Custom and Myth New Edition

"Custom and Myth" by Andrew Lang is a study that looks at how old stories and traditional beliefs are connected. Written in the 1800s, the book checks out myths from different societies, like those of the Greeks and so-called “savages,” and finds that they often come from similar ways of thinking. The author doesn't agree with how many people at the time were looking at myths, and wants us to use what we know about people and cultures to understand myths as creations of the early human mind, not just words and language. The beginning of "Custom and Myth" is about how the author plans to break down and study the different traditions. It points out that myths commonly come from shared human experiences and things we see in nature, and that we should research them alongside folklore. The first parts talk about how different experts have interpreted mythological names, and says that we need to rethink these stories as leftovers from a more basic, undeveloped time of thinking. The explanation suggests looking at specific myths, such as that of Cronus, and sets up a way to see how ancient tales from different cultures can show similar ideas and strange elements that come from the shared history of humans.