Abstract

Nowadays, the study of myths is rather neglected as a field of research in sociology. There is a void that this paper would like to contribute to filling. It outlines a theoretical and empirical sociological approach to social myths as a major component of collective imaginaries and a universal sociological mechanism through time and space. The article recalls the major functions performed by myths in every society, introduces new concepts, and sets forth an analytical framework designed to account for the emergence, the reproduction, and the decline of myths, as sacralised collective representations.