The Veil of Familiarity

C.S. Lewis on Tolkien's epic masterpiece

The value of myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which had been hidden by the veil of familiarity.

For more, see Who Were The Inklings?
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myth (American Heritage Dictionary)

A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society

And as wikipedia explains, "The use of the term ['myth'] by scholars does not imply that the narrative is either true or false."