Root of the Week: LOG (Wednesday)

Mythology, Theology. Astrology, Numerology, Demonology  (Noun)

The Greek word mythos means ”speech, “story,” or “saga.”  The word mythology can refer either to a body of stories about gods and legendary people or to the study of such a body of legends. Cultures the world over have generated mythologies dealing with such subjects as the origin of the world and invisible forces behind what we perceive as natural phenomena.  The Greek theos refers to the gods, so theology is the study of religion, whether a religion of one god or of many.

There are various -ologies based on mystical or occult beliefs. Astrology (from astro, star) is a system of thought that connects events and personalities with the configuration of stars and planets. Numerology deals with the occult significance of numbers. Demonology is a belief in and study of demons. Demonologists were involved in those witch tests we looked at in Monday’s entry.