From: rss2d@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Randolph Stuart Sergent)
Subject: Re: Greek myth and the Bible
Organization: University of Virginia
Lines: 21

In article <765422d6347700t48@edmahood.infoserv.com> edmahood@infoserv.com (Ed Mahood, Jr.) writes:
>In <Pegasus-130393124328@fp1-dialin-7.uoregon.edu>, Pegasus@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Laurie EWBrandt)  wrote:
>> ...
>> A definiation from a text book used as part of an introductory course in
>> social anthorpology "The term myth designates traditionally based, dramatic
>> narratives on themes that emphasize the nature of humankind's relationship
>> to nature and to the supernatural. ...." from Peter B. Hammand's .An 
>> introduction to Cutural and Social Anthropology. second ed Macmillion 
>> page 387.
>

	I'm not sure that you can distinguish between myth and legend so
neatly, or at all.  A myth is more than a single story.  The thought 
structure and world-paradigm in which that story is interpreted is as
important a part of the myth as the story itself.  Thus, I can think of
no story which is meant to be conveyed understandably from one person
to another within a single culture which won't rest upon that underlying
thought structure, and thus transmit some of that culture's mythical
"truths" along with it.  

randy
