Myths are belief narratives, so from the viewpoint of those who tell them, they are history. The issue is whether or not myth is rooted in history in some objective sense.

EUHEMERISM

Euhemerus (3rd C. BCE Greek) believed that myths were historical in the narrow sense. For example, he believed that Zeus was a chieftain who led his people into battle against a group led by a chieftain named Kronos. Today, euhemerism often is used to refer to the idea that a myth may have general roots in historical events. For example, Zeus's defeat of Kronos may reflect the arrival of the Greeks and their dominance over the indigenous population.