What does demythologised mean?
Demythologised describes something from which myth, legend, or idealised embellishment has been removed, leaving a plainer, more realistic account. As the past form of the verb demythologise, it appears most often in formal writing — biography, history, literary criticism, and theology — where an author strips away heroic or romantic gloss to expose underlying facts. A demythologised portrait of a national hero, for instance, acknowledges failings alongside achievements. The word also has a specific technical sense in twentieth-century theology, where Rudolf Bultmann argued that the New Testament should be demythologised: its miraculous elements reinterpreted in existential, non-mythical terms for modern readers. The term derives from Greek mythos ('story') via Latin and French, combined with logos ('reason'), and entered scholarly English in the early twentieth century. It carries a slightly deflationary connotation: what survives demythologisation is usually truer but less glamorous than the legend it replaced.
Past tense and past participle of demythologise: to rid a subject, story, or text of its mythical or exaggerated elements.
"The documentary demythologised the Wild West, showing hardship rather than heroism."
Stripped of mythic or idealised qualities; presented in realistic terms.
"His demythologised memoir dispelled decades of rumour about the band's heyday."
Theologian Rudolf Bultmann made 'demythologise' famous by arguing the New Testament's miracles should be reinterpreted for modern minds — one word that tried to rewrite how millions read scripture.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of demythologised
Demythologised comes from demythologise, formed in the early twentieth century from de- ('remove') plus mythologise, which traces through French and Latin mythologia to Greek mythos ('story, fable') and logos ('word, reason'). German scholar Rudolf Bultmann popularised the term in theology in the 1940s with his programme of Entmythologisierung, translated as demythologisation. Cognate forms appear across European languages, all built on the same Greek root mythos, which also gives us mythology, myth, and mystify.
Related word forms
How demythologised is actually used
Formal to academic register, common in criticism, biography, historiography, and theology. British spelling takes -ise; American English uses demythologized. Often carries a mildly deflationary connotation — what remains after demythologising is usually less glamorous than before.
Easily confused with demythologised
Demythologized is simply the American spelling of the same word, with -ize instead of the British -ise.