Mythology as Fictional Reality: Inherited Narratives, Geographical Identity, and the Psychological Construction of Truth

This paper examines how mythological narratives acquire the appearance of factual reality through repetition, inherited belief, cultural memory, and collective identity. It explores the relationship between mythology and geography, including how stories influence place names and how geographical locations become associated with inherited narratives. The paper argues that a story's age, popularity, cultural significance, or psychological influence does not independently establish the factual truth of its claims. It calls for critical inquiry that distinguishes collective belief from evidence and cultural meaning from historical verification.