euhemerism
Noun
Meaning
The theory, held by Euhemerus, that the gods of mythology were but deified mortals, and their deeds only the amplification in imagination of human acts.
Source: Webster's dictionarySynonyms
reason
enlightenment
historical
explanation
demonstration
illustration
illumination
exposition
rationale
simplification
clarification
rationalism
exegesis
theory
elucidation
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Antonyms
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Euhemerism, as stated earlier, refers to the rationalization of myths, putting themes formerly imbued with mythological qualities into pragmatic contexts.
Origins Palmyrenian relief Louvre Euhemerism main seeAlso One theory claims myths are distorted accounts of real historical events.