Myths are literally true

The argument

Most people attempting to explain the purpose of mythology mistakenly assume that these stories are mere fiction. Sure, some people concede that these ancient “fairy tales” can be metaphorically significant or culturally unifying, but few entertain the notion that the events described in myths actually happened. Despite this, many modern religions believe in the literal reality of the gods, goddesses, spirits, and monsters of ancient mythology. What some people consider myths, others consider literal reality that serves as the Scripture of their given religion. For instance, Hellenism, a polytheistic pagan religion, maintains that the Greek gods praised by ancient cultures still exist today and that as humans, our actions can win or lose their favor. Similarly, modern practitioners of Asatru believe in Norse gods and praise them with public ceremonies and private offerings. Native Americans from all over the country have held fast to their beliefs in deities revered in centuries-old myths. To all of these people, myths are far more than mere entertainment or metaphors. Rather, they are literal reflections of supernatural deities who interact with humans in significant (if often mysterious) ways.

Premises

Counter-arguments

There is little to no evidential ground for any of these religions, all of which are based on archaic cultural lore. Besides, it is fallacious to argue that myths are accurate reflections of actual events simply because some people believe them to be so.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] The premise attacks a position few scholars hold in the form given. The academic study of mythology generally brackets the question of literal truth rather than asserting fiction, and functional accounts — that myths explain, legitimate, or bind a community — are entirely compatible with believers holding them to be true. [Rejecting P2] This is accurate, and it is a fact about believers rather than about the myths. The premise establishes that some people take these stories literally, which nobody disputes, and does not bear on whether the stories are literally true. [Rejecting P3] The inference is where the argument fails, and the counter names it: that a claim is sincerely held does not make it true, and the same reasoning would establish every mutually incompatible mythology at once, since adherents of each hold theirs literally. The conclusion also changes the subject, since divine revelation is a claim about origin while the premises are about reception — and the strongest version of this position would have to argue from the content of the myths rather than from the conviction of those who hold them.