---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mythology is the crop which the Old World…"
description: "\"Mythology is the crop which the Old World bore before its soil was exhausted.\" — Henry David Thoreau"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a51/henry-david-thoreau-20_bores_mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-worl_1554298.jpg"
---

#  Mythology is the crop which the Old World bore before its…

![“Mythology is the crop which the Old World bore before its soil was exhausted.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a51/henry-david-thoreau-20_bores_mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-worl_1554298.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a51/henry-david-thoreau-20_bores_mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-worl_1554298.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a51/henry-david-thoreau-20_bores_mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-worl_1554298.jpg)

> “Mythology is the crop which the Old World bore before its soil was exhausted.”

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ancient myths served as cultural foundations before societies exhausted their resources.

**In simple terms:** Myths were early cultural foundations before depletion.

Key Takeaway

Study myths to understand cultural origins.

Themes

mythology history resource depletion

Mood

reflective educational

Type

historical philosophical

When to use this quote

- education
- cultural preservation
- environmental policy
- archaeology

Key Concepts

anthropology literature

Questions to Reflect On

- How do myths shape current values?
- What lessons can resource depletion teach us?

A Different Perspective

Modern societies may overlook the relevance of ancient myths.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bores/) [Crop Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crop-old-5817310/) [Crops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crops/) [Exhausted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhausted/) [Mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology/) [Mythology Crop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology-crop-5817309/) [Old world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-world/) [Soil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soil/) [Soil Exhausted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soil-exhausted-1259418/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [The civilized nations--Greece, Rome, England--have been sustained by the primitive forests which anciently rotted where they stand. They survive as long as the soil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-civilized-nations-greece-rome-england-have-been-sustained-by-the/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [A soil, exhausted by the long culture of Pagan empires, was to lie fallow for a still longer period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/a-soil-exhausted-by-the-long-culture-of-pagan-empires-was-to-lie/)

[John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/)

> [And when that crop grew, and was harvested, no man had crumbled a hot clod in his fingers and let the earth sift past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-when-that-crop-grew-and-was-harvested-no-man-had-crumbled-a-hot/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [I think laying out a beautiful picture in a beautiful way is a bloody bore. I think you've got to blow it right across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-vreeland/i-think-laying-out-a-beautiful-picture-in-a-beautiful-way-is-a-bloody/)

[Diana Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-vreeland/)

> [“We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-in-great-haste-to-construct-a-magnetic-telegraph-from-maine-to-2/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the Old World some weeks nearer to the New; but perchance the first news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-are-eager-to-tunnel-under-the-atlantic-and-bring-the-old-world/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“We go eastward to realize history, and study the works of art and literature, retracing the steps of the race; we go westward as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-go-eastward-to-realize-history-and-study-the-works-of-art-and-2/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [We go eastward to realize history and study the works of art and literature, retracingthe steps of the race; we go westward as into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-go-eastward-to-realize-history-and-study-the-works-of-art-and/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I respect not his labors, his farm where everything has its price, who would carry the landscape, who would carry his God, to market,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-respect-not-his-labors-his-farm-where-everything-has-its-price-who/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [When my hoe tinkled against the stones, that music echoed to the woods and the sky, and was an accompaniment to my labor which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-my-hoe-tinkled-against-the-stones-that-music-echoed-to-the-woods/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Paper is cheap, and authors need not now erase one book before they write another. Instead of cultivating the earth for wheat andpotatoes, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/paper-is-cheap-and-authors-need-not-now-erase-one-book-before-they/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [On the whole, my respect for my fellow-men, except as one may outweigh a million, is not being increased these days… Such do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/on-the-whole-my-respect-for-my-fellow-men-except-as-one-may-outweigh/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [But why should not the New Englander try new adventures - not lay so much stress on his grain, his potato and grass crop,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/but-why-should-not-the-new-englander-try-new-adventures-not-lay-so/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The mode of clearing and planting is to fell the trees, and burn once what will burn, then cut them up into suitable lengths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-mode-of-clearing-and-planting-is-to-fell-the-trees-and-burn-once/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [A bore is someone who takes away my solitude and doesn't give me companionship in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-bore-is-someone-who-takes-away-my-solitude-and-doesn-t-give-me/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

## More by Henry David Thoreau

> [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

[Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

## More Bores quotes

> [It's a bore - B-O-R-E - when you find you've begun to rot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/it-s-a-bore-b-o-r-e-when-you-find-you-ve-begun-to-rot/)

[Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/)

> [Redtail was a brave warrior. His loyalty to ThunderClan could never be doubted. I always relied on his judgment, for it bore witness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/redtail-was-a-brave-warrior-his-loyalty-to-thunderclan-could-never-be/)

[Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/)

> [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [The poet's first rule must be never to bore his readers; and his best way of keeping this rule is never to bore himself-which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graves/the-poet-s-first-rule-must-be-never-to-bore-his-readers-and-his-best/)

[Robert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graves/)

> [Attractive Etonians who go straight onto the Stock Exchange missing University on their fathers advice: the raw material of the great bores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-madan/attractive-etonians-who-go-straight-onto-the-stock-exchange-missing/)

[Geoffrey Madan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-madan/)

> [Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women, there remains to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-solanas/life-in-this-society-being-at-best-an-utter-bore-and-no-aspect-of/)

[Valerie Solanas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-solanas/)

> [All politicians are bores and liars and fakes. I talk to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/all-politicians-are-bores-and-liars-and-fakes-i-talk-to-people/)

[Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/)

> [And I am quite serious when I say that I do not believe there are, on the whole earth besides, so many intensified bores…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/and-i-am-quite-serious-when-i-say-that-i-do-not-believe-there-are-on/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability. His specialty is rhythm songs which he renders in an undistinguished whine; his phrasing, if it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gould/mr-presley-has-no-discernible-singing-ability-his-specialty-is-rhythm/)

[Jack Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gould/)

> [Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man-yesterday in embryo, tomorrow a mummy or ashes. So for the hairsbreadth of time assigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/mark-how-fleeting-and-paltry-is-the-estate-of-man-yesterday-in-embryo/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

> [It is an occupational hazard of devout folk to become stuffy bores. This should not be. Of all people, we should be the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-an-occupational-hazard-of-devout-folk-to-become-stuffy-bores/)

[Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/)

> [There still remains one effort of magnanimity, one sacrifice of prejudice and passion, to be made by the individuals throughout the nation who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/there-still-remains-one-effort-of-magnanimity-one-sacrifice-of/)

[John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/)

> [Men will pay large sums to whores for telling them they are not bores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/men-will-pay-large-sums-to-whores-for-telling-them-they-are-not-bores/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [The cross of Christ is the sweetest burden that I ever bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/the-cross-of-christ-is-the-sweetest-burden-that-i-ever-bore-it-is/)

[Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/)

> [It is a sin to bore a child with the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/it-is-a-sin-to-bore-a-child-with-the-word-of-god/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

[Browse all 653 Bores quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bores/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Mythology is the crop which the Old World bore before its soil was exhausted.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry David Thoreau"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-world-bore-before-its-soil-was/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bores"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-world-bore-before-its-soil-was/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a51/henry-david-thoreau-20_bores_mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-worl_1554298.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a51/henry-david-thoreau-20_bores_mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-worl_1554298.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a51/henry-david-thoreau-20_bores_mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-worl_1554298.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Mythology is the crop which the Old World bore before its soil was exhausted.” — Henry David Thoreau",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Henry David Thoreau",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Mythology is the crop which the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-world-bore-before-its-soil-was/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/mythology-is-the-crop-which-the-old-world-bore-before-its-soil-was/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
