>>24513812
When a mythologist uses the word 'original,' it rarely means the earliest surviving version because myths evolve orally for centuries before they’re recorded. By the original myth, they often mean a proto-version reconstructed through comparative mythology.

Even within classical sources, there are variant versions of myths, some older or less popular, that differ significantly. If Freud's theory is rooted in a version that postdates these variations, it’s fair to question whether the psychological resonance attributed to the myth might not apply universally.

>>24513731
Writer is Robert Graves, you might remember him as the author of a compendium of Greek mythology.

>so why does it matter
reveals a misunderstanding of mythological traditions & evolution. Myths often exist in multiple versions, reflecting different cultural, historical, and regional contexts.
>Homer was orally transmitted
Oral doesn't equal primitive.