euhemerize
To invent a plausible but fanciful historical origin for something in order to rationalize mythology and legends.
Verb
- To invent a plausible but fanciful historical origin for something in order to rationalize mythology and legends.
- Near-synonyms: demythologize (sometimes synonymous), undeify (synonymous when personages are the direct objects)
- Confucian scholars frequently euhemerized the myths used to explain religious rituals to the public.
- He did but extend to the New Testament the Euhemerising principles which Eichhorn had applied to the Old. - 1871, Frederic William Farrar, The Witness of History to Christ, page 57:
Synonyms: demythologize undeify[personage]]s are the direct objects>
- To create mythology and legends from ancient historical figures and events.
- Near-synonym: deify (synonymous when personages are the direct objects)
- The Yellow Emperor was perhaps euhemerized from a prehistoric tribal leader.
Synonyms: mythologize deify[personage]]s are the direct objects>
Origin
From euhemerism + -ize, ultimately from Latin Euhēmerus, from Ancient Greek Εὐήμερος (Euḗmeros), an ancient Greek Sicilian Skeptic who proposed most or all mythology derived from historical figures and natural events which received supernatural characteristics only through retelling.