Myth as Pre-Scientific Explanation

Folklore scholar Sir G.L. Gomme characterized mythology as the "science of a pre-scientific age." Across human cultures, myths arose not merely as entertainment, but as functional attempts to explain the mechanics of the natural world—accounting for the cycles of the sun and moon, changing seasons, and violent storms. Beyond explaining physical phenomena, these stories provided psychological structure, giving communities a sense of meaning and order against an otherwise chaotic and unpredictable environment.