Are myths really metaphors?

Many classic, mythological narratives are claimed to exhibit metaphor. These tales of Gods and other supra-natural figures engaging in fantastical events with each other and human life are widely seen as expressing various symbolic, possibly metaphorical, meanings. This article explores whether this may be true. My argument is that myths do not necessarily meet specific criteria for being categorized as examples of linguistic metaphor. They still may convey symbolic meanings through people’s “embodied simulations” of the actions described in these archetypal stories. These simulations enable people to imaginatively place themselves within the discourse actions and recreate for themselves what unfolds in a narrative. Myths do not, in this manner, typically contain explicit metaphors, yet evoke symbolic interpretations via the “allegorical impulse,” which enables people to readily connect the here and now with enduring, more general, life themes.