Meaning
A myth is a symbolic story with sacred significance, based on a true idea but fashioned in an imaginary form. It does not convey reality directly; rather, it presents it through a symbol and a narrative that combine truthful meaning with imagination.
Structure of the Atom in the Atlas
- Argument type: definitional
- Argument movement: Myth is defined as a symbol that brings together truth and imagination.
- Central terms: myth, symbol, truth, imagination.
- Degree of centrality: central.
It gives narratives a non-literal semantic framework, making myth a way of representing sacred meaning through an image that combines the real and the imagined.
Links That Aid Reading
Evidence
- Supporting text: “Myth: a symbolic story with sacred significance, combining a true idea and an imaginary formulation.”
Location of the Evidence in the Book
- Book: Qur’anic Narratives, Vol. 2.
- Location: In the final section of the book, in its discussion of the concept of myth.
- Type of evidence: close supporting passage.
- Verification aid: a fundamentally true idea
- Reading note: This passage is suitable evidence because it links myth to a true idea and an imaginary formulation, and it is very close to the wording of the atom.
Degree of Documentation
- Level: directly documented
- Meaning of the level: The atom rests on an explicit passage close to the wording of the claim.
- Limits of reading: The wording above is an analytical summary and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the passage has been cited word for word.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is definitional: it establishes a meaning or conceptual distinction on which Shahrur relies in developing the idea.
Note for the Reader
An important atom for understanding the symbolic reading of Qur’anic narratives.