Is History Myth?

Posted on October 28, 2015 by KL Wagoner — 4 Comments

History is the present. That’s why every generation writes it anew. But what most people think of as history is its end product, myth.
~ E.L. Doctorow

About KL Wagoner

Speculative Fiction Writer

4 comments on “Is History Myth?”

D. Wallace Peach says:

October 28, 2015 at 10:35 am

I love that. I think it’s all myth, perception applied to events, which turns them into stories. I’d argue that not only human history, but our own present individual lives brim with myths.

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- KL Wagoner says:
  
  October 29, 2015 at 4:17 pm
  
  I’d never thought of it like that, and I agree that perception of events changes the truth and turns history into stories. Well said!
  
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Joyce Hertzoff says:

October 28, 2015 at 4:25 pm

History takes on the mantle of myth especially when embellished by the narrator. The telling is through the filter of the person telling it, and to make it more interesting (although what’s more interesting than truth?) the teller will use her imagination to fill in any blanks.

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- KL Wagoner says:
  
  October 29, 2015 at 4:25 pm
  
  Another great comment that credits perception for changing history into myth. I suppose fiction writers are myth makers. As we see our worlds through the eyes of our POV characters, we create histories that are true as we perceive them.
  
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