euhemerism
Americannoun
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(often initial capital letter) the theory of Euhemerus that the mythologies of various gods arose out of the deification of dead heroes.
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the theory that mythology is derived from history.
noun
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the theory that gods arose out of the deification of historical heroes
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any interpretation of myths that derives the gods from outstanding men and seeks the source of mythology in history
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of euhemerism
First recorded in 1840–50; Euhemer(us) + -ism
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Çivaism, in contradistinction to Vishnuism, there is not a trace of the euhemerism which has been suspected in the Krishna-Vishnu cult.
From The Religions of India Handbooks on the History of Religions, Volume 1, Edited by Morris Jastrow by Hopkins, Edward Washburn
But the transformation of gods into heroes is a very common fact in all polytheisms, and most common in the kind of unconscious euhemerism from which infant peoples never free themselves.
From The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, November 1879 by Various
The euhemerism of the Egyptian priesthood sounded the knell of the old faith.
From The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia by Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)
This euhemerism seems an exceedingly inadequate explanation of the origin of Zeus.
From Myth, Ritual And Religion, Vol. 2 (of 2) by Lang, Andrew
But there is none of the dull and crass euhemerism which distinguishes the Egyptian tales of the gods.
From The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia by Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
