The process of removing or explaining away the mythical, supernatural, or legendary aspects of stories, beliefs, or historical figures.
Present participle of demythologize, formed by adding -ing to the base verb. The entire word traces to Greek sources through the romance language evolution of demytho- combined with the -logize suffix.
Modern demythologizing happens all the time—when scientists explain why Vikings were actually just regular traders rather than mythic raiders, or when historians show Napoleon wasn't the tiny cartoon figure popular culture created.
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