Myths and the Legitimation of Power

This introduction reframes myth as a politically salient form of story-telling rather than a genre of ancient sacred stories. Bringing together ethnographic studies from South and Southeast Asia, the collection treats memes, rumors, fake news, and conspiracy theories as contemporary myths: narratives told as if true, embedded in complex storyworlds, and oriented towards electoral gains. Building on Bruce Lincoln and Roland Barthes' analysis of myth as a concept, we argue that political power legitimises itself based on mythic story-telling. This introduction to a collection of articles shows how such narratives circulate across living rooms, tea stalls, textbooks, and mobile phones, bolstering or undermining power regimes and claims to sovereignty. Through case studies, we show how competing mythic universes structure political power, agency, and contestation. We propose a grounded, Asia-centered political theology attentive to the diversity of religions, political cultures, and modes of ligitimation.