Semiotics of myth

Book chapter

Cobley, P. 2026. Semiotics of myth. in: Reference Module in Social Sciences Elsevier.
Chapter titleSemiotics of myth
AuthorsCobley, P.
Abstract

This article offers an outline of the semiotics of myth. It presents the customary and popular understanding of myth, examined by different disciplines, and characterized by specific kinds of stories, transmitted in collective fashion to preserve memories. It discusses what the etymology of myth entails for how semiotics of myth proceeds, then uses the structural anthropology of Lévi-Strauss and Barthes’ critique of the ideology of everyday culture as exemplars. It discusses one of the key problems which arise in the semiotics of myth and suggests a response offered in recent popular culture.

KeywordsLévi-Strauss; Barthes; etymology; speech; tradition
Sustainable Development Goals4 Quality education
Middlesex University ThemeCreativity, Culture & Enterprise
Book titleReference Module in Social Sciences
PublisherElsevier
ISBN
Electronic9780443157851
Copyright Year2026
Publication dates
Online20 Mar 2026
Publication process dates
Accepted21 Nov 2025
Deposited26 Mar 2026
Output statusPublished
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Restricted
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95504-1.01507-6
LanguageEnglish
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