Both "myth" and "tale" have their roots in ancient Greek. While distinguishing themselves from the 'mythographers,' however, the Greek 'historians' remained cautious. Historians said they were delivering the truth about what had happened, whereas mythologists were supposed to be peddling falsehoods that were sometimes fantastical, never historically accurate, and frequently immoral. Nonetheless, certain of the myths, especially those surrounding the Trojan War, were always taken by these historians as fact. The Trojan War never happened, and 'Homer,' who didn't exist either, gave us nothing but a 'solar,myth,' but it wasn't declared to be unhistorical until the 19th century.
Then, to the dismay of the academics, Schliemann really excavated Troy, and more contemporary archeologists have proven as generally accurate very many of the 'myths' of Homer and others, such as the Biblical accounts of the Flood and the Tower of Babel.
These days, it's accepted that there's typically some truth behind a tale or myth. Of course, there's also a ton of mythological stuff that can't be taken seriously as history even if you stretch it. Primitive man lived in a world that was much more unpredictable and frightening than our own, and many stories from all around the world are efforts to explain this. And they frequently show an interest in exerting some kind of power or influence on the world around them. The calendar and the movements of the sun, moon, and stars appear to have been of primary concern to civilizations as different as the Babylonians and the Mayas of Central America. All mythology share a common theme: the cycle of life, from its beginning through its end and, frequently, its resurrection.
While it's true that every culture has its own set of myths, the similarities between many of them are apparent. A common racial origin at a very remote date might explain these parallels, as in the case of the Indo-Europeans, who are also related linguistically. But, these parallels may also be discovered in the lives of persons who have no obvious ethnic or geographical links. It would appear that despite our numerous differences, as a species we share more than we divide, and that people's imaginative responses to identical occurrences are remarkably consistent across cultures.
Even while many myths address the same topics, there is endless diversity in both the tales and the ways in which they are shaped. The myths of certain groups of people were written down at a period when a fully developed medium for expression had already been discovered, giving them a distinct advantage. Greek mythology, together with that of the Bible, has had a far greater impact on Western literature than any other body of mythology. Homer and Hesiod, two well-established artists, appear to have been lucky coincidences as the initial orderers of the material. It's futile to try to dissect the intricate nature of myths and their historical development; instead, it's perhaps better, and certainly simpler, to focus on the stories' enduring capacity to amuse us. Given that they make up a fundamental component of what it is to be human.
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