I love words, but like a terrible parent with a favorite child I don’t love all words equally. Sadly, one of my favorite words has been abused for several centuries by the jack booted thugs of modernity. That word is ‘myth’. They have taken the word ‘myth’ and made it into a synonym for lie. What they mean is that a myth is not true in the sense that dates, locations and names are accurately recorded, and so the word ‘myth’ has become a pejorative, a word used to humiliate and denigrate. But, what the ham fisted stormtroopers have missed is that myths communicate far larger truths than mere date and locale. Instead they communicate larger truths about human nature and the nature of the universe.

So, when we refer to a story whether its found in a history book, a newspaper, or email as a myth this is not used to insult or belittle.