Let’s chat about literary terms and their definitions. Specifically about storytelling. And even more specifically about differences between some of these terms. They tend to be used interchangeably (parables and fables less so than myths and legends), and that’s not correct. It’s fine enough if you aren’t interested in formal or academic discussion, but the differences are kind of important for a genuine discussion about both ancient and contemporary theology.

What is a parable? These tend to be seen from the standpoint of contemporary popular beliefs, and they are simple stories meant to illustrate moral or spiritual lessons. There are parables in the Bible, and one well known example is The Ten Maidens. This story is meant to illustrate the importance of being prepared and being diligent even if it seems silly to us in the modern day. Parables do not need to have any sort of supernatural force in them.

What is a fable? Fables are short stories that can have supernatural elements (inanimate objects talking, and animals talking is pretty supernatural), meant to teach moral lessons. These stories tend to have inanimate objects and animals as characters, and an extremely famous example is the Hare and the Tortoise. A lesser known example could be the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, or the Man and the Wood (the morals from these two are “appearances can be deceiving” and “don’t give those who hate you/your enemies the tools they can use to destroy you”.). Plenty of examples, including the ones mentioned here can be found at this site.

So what’s the deal with legends? These are related to history. The formal definition of a legend is the following: a traditional story usually regarded as historical (popularly) but unauthenticated. Some examples include: the fountain of youth, the 7 cities of gold, Bigfoot (arguably), Antillia, and other such locations and alleged artifacts. The difference between legends and myths can be blurry, but an easy example can be how these things are perceived. If these things are viewed as historical, or a decent chunk of people view them as historical, they are legends. Also legends might not have and probably don’t have overtly supernatural elements to them (though they certainly can, such as the fountain of youth being somehow able to reverse the effects of time on skin and possibly the lifespan in the 15th and 16th centuries.)

Myths. The big M. So what exactly IS a myth? These are traditional stories, usually focused on early histories of a people, oftentimes meant to explain “events” such as the onset of language (Tower of Babel for instance) and WHY things were the way they were, typically involving heavy/extensive supernatural powers and beings. Examples of myths include the creation story of Christianity, and of virtually every single civilization. Creation stories tend to have very extreme accounts of supernatural beings and powers. The usage of the word “myth” doesn’t apply solely to less popular religions, or imply that the stories aren’t true. It’s merely an attempt to place stories and claims with similar elements closer together for comparative reading and so that people who are interested can find other stories or claims with similar themes easily.

Myths and legends can and are used interchangeably, as are myths and fables. Parables are occasionally interchanged with fables, but that’s considerably less common in my experience than someone switching out what would more appropriately be described as a legend, but calling it a myth. Or vice-versa. This isn’t important, but if we’re going to discuss civilizations we ought to know how to discuss them and talking about legendary events and actually CALLING THEM legendary is a good way to show that you care about the conversation you are having. Things that could be considered contemporary “legends” can be and oftentimes are debunked by internet groups like Snopes. Debunking myths is a bit more complex because myths almost always have high levels of belief behind them, but legends can be and are questioned by plenty of people.

If we’re going to talk about myths and legends, I would like for us to have a genuine understanding of these words before we use them. I want us to know the nuances of each word. Popular but unauthenticated stories can and should be questioned. As should stories which involve high levels of supernatural activity and occurrences. Fables and parables as stories which serve more to provide some sort of lesson should be viewed less critically, but even they shouldn’t be above questioning and criticisms. If we want to truly appreciate the old stories, and the old beliefs (and contemporary ones) we can and should understand how to properly categorize them. Having knowledge of definitions and of literary analysis helps with this.

So in short the differences are quite remarkable. Parables and fables are meant to teach some sort of lesson, spiritual, moral, or otherwise. And legends and myths relate to beliefs and to how people conceptualize history and the nature of the universe. These things have definitions that are fairly distinct and they shouldn’t be used interchangeably, but if you do that’s fine. Just remember the actual definitions of each word. Proper word usage and a willingness to bring up definitions in complex literary discussions and in interpretations of history can be and oftentimes is useful.

In the context of atheism and skepticism where this truly matters is about conversations concerning beliefs and why people have these beliefs. Being able to explain these definitions and why certain beliefs fall into these categories is important because it can help people learn to discern similarities between beliefs and views of history. This is important stuff to know if you care about having conversations related to beliefs.

Let me know what you think!