Myth in Communication

The object of this paper is to show how myth is used to communicate whole, as distinct from partial, perceptions of social situations. Certain definitions of myth are suggested. These are illustrated by two case studies which demonstrate the way in which myth is used as a means of communicating highly complex abstract ideas in an apparently simple concrete form. The paper ends with a brief review of the studies from different disciplines which have attempted to tackle this problem of the perception and communication of wholes.