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euhemerism

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.10 sec.

euhemerism

Attempt to find a historical basis for mythical beings and events. It takes its name from Euhemerus (fl. 300 BC), a Greek scholar who examined popular mythology in his Sacred History and asserted that the gods originated as heroes or conquerors who were admired and later deified. Though modern scholars do not accept euhemerism as the sole explanation for the origin of gods, it is thought to be valid in some cases.



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Chapter 4 brings to bear the perspective of Renaissance euhemerism on book 5 of The Faerie Queene.
Spenser's Forms of History by Silberman, Lauren / Renaissance Quarterly
The first two consider English medieval and Renaissance forms of euhemerism - interpreting myths as traditional accounts of historical people and events.
Utter Antiquity: Perceptions of Prehistory in Renaissance England by McCune, Pat / Renaissance Quarterly
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