The Metaphorical and Analogical Structure of Myth

Abstract Myths fulfill both social and cognitive functions, enabling humans to acquire knowledge intuitively through metaphors and behavioral prototypes. Mythological narratives constitute a form of storytelling marked by universality and imbued with cognitive as well as ritual structures to which they are frequently connected. The aim of this article is to present my hypothesis of the Cognitive Circularity of Myth as a theoretical framework for the study of mythology. This paradigm demonstrates that understanding the experiential ground from which myth emerges is essential for its interpretation, while, conversely, myth itself provides a privileged lens through which to appre-hend the culture that produced it. Just as literal language is a prerequisite for the comprehension of analogical and metaphorical dis-course, mythological narration constitutes a medium for interpreting lived reality and transmitting knowledge. Accordingly, from em-bodied experience the mythological narrative takes shape, and through the mythological narrative, lived experience is rendered intelli-gible.