myth
myth \'mith\ n [Gk mythos] 1: a usu. traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon 2: PARABLE, ALLEGORY 3a: a person or thing having only an imaginary or unverifiable existence 3b: an ill-founded belief held uncritically esp. by an interested group 4: the whole body of myths