# Mythopoeia

- Term: Literature term
- Date: 1931
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/mythopoeia/

> The deliberate creation of a mythology within fiction: invented gods, cosmologies and legends that feel ancient. Tolkien's legendarium is the defining example, and the Mythopoeic Society took its name from the idea.

The deliberate creation of a mythology within fiction: invented gods, cosmologies and legends that feel ancient. Tolkien's legendarium is the defining example, and the Mythopoeic Society took its name from the idea.

**Origin:** From Greek for myth-making; Tolkien used Mythopoeia as the title of a poem written in 1931 for C. S. Lewis.

## Quick answers

**What does "Mythopoeia" mean?**
The deliberate creation of a mythology within fiction: invented gods, cosmologies and legends that feel ancient. Tolkien's legendarium is the defining example, and the Mythopoeic Society took its name from the idea.

**Where does the term "Mythopoeia" come from?**
From Greek for myth-making; Tolkien used Mythopoeia as the title of a poem written in 1931 for C. S. Lewis.

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From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.