

1. A theoretical framework that interprets mythology as a reflection of historical events or real persons rather than supernatural beings
2. A scholarly approach that seeks to explain divine narratives by linking them to historical figures or occurrences
3. A conceptual theory that views myths as historical representations of actual events or individuals instead of merely fantastical elements

Etymology: Euhemerism takes its name from a man, not a myth. Euhemerus was an ancient Greek writer from Sicily, and his work proposed that the gods of mythology began as real human beings, such as kings, conquerors and inventors, whose deeds were gradually embellished in retelling until they seemed divine. He had a particular talent for placing these ideas in a fictional travel narrative, describing an island where the records of the gods were supposedly kept. The word itself is simply Euhemerus with the suffix "-ism" added, turning his name into the label for his method of reading myth. Because the ancient Greek and Latin texts that preserved his views survive only in fragments and summaries, much of what we know about him comes from later writers who discussed him rather than from his own words. Using the name this way means the word has outlived the man's reputation as a skeptic and become a standing term for any explanation that traces legendary figures back to real people.