Handbook of Native American Mythology (World Mythology)

Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge

THE welcome which has been accorded to the volumes of this Series, and the fact that some of them have passed into second and third editions, suggest that these little books have been found useful by beginners in Egyptology and others. Hitherto the object of them has been to supply information about the Religion, Magic, Language, and History of the ancient Egyptians, and to provide editions of the original texts from which such information was derived. There are, however, many branches of Egyptology which need treatment in a similar manner in this Series, and it has been suggested in many quarters that the time has now arrived when the publication of a series of groups of texts illustrating EGYPTIAN LITERATURE in general might well be begun. Seeing that nothing is known about the authors of Egyptian works, not even their names, it is impossible to write a History of Egyptian Literature in the ordinary sense of the word. The only thing to be done is to print the actual works in the best and most complete form possible, with translations, and then to put them in the hands of the reader and leave them to his judgment. Lire plus…

Flix Guirand; Robert Graves; Richard Aldington; Delano Ames

Here, in all their wonder and splendor, are the Mythologies of Mankind.. from pre-biblical Egypt and pre-Homeric Greece to the farthest researches of Africa, the Orient, the Pacific and the Americas.. all gathered into one mammoth volume of unprecedented scope and beauty, and illustrated with an incomparable scope and beauty, and illustrated with an incomparable assemblage of authentic paintings, sculpture, symbols, idols, ritual and sacrificial objects, many rarely seen by modern Western eyes.This monumental work is the first complete encyclopedia of world mythology. Originally published in France by the famous house of Larousse, it contains of course all the well-loved myths of Classical Antiquity. But more than half the book is devoted to the strange and unfamiliar mythologies of civilizations...from Peru to Persia, from Tahiti to Togoland.Nearly 600 Illustrations. Lire plus…

Thomas A Green; Abc-Clio Information Services

__Folklore__ emphasizes those bodies of North American and European scholarship that have influenced each other most profoundly since the discipline's inception. The entries provide an introduction that facilitates the pursuit of more specialized topics and other bodies of scholarship. Topics range from such traditional subjects as ''festival'' and ''folktale'' to cutting-edge entries such as ''computer-mediated folklore'' and ''postmodernism.'' In most cases, a longer, more comprehensive essay format for entries has been favored over shorter entries. Entries are cross-referenced, and each includes a select bibliography to serve as a guide to in depth research. Lire plus…

Geraldine Pinch

From BooklistStudents at the high-school level and above who are doing research on Egyptian mythology will find this volume interesting and helpful. The first chapter discusses the nature of myths and the history of Egypt from the predynastic to the postpharaonic period. The second goes through several myth complexes and cycles and their variations. The third chapter, "Deities, Themes, and Concepts, " is an alphabetical listing of well over 100 topics and is the meat of the book. Articles range in length from a single line to several pages. All have see also references, and most cite both secondary and primary sources. Entries are readable and note where particular deities absorbed characteristics of others during historical periods. The inconsistencies of Egyptian mythology are noted, as in the variations of the Osiris stories. The frankly sexual nature of many of Egypt's creation myths is not glossed over, nor are the coupling habits of the gods.A final chapter is an annotated list of print and nonprint resources on Egyptian myth, some of which may be found in many larger public and academic libraries. A few novels influenced by Egyptian myth are also listed and annotated, including Norman Mailer's Ancient Evenings and Elizabeth Peters' The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog. A few videos are reviewed, and several Web sites and CD-ROMs are listed. Pinch's annotations are clear and informative and not without a certain dry humor.A very helpful glossary defines Egyptian... Lire plus…

Haase, Donald (Editor)

Interest in folklore and fairy tales continues to grow, as evidenced by the number of new translations and anthologies being published every year. This scholarly compendium is a well-organized, well-documented introduction to the evolving field of folklore and fairy-tale studies. More than130 individuals representing various areas of expertise have contributed 670 entries that offer insights into assorted aspects of this complex genre. Signed articles are arranged in alphabetical order and run from a couple of paragraphs to several pages. The scope is multicultural and spans antiquity through modern day (including 2007 references). In the preface, editor Haase acknowledges the enormous number of possible subjects and identifies five priority inclusion criteria: representative global coverage, fundamental and essential importance, major developments in folk and fairy-tale scholarship since 1970, emerging trends in the production and reception of fairy tales, and critical but often neglected dimensions of this field. The helpful “Guide to Related Topics” sorts articles and provides some idea of the breadth and extent of coverage. Entries cover cultural, national, regional, and linguistic groups (African American tales,Japanese tales); more than 60 genres (Animal tale, Pantomime,Urban legend); critical terms, concepts, and approaches (Authenticity,Variant); motifs, themes, characters, and tale types (Dragon, Punishment and reward,Sleeping Beauty); media, performance, and... Lire plus…

Patricia Monaghan Ph.d.

