Myths and Myth-Makers Old Tales and Superstitions Interpreted by Comparative Mythology

"Myths and Myth-Makers" by John Fiske is a collection of essays that looks at old stories and superstitions to figure out where they come from by comparing myths from different cultures. The collection explains how myths aren't just made-up stories. Instead, they have links to the history and thoughts of people. The author is trying to show that lots of mythologies and folk tales have something in common. The book starts by talking about the story of William Tell, who shot an apple off his son's head. The essays argue that while this story is well-known, it's probably a myth because similar stories exist in other cultures. The author points out that these stories help us understand the world and our lives, and the essays explore how these stories have changed as time has passed and different groups of people have shared them.