The Evolution of the Word Mythology as We Know it

As I was reading the first chapter of Myth and Knowing, I was struck by something new. I never actually took the time to think about what mythology means to me. Mythology always brings to mind those stories from ancient Greece and, we always remember those gods and godesses of ancient Rome. However, I didn't know that, both the word and the idea behind it, went through a long process of development and evolution. I didn't know myth used to be considered divine-inspired truth or lie. Indeed, our notion of what myth is has changed.
Another thing that I hadn't considered before is how myth can influence a culture and a people's perspective of themselves. Myth can be a reflection of a people's values and principles. Myths hold the identity of a people and this is something I hadn't considered before. If we look at mythology from this perspective, we can see it, not only as fictitional stories with some values embedded in them but, we can also see them as a valuable piece of history. Mythology can let us into the world of our ancestors and, in studying them, we can learn more about them and about ourselves. We can look at our surrounding and get a better understanding of its origins.
Mythology also provides us with a new set of lenses from which to look at our present and future. By learning the process and development of myth, we can foresee where the values and beliefs of a people can go and what the results of these changes can be. Thus studying mythology can be an interesting path towards studying humanity with all its complexities and all its values. Who we are and what we value can all be explored through these readings of ancient stories and divine drama.