Myth and Modernity: Revisiting Epic Narratives in Twenty-First Century Literature: A Broad View

Abstract

Mythological stories are the ancient foundations of cultures, which provide a cohesive narrative regarding collective memory, morals and behavior within civilisations. Epic stories have experienced a renaissance in the twenty-first century with new adaptations that connect ancient folklore and modern preoccupations. This essay discusses the changing dynamics between myth and modernity through a close reading of contemporary literature that reinterprets classical epics of the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Iliad, and Odyssey. The article examines selected works by Chitra Banerjee, Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions, Amish Tripathi’s The Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra Series, Anand Neelakantan’s Asura and Ajaya series to see how retellings help contemporise characters, plots, and ideas from epics in order to comment on present-day concerns such as equality of genders, identity formation, social justice, seeking political power over sport science and history. This paper illustrates that mythological retellings are not merely adaptations of ancient stories but dynamic literary responses that unsettle prevailing narratives and raise the voices of hitherto silent subjects through a comparative and interdisciplinary analysis. These new interpretations indicate a resurgence of myth in the modern world, but growing pushes to reinterpret epic traditions within our changing culture. With a surprising depth of understanding and scholarship, the author argues that contemporary mythological fiction serves as both an oral tradition and a discursive approach to how we comprehend history. In reshaping epic narratives, this literature reminds us of the continued evolution of myth as a vehicle for cultural reflection, resistance and rejuvenation.