Oh my word Mystical, Mythical, Mythological

Hinduism is mystical and mythological religion. Are Ramayana and Mahabharat myths? Mythologies? Mystical stories? Or are they scriptures with religious sanctity instituted by the practitioners of Hinduism since ancient times in the Indian subcontinent? They are epic poems, too.

“But we may break from all of these various prisons with the help of other peoples’ myths, which, coming from outside our own closed system, may provide an external influence, an anti-inertial force, to move us off our own treadmill, our own track, onto an entirely new path.” –Other Peoples’ Myths: The Cave of Echoes by Wendy Doniger

Mystical things or aspects are those concerning the truth beyond human understanding; of transcendental state; related to God, dealing with inscrutable spiritual power beyond the ken of human beings.Mystic and mystical are adjectives referring to the hidden spiritual power.

Myth is a traditional narrative. Such traditional narratives usually include supernatural characters with supernatural powers (the narrators have visualised the characters and themes with sheer imagination). The mythical narratives could also embody popular ideas of the socio-political phenomenon, and natural imbued with imaginations.

Myth has another distinct meaning, as a noun, it points out to something that is widely held but fake notions, and something that is fictitious.

The popular myths of the image of India are it is a poor country, beggars everywhere, unsafe country to visit...

The popular myths for Indians about overseas countries are that everyone is rich in the Western countries, one can go out for a date easily with anyone, easy to earn money and in find high-paying job…

Myth is a fictitious thing, idea, person that has no basis. The variants of the noun myth are mythic and mythical (adjective) and mythically (adverb).

In one sense, myth and mythology has a common meaning: body of myths. The study of myths is called mythology.

Mythologies exist in all ancient civilizations, and in many countries. The Hindu mythologies are the epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharat, the Puranas, the Vedas, Sangham Literature, Itihasas. Greek mythologies are also represented in paintings, votive gifts, artifacts; Homer’s epic poems such as Iliad and Odyssey. The Roman myths include Aeneid of Virgil, books of Livy and Propertius.

Mythos is a singular noun, and its plural form is mythoi. Mythos is a mythic, a narrative theme, a narrative pattern.

Few orthodox practitioners believe that the mythologies are revelations of Gods through human beings, and they hold the belief that they are the scriptures. It depends upon the country whether it is liberal or illiberal to debate on whether scriptures are mythologies or have evidence.

Kovuuri G Reddy