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euhemerism

 
Dictionary: eu·he·mer·ism   (yū-hē'mə-rĭz'əm, -hĕm'ə-) pronunciation
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n.
A theory attributing the origin of the gods to the deification of historical heroes.

[After Euhemerus, fourth-century B.C. Greek philosopher.]

euhemerist eu·he'mer·ist n.
euhemeristic eu·he'mer·is'tic adj.
euhemeristically eu·he'mer·is'ti·cal·ly adv.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: euhemerism
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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.

For more information on euhemerism, visit Britannica.com.

Obscure Words: euhemerism
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interpretation of myths as traditional accounts of historical persons and events
 
 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Obscure Words. © 2008 by Michael A. Fischer http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd.  Read more