Myth

Someone claimed that the peacock and peahen never have sex and that the peahen gets pregnant after drinking tears of the peacock. It brought to memory another claim that as the peacock is celibate, it has been given the status of national bird of India.

However, this is not the case. It is just a myth!

Myth is a widely held but false belief or idea. They are sometimes stories originating in history but other untrue elements get added on the way. Literary material too has acquired mythological qualities over time.

The identification of a narrative as a myth can be highly controversial. Many adherents of religions view their own religions' stories as truth and so object to their characterization as myth, the way they see the stories of other religions.

While ancient narratives may require research to confirm authenticity, it is alarming to note that modern myths are easily accepted by the gullible. It is easy to see a peacock and peahen copulate. Yet the myth sustains due to a laziness in using critical thinking.

Buddha said, ‘Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.’ Myths like some fairy tales may be useful in sharing inspiration and values. But even when the lesson is useful, the fable should not be accepted as fact without scrutiny.

so often myth masquerades as fact

as the gullible skip the rational tract!

- Pravin K Sabnis

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