The mythical zoo : animals in myth, legend, and literature

The mythical zoo Animals in myth, legend, and literature

Boria Sax

Book - 2013

"From Aesop's Fables to Mockingjay, animals have always played a pivotal role in human culture. Even today, animals wield symbolic powers as varied as the cultures that embrace them. Sacred cows, wily serpents, fearsome lions, elegant swans, busy bees, and sly foxes--all are caricatures of the creatures themselves, yet they reflect not only how different cultures see the natural world around them but also how such cultures make use of their native animals. In this fun and thought-provoking book, historian and animal enthusiast Boria Sax argues for a classification of animals that goes beyond the biological to encompass a more meaningful distinction: tradition. From ants and elephants to tigers and tortoises, The Mythical Zoo weave...s together a crosscultural tapestry encompassing mythology, history, art, science, philosophy, and literature. The result is a beautifully illustrated, masterfully composed love letter to the animal kingdom"--

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Subjects
Animals and civilization.
Animals > Symbolic aspects.
Animals, Mythical.
Animals > Folklore.
Animals in literature.
Published
New York : Overlook Duckworth 2013.
Language
English
Main Author
Boria Sax (-)
Physical Description
352 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 333-349) and index of animals.
ISBN
9781468307207
  • Introduction : Animals as tradition
  • Almost human
  • Tricksters
  • Sages
  • Just beautiful
  • Musicians
  • Tooth and claw
  • Mermaid's companions
  • The barnyard
  • Man's best friends
  • Beasts of burden
  • Noble adversaries
  • Tough guys
  • From the underground
  • By the seashore
  • Lost souls
  • Weird and wonderful
  • Behemoths and Leviathans
  • Divinities
  • Epilogue : What is a human being?
Review by Library Journal Review

In his latest work, Sax (City of Ravens) offers an eloquent, thorough, and absorbing survey of the representation in myth, legend, and literature of various members of the animal kingdom. The text is divided into themed chapters (e.g., "Musicians," "Beasts of Burden," "Almost Human"), each covering animals whose zoological characteristics and cultural representations match the motif. For example, in "Tricksters," Sax discusses such animals as the coyote, fox, jackal, hare, rabbit, and spider, each associated with wily, cunning, and mischievous behavior. His discussions draw from a wealth of sources including historical accounts, art, literature, zoological content, and numerous myths, legends, and folktales as diverse as the salmon of wisdom from Celtic mythology, Spider Woman from Hopi and Navaho folklore, and Disney's Bambi. The book is enhanced by illustrations, photographs, and a helpful index of animals and bibliography. VERDICT Informative and accessible, this volume is highly recommended for anyone interested in mythology, folklore, or anthropology, as well as those with a general curiosity in animals and their place in culture and literature.--Jennifer -Harris, Southern New Hampshire Univ. Lib., Manchester (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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