What does demythologise mean?
To demythologise is to strip away the myths, legends, or exaggerated reverence that surround a person, event, or belief, and to present it in plain, realistic terms. A biographer might demythologise a national hero by revealing ordinary human failings behind the celebrated image; a historian might demythologise a famous battle by showing it to have been chaotic and inglorious rather than heroic. The word also has a specialised theological meaning: the German scholar Rudolf Bultmann argued that the New Testament should be 'demythologised', its eternal message separated from first-century supernatural imagery so that modern readers could engage with it. Demythologise is chiefly British; American writing typically uses demythologize. It belongs to formal and academic registers, appearing most often in criticism, history, and theology. Its connotations are analytical and occasionally deflationary, suggesting a healthy scepticism toward received legend. Related forms include demythologisation, demythologised, and demythologising.
verbTo strip a story, figure, or idea of its mythical or idealized qualities and present it in realistic terms; in theology, specifically to reinterpret religious texts so as to separate their enduring message from mythological elements.
- To remove the mythical, legendary, or idealized aura surrounding a person, event, or institution, presenting it realistically.
- (theology) To reinterpret religious scripture by separating its core existential message from its mythological framework — associated especially with Rudolf Bultmann's programme of interpreting the New Testament.
"The biography set out to demythologise the founding father, portraying him as a flawed and ambitious politician rather than a saintly hero."
"Historians have worked to demythologise the Wild West, replacing romantic gunfighter legends with a record of hardship and violence."
"Bultmann sought to demythologise the New Testament, arguing that its message must be translated into terms modern people could grasp."
The word was popularised not by historians but by a German theologian, Rudolf Bultmann, who argued that modern believers could only accept Christianity if its miracles were stripped of mythology.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of demythologise
Demythologise combines the prefix de-, indicating removal or reversal, with mythologise, which derives from Greek mythos ('story, myth') via French mythologie and English mythology; the Greek element logos ('word, account') underlies the -logy suffix. The verb arose in English in the early twentieth century and gained wide currency through Rudolf Bultmann's theological programme of Entmythologisierung, rendered in English as demythologization. Cognate formations using myth- appear across European languages, including French démythologiser and German demythologisieren.
Related word forms
How demythologise is actually used
Demythologise is the standard British spelling; American English prefers demythologize. The verb carries an intellectual, often scholarly register and can sound slightly critical, implying that the subject had been unreasonably glorified or mystified. Its theological sense is narrower and almost always tied to twentieth-century biblical scholarship.
Easily confused with demythologise
Demythologise means stripping away myth or idealization from something already regarded as legendary or sacred, whereas demystify means making something merely obscure or confusing easier to understand.