Myths and Miracles

Here’s a head-scratcher for you: why is it that we casually refer to the stories of Zeus, Thor, and Odin as myths but we tiptoe around the word when it comes to Moses parting the Red Sea or Muhammad flying to heaven on a winged horse? They’re all cracking good yarns with plenty of magic, yet some are filed under "mythology" while others are labelled "religious truth." Let's dig into why that is - and no, it's not just because the Greeks wore togas.

Let’s be honest. The Greeks and Vikings lost the PR battle centuries ago. Their religions fell out of favour, their gods packed it in, and suddenly Zeus throwing lightning bolts became a story rather than a sacred truth. Christianity and Islam, on the other hand, took centre stage with massive empires backing them up. And when your religion has an army (or two) behind it, or you're threatened with being burned on a bonfire, people are less likely to call your stories "myths." Funny how that works, isn’t it?

The truth is, once a religion stops being widely practised, its stories tend to get bumped into the "myth" section of the library. Think of the Norse gods: they had a good run until Christianity came along and told the Vikings to put their hammers down. Now Odin’s wisdom and Thor’s strength are quaint tales ( (or Marvel series) rather than divine truths.

Here’s where it gets really amusing. A Christian might say Jesus turning water into wine or walking on water is a miracle, but if Hermes straps on his winged sandals and flies off, well, that’s a myth. Why? Because one’s in the Bible and the other’s in a dusty old tome marked "Greek Myths."

But really - what’s the difference? Both involve a bit of magic, some suspension of disbelief, and a healthy dose of moral messaging. It’s all about perspective. One person's miracle is another person's bedtime story.

This whole "myth or truth" game largely depends on whether the religion in question is still kicking around. If it is, people are much more cautious about slapping the "myth" label on it. Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism - they’re all still very much alive and well, so their stories are treated with reverence. Meanwhile, Greek and Norse gods haven’t had a decent worshipper in centuries, so their tales are fair game for Hollywood blockbusters and kids’ books.

Let’s face it: if Zeus still had temples with sacrifices going on, people would think twice before calling his stories myths. It’s all about how much clout your god still has.

Here’s the ironic bit - many religious stories are recycled from older myths. Take the Great Flood, for example. You’ll find it in the Bible, sure, but it also shows up in Sumerian myths, complete with a bloke building a big boat. Virgin births? Osiris did it before Jesus. Resurrection? Osiris again. Seems like the ancient world was big on people coming back from the dead.

So really, today’s religious stories aren’t all that different from ancient myths. They’ve just been given a new coat of paint and, crucially, a following that insists they’re absolute truths rather than allegories.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to power. Religions that have political and cultural influence get to define their stories as truth. Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. Islam spread across empires. Their stories were protected, preserved, and promoted as divine revelations.

The Greeks? Well, their empire crumbled. The Norse gods? No match for missionaries. Once a religion’s power fades, its stories become quaint tales of yesteryear - the stuff of myths and legends rather than divine truth.

Here’s a thought to contemplate - if Christianity or Islam ever faded away like the old Greek and Norse religions did, future historians might treat the stories of Jesus and Muhammad as myths too. It’s all about who gets to tell the story, and how many people are still listening.

So next time you hear someone scoff at the idea of Thor riding a chariot pulled by goats, just remember - to someone else, parting the Red Sea or walking on water sounds just as far-fetched. It’s all about perspective. Or as the old saying goes, "Your gods are myths. My myths are gods."