The first is the "historical-archaeological" approach, that myth "is a distorted and fantastic version of something that actually happened." The second approach is "psychological", presenting "in symbolic form the unconscious desires and loathings which lie buried deepest in the most hidden recesses of the psyche."
One method for understanding myths is through an "historical-archaeological" lens, viewing them as inaccurate representations of real historical occurrences. Another perspective is a "psychological" one, which interprets myths as symbolic expressions of repressed desires and anxieties residing in the unconscious mind.