All cultures have developed over time their own mythology, consisting of legends of their history, their religions, and their heros. The myths that make up a culture's mythology are stories with deep explanatory or symbolic resonance for a culture, which is the usual explanation for why they remain with the culture sometimes for thousands of years. Myths are therefore to be distinguished from fables, folktales, [fairy tales]?, anecdotes, or simple fiction.
One notable genre of myth is the creation myth, a myth which explains how the Universe we observe was created, usually by a god or gods.
Not all myths are part of a cultural mythology. See Urban myth, for example.