Costume e Mito

About this book

Custom and Myth by Andrew Lang is an 1884 collection of essays on comparative mythology and folklore, questioning the scholarly tendency to explain myths mainly as corruptions or transformations of language. Lang examines Greek, Indian, and various folk traditions to argue that myths are not merely linguistic accidents but survivals of ancient customs, beliefs, imagination, and shared human experience. Dedicated to E. B. Tylor, the book emphasizes the value of folklore and early religious beliefs in understanding the deeper patterns behind myth. Through recurring stories and symbols across cultures, Lang explores how human fear, wonder, and attempts to explain nature shaped the mythic imagination.