This one-volume encyclopedia on the myths and folklore of the Celtic lands - Ireland, Scotland, Celtic Britain, Wales, Brittany and central France, Galicia and the smaller islands where the Ceits lived - offers a broad overview of the elements that constitute and characterize Celtic mythology and folklore. Concise A-to-Z entries provide brief descriptions of the subjects, emphasize the original sources of myths and traditions, and include bibliographic references. Approximately 1,000 entries cover. Mythic figures Heroic figures Narrative and epic cycles Themes and religious concepts Sacred places and objects Historical places Theories and controversies Lire plus…

Kathleen N. Daly; Revised By Marian Rengel

This is a great book if you just need to look up some quick information on a Greek or Roman god. It does go into detail on some of the more important characters like Hercules, but most just have a few paragraphs. My main complaint is that even though it says "Greek AND ROMAN Mythology" about 75% of the characters covered are Greek in origin. It is nice that each character is labeled as either Greek or Roman though. This made writing my Roman Mythology paper much easier. A good book for anyone interested in Mythology :) Lire plus…

P>robert</p> <P>d.</p> <P>craig</p>

An accessible, concise reference source on Polynesia's complex mythology, product of a culture little known outside its home.Encounters with the West introduced Polynesian mythology to the world—and sealed its fate as a casualty of colonialism. But for centuries before the Europeans came, that mythology was as vast as the triangle of ocean in which it flourished, as diverse as the people it served, and as complex as the mythologies of Greece and Rome.Students, researchers, and enthusiasts can follow vivid retellings of stories of creation, death, and great voyages, tracking variations from island to island. They can use the book's reference section for information on major deities, heroes, elves, fairies, and recurring themes, as well as the mythic implications of everything from dogs and volcanoes to the hula, Easter Island, and tattooing (invented in the South Pacific and popularized by returning sailors). Lire plus…

Paul Richard Steele; Catherine Jean Allen

This book is for a general audience. It is well written with only occasional use of perhaps overly technical words, for example, chthonic for underworld. It has a very good Index and a list of essential references, at least those that have been published in English. The glossary is also quite useful. In areas in which I am somewhat knowledgeable, I find a good summary is presented but with a minimum of references. Missing is any reference to the common origin myth of the Maya (Popul Vuh) and Andeans (Huarichiri); likewise other shared myths such as the revolt of the objects are not mentioned. Further, the common substitution of body parts in Andean sculpture, such as at Chavín is not contrasted to the another region where it is well-known, China, as seen in dragons. The Maya case must represent diffusion for the degree of similarity in the quite unusual origin myth; that of China would at least apprise the reader that the Andean case is not unique. In brief, the book provides a good introduction to Inca mythology and that treatment is extended to pre-Incan peoples in some instances, such as the Moche. It is pitched to somewhere between a popular readership and one useful as a good introductory treatment in a class room at a low grade level at a university. General readers will find the alienness of the myths, less tempered by the introduction of European ones than, say, in Central America, accessible, although the hand of the ethnographer Catherine J. Allen,... Lire plus…

