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Numerosi studiosi di altri settori usano però il termine "mito" in modi alquanto diversi;<ref name = "madness">Dundes, "Madness", p. 147</ref><ref>Doty, pp. 11–12</ref><ref>Segal, p. 5</ref> in un senso molto ampio, il vocabolo può riferirsi a qualunque [[racconto tradizionale]]<ref name="Kirk-p57,74" /> o, occasionalmente, a un [[preconcetto popolare]] o a un'entità immaginaria.<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Merriam-Webster]]'s Collegiate Dictionary|chapter=myth|page=770|edition=10th|publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]], Inc|___location=[[Springfield, Massachusetts]]|year=1993}}</ref>
TraditionalIl stories,mito inviene turn,spesso arenettamente onlydistinto oneda categoryconcetti withindella [[folklore]],letteratura whichdidattica cancome bead understoodesempio tole includefavole, otherma actsil andsuo objectsrapporto suchcon asaltri gesturestipi di letteratura popolare, costumescome ad esempio la [[leggenda]] e il [[folclore]], orè musicpiù nebuloso.{{sfn| DotyBascom| 20041965|p= 114}} 7}} MainI characterspersonaggi inprincipali mythsdei aremiti usuallysono in genere [[ godsdivinità|dèi]], [[ demigodsemidio|semidei]] s or [[supernatural]]o humanssuperuomini,{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}}<ref name="mythfolk">"myths", ''A Dictionary of English Folklore''</ref><ref>O'Flaherty, p.78: "I think it can be well argued as a matter of principle that, just as 'biography is about chaps', so mythology is about gods."</ref> whilementre legendsi generallyprotagonisti featuredelle humansleggende assono theirgeneralmente maindelle characters.persone normali,{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}} However,anche manyse exceptionsesistono ormolte combinationseccezioni existo combinazioni di questi due caratteri, ascome inad theesempio nell'''[[ IliadIliade]]'', nell'''[[ OdysseyOdissea]]'' ande nell'''[[ AeneidEneide]]''.{{sfn|Kirk|1973|pp=22, 32}}{{sfn|Kirk|1984|p= 55}} Myths are often endorsed by rulers and priests and are closely linked to religion or spirituality.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}} In fact, many societies group their myths, legends and history together, considering myths to be true accounts of their remote past.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}}<ref name="mythfolk"/>{{sfn|Eliade|1998|p= 23}}{{sfn|Pettazzoni|1984|p= 102}} [[Creation myth]]s particularly, take place in a primordial age when the world had not achieved its later form.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}}{{sfn|Dundes|1984|p= 1}}{{sfn|Eliade|1998|p= 6}} Other myths explain how a society's [[norm (social)|customs]], [[institution]]s and [[taboo]]s were established and sanctified.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}}{{sfn|Eliade|1998|p= 6}} A separate space is created for folktales,{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 17}}{{sfn|Eliade|1998|p= 10–11}}{{sfn|Pettazzoni|1984|pp= 99–101}} which are not considered true by anyone.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}} As stories spread to other cultures or as faiths change, myths can come to be considered folktales.{{sfn|Doty|2004|p=114}}{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 13}} Its divine characters are recast as either as humans or demihumans such as [[Giant (mythology)|giant]]s, [[elf|elves]] and [[faerie]]s.<ref name="mythfolk"/> ▼Il mito viene spesso nettamente distinto da concetti della letteratura didattica come ad esempio le favole, ma il suo rapporto con altri tipi di letteratura popolare, come ad esempio la [[leggenda]] e il [[folclore]], è più nebuloso.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 7}}<ref group="nota">{{refn|Si noti che il mito, la leggenda e il folclore sono solo alcuni dei vari tipi di racconto popolare esistenti. I raccconti popolari includono ad esempio anche [[aneddoto|aneddoti]] e alcuni tipi [[barzellette]].{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 10}} Le storie tradizionali, a loro volta, sono solo una categoria all'interno di [[folklore]], che può comprendere altri atti e oggetti come gesti, costumi o musica.</ref>
▲Traditional stories, in turn, are only one category within [[folklore]], which can be understood to include other acts and objects such as gestures, costumes, or music.{{sfn|Doty|2004|p=114}}}} Main characters in myths are usually [[gods]], [[demigod]]s or [[supernatural]] humans,{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}}<ref name="mythfolk">"myths", ''A Dictionary of English Folklore''</ref><ref>O'Flaherty, p.78: "I think it can be well argued as a matter of principle that, just as 'biography is about chaps', so mythology is about gods."</ref> while legends generally feature humans as their main characters.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}} However, many exceptions or combinations exist, as in the ''[[Iliad]]'', ''[[Odyssey]]'' and ''[[Aeneid]]''.{{sfn|Kirk|1973|pp=22, 32}}{{sfn|Kirk|1984|p= 55}} Myths are often endorsed by rulers and priests and are closely linked to religion or spirituality.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}} In fact, many societies group their myths, legends and history together, considering myths to be true accounts of their remote past.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}}<ref name="mythfolk"/>{{sfn|Eliade|1998|p= 23}}{{sfn|Pettazzoni|1984|p= 102}} [[Creation myth]]s particularly, take place in a primordial age when the world had not achieved its later form.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}}{{sfn|Dundes|1984|p= 1}}{{sfn|Eliade|1998|p= 6}} Other myths explain how a society's [[norm (social)|customs]], [[institution]]s and [[taboo]]s were established and sanctified.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}}{{sfn|Eliade|1998|p= 6}} A separate space is created for folktales,{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 17}}{{sfn|Eliade|1998|p= 10–11}}{{sfn|Pettazzoni|1984|pp= 99–101}} which are not considered true by anyone.{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 9}} As stories spread to other cultures or as faiths change, myths can come to be considered folktales.{{sfn|Doty|2004|p=114}}{{sfn|Bascom|1965|p= 13}} Its divine characters are recast as either as humans or demihumans such as [[Giant (mythology)|giant]]s, [[elf|elves]] and [[faerie]]s.<ref name="mythfolk"/>
==Origins==
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