The concept of the personal myth, the defensive constellation described by Kris in obsessive character structures, can be enlarged to include similar constructs in cases of narcissistic pathology. The conditions necessary for the development of the personal myth are not, as Kris implied, specific to particular types of neurotic disorder only. In addition, the nuclear fantasy of the personal myth is not always of the family romance type. The personal myth of the poet, Nikos Kazantzakis, is outlined, and its origins and defensive functions are traced through the poet's life and work.