Roman, Assistant Professor Of Classics Luke, Roman, Monica

and the interactions of men, gods, heroes, and monsters. Ultimately, the Romans come to integrate their own legendary history with the myths of the Greek city-states. Bridging figures, such as Aeneas, Heracles, Diomedes, Hippolytus, Evander, and Orestes, who, in some myths, travel from the Greek or Trojan world to Italy, and in some cases found cities, are particularly salient examples of such integration. The resultant fusion is called "classical mythology" by modern textbooks. Acis (Akis) See Galatea; Polyphemus. ## Acontius and Cydippe A young man from Chios. Classical sources are Callimachus's Aetia (3.1.26) and Ovid's Heroides (20, 21). Acontius fell in love with Cydippe and followed her to the temple of Artemis. He wrote on an apple the words "I swear by Artemis that I will marry ## Acontius and Cydippe Acontius." Cydippe picked up the apple and read the inscription aloud, inadvertently swearing an oath by Artemis to marry Acontius. Cydippe's parents, however, arranged for her to be engaged to another man, and she became ill as the time for the marriage neared. Cydippe's father discovered from the Delphic oracle that Cydippe's illness was caused by the potential betrayal of the oath she had sworn to Artemis. Acontius was then accepted as a husband for Cydippe. ## Actaeon A Boeotian hunter. Son of Aristaeus and Autonoe. Grandson of Cadmus. Classical sources are Apollodorus's Library (3.4.4), Diodorus Siculus's Library of History (4.81.4), Hyginus's Fabulae (180,... Lire plus…

Karl Kroeber

The myths and legends in this book have been selected both for their excellence as stories and because they illustrate the distinctive nature of Native American storytelling. A collection of Native American myths and legends. Selected for their excellence as stories, and because they illustrate the distinctive nature of Native American storytelling. Drawn from the oral traditions of all major areas of aboriginal North America. Reveals the highly practical functions of myths and legends in Native American societies. Illustrates American Indians' profound engagement with their natural environment. Edited by an outstanding interpreter of Native American oral stories. Lire plus…

Ann Bingham; Patricia Ann Lynch; Kathleen N Daly; Jeremy Roberts; Pat Remler; Gienna Matson

Features over four hundred entries that explore such topics as the core beliefs of various tribes, creation accounts, and recurrent themes throughout North American native cultures. The beliefs of many Native American peoples emphasize a close relationship between people and the natural world, including geographical features such as mountains and lakes, and animals such as whales and bison. Therefore, many of the myths of these peoples are stories of strange occurrences where animals or forces of nature and people interact. These stories are full of vitality and have captured the attention of young people, in many cases, for centuries. Native American Mythology A to Z presents detailed coverage of the deities, legendary heroes and heroines, important animals, objects, and places that make up the mythic lore of the many peoples of North America from northern Mexico into the Arctic Circle. A comprehensive reference written for young people and illustrated throughout, this volume brings to life many Native American myths, traditions, and beliefs. Offering an in depth look at various aspects of Native American myths that are often left unexplained in other books on the subject, this book is a valuable tool for anyone interested in learning more about various Native American cultures. Coverage includes creation accounts from many Native American cultures; influences on and development of Native American mythology; the effects of geographic region, environment, and climate on... Lire plus…

Jeremy Roberts

Китайская Мифология: библиография , культура , легенды, мифы, исследования In ancient Chinese civilization, emperors were revered as the direct descendants of the gods, who ruled all of nature and the heavens. Animal bones were consulted as oracles to answer the great questions of life and death, and ancestral spirits were thought to roam the earth, negotiating with the gods on behalf of the living. From the legends of the Eight Immortals to the teachings of Confucius, Chinese Mythology A to Z, Second Edition provides a refreshing, insightful look at the stories and myths that open a window onto this civilization. Coverage of this title includes: Buddhist deities and legendary characters; animal stories, such as the fox legends; important locations, such as shrines and sacred places; allegorical figures, such as the Jade Emperor, the Rain Master, and the Lord of the Granary; and, more. Lire plus…

Geraldine Pinch

Spanning ancient Egyptian culture (ca. 3200 B.C.E. to C.E. 400), the Handbook of Egyptian Mythology is the only complete survey of Egyptian mythology of its kind available in English. In this comprehensive introduction to Egyptian mythology, author Geraldine Pinch shows how the mythology of Ancient Egypt must be pieced together from a variety of written and visual sources. Relationships between deities changed, and the Egyptian myths were never gathered by priests into an "authorized version." Handbook of Egyptian Mythology provides a brief discussion about the nature of myths; the concept of time in Egyptian mythology; a historical overview of the sources of Egyptian myth; and a dictionary of deities, themes, and concepts, which concentrates on the prominent gods and goddesses in Egyptian myth. The book also includes references to general works on Egyptian culture, religion, and myth; translations of ancient texts; and a selection of literature influenced by Egyptian myth. Lire plus…

Joseph Campbell

Part of a series of studies on world mythologies, this volume looks at the primitive roots of the mythology of the world as they are examined in the light of the most recent discoveries in archaeology, anthropology and psychology. Lire plus…