The Magic Mirror

Japanese craftsmen have been hand building magic mirrors for centuries.

Polishing a Magic Mirror by Hand

The magic mirror is fabricated to cast a ghost image when it's illuminated by bright light, but to otherwise function as a normal mirror.

I think that's a good analogy for mythology. It's a poetic explanation for how the world works. That is, it is an explanation built from analogies, metaphors and similes and other poetic devices. It expands dimensions of the world which are hidden from the common senses.

As a system of metaphor built from natural, living language and imagery, it's also a living thing that changes and evolves as people engage it.