人類學家斯科特·利特爾頓（英語：C. Scott Littleton）將比較神話學定義為「對來自多種文化中的神話和神話主題進行的系統比較」。[1]通過比較不同文化的神話，學者們試圖發現那些神話潛在的相似之處或是重建那些神話衍生來源的原型神話。[1]在一定程度上，所有有關神話的理論都遵循了比較的研究方法：如宗教學者羅伯特·西格爾指出的那樣，「按照定義，所有（神話）理論家都在尋找神話中的相似點。」[2]不過，神話學者可以粗略分為排他主義者和比較主義者。排他主義者強調神話之間的區別。而比較主義者則強調神話之間的相似之處。排他主義者傾向於「堅持認為比較主義者解密的相似之處是含糊膚淺的」，而比較主義者傾向於「認為排他主義者描述的區別是瑣碎偶然的」。[3]
數位學者暗示來自多種文化的英雄故事有相同的潛在結構。西格蒙德·弗洛伊德的追隨者奧圖.蘭克認為英雄出生的故事有共同的俄狄浦斯式結構。[31]其他學者，包括拉格蘭勳爵（英語：Lord Raglan）和最近的約瑟夫·坎貝爾也認為英雄故事擁有共同的結構。[32]一些比較神話學家只在具體的地理或民族範圍內的英雄故事中尋找相似點。例如，奧地利學者約翰·格奧爾格·范·哈恩（英語：Johann Georg van Hahn）試圖找出雅利安人英雄故事背後的共同結構。[33]其他人如坎貝爾，提出了有關一般英雄故事的理論。根據坎貝爾的單一神話理論，世界各地的英雄故事擁有相同的情節結構。因為其極端的比較本質，單一神話理論目前已不受主流神話研究青睞。[5]
van der Sluijs (2011) provides a detailed listing of parallels, see van der Sluijs, Marinus Anthony: Traditional Cosmologies. The Global Mythology of Cosmic Creation and Destruction. 2011. London: All Round Publications (table of contents)
Justin Martyr: "Having heard it proclaimed through the prophets that the Christ was to come [...] [the demons] put forward many to be called sons of Jupiter, under the impression that they would be able to produce in men the idea that the things which were said with regard to Christ were mere marvellous tales, like the things which were said by the poets."
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