Origin myth

Look up aetiology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

An origin myth is a type of myth that explains the beginnings of a natural or social aspect of the world. One specific kind of origin myth is the creation or cosmogonic myth, which narrates the formation of the universe. However, numerous cultures have stories that take place after the initial origin. These stories aim to explain the origins of natural phenomena or human institutions within an already existing world. In Graeco-Roman scholarship, the terms etiological myth and aition (derived from the Ancient Greek word αἴτιον, meaning "cause") are occasionally used to describe a myth that clarifies an origin, particularly how an object or custom came into existence.