Mythology--circulated in sacred stories (myths) and their reenactments (rituals)--is the basis of any society's religion, and religion is an essential key to identity. In effect, mythology creates and sanctions meaning through the elaboration of identity in cultural metaphors that are at once ecological (associated with a society's environmental exploitation), sociological (based on indigenous social relations) and ideological (couched in terms of a society's worldview). Tellingly, these metaphors are embodied in anthropomorphic spirits, fostering a deep sense of identification with those spirits as well as with individuals who share one's spiritual devotions. This study examines mythology from a global perspective, citing case studies in cultural traditions from Africa, Europe, Oceania, Native America and elsewhere.