The handy mythology answer book

The handy mythology answer book

David Adams Leeming, 1937-

Book - 2015

"Stories centuries in the making, and many centuries worth of stories, are an integral part of modern society. Whether modern or ancient, every culture has its myths. Mythology forms our understanding of our origin, history, and traditions. They tell of our heroes and deities. Myths are vehicles for understanding religion, for learning language, and for understanding society, but they can often be difficult to understand and confusing. The Handy Mythology Answer Book examines and explains, in plain English, numerous myths and mythology. From the ancient Greek and Roman to Egypt and Babylon, from Native North American Indian to Celtic, Middle Eastern, Indian, Asian, African, and the lesser known myths from around the world, The Handy My...thology Answer Book has them covered. Whether it is the modern retelling of a classic myth or an ancient story about a Norse god, this helpful resource demystifies the myth, looks at different archetypes and motifs, and even shows how myths help explain our existence and institutions. It answers nearly 600 questions and offers fun facts about the treachery and violence, the inspirational and epic, the supernatural monsters and heroic mortals found in mythology, such as How and when did myths originate? What are the three primary myth types? What is the nature of Creation Myths? How can myths be compared to dreams? Why do humans tell myths? What was the Egyptian Book of the Dead? How is the epic of Gilgamesh like later epics? Why is the biblical flood story so like the Babylonian flood myth? What was the myth of Theseus, the Labyrinth, and the Minotaur? What are the Homeric Hymns? How and why are the Odyssey and the Iliad so different from each other? What is the popular appeal of the Odyssey? Did the Greeks see these myths as religion or as entertainment? What was the background myth of the Oedipus plays? What was the nature of Roman mythology during the Roman Republic? What was the Metamorphosis? How did Christian narrative and tradition fit into and come to dominate the Roman mythological tradition? How is Celtic culture and mythology related to the culture and mythology of Greek, Roman, and other cultures? How did the Vedas contribute to Hindu mythology? Who invented Chinese writing? What was the Aztec pantheon? What is the story of the Cherokee Grandmother Sun? Who are some Native American tricksters? What is the story of Schrödinger's Cat? How did Freud use myths? How is myth used in politics? A glossary of commonly used terms and an appendix of parallel mythology exploring universal themes, motifs, and archetypes from across various cultures further explains the world of mythology. "--

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Subjects
Mythology.
Published
Detroit, MI : Visible Ink [2015]
Language
English
Main Author
David Adams Leeming, 1937- (-)
Physical Description
xiii, 402 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 377-384) and index.
ISBN
9781578594757
  • Definitions and origins
  • Middle Eastern mythologies
  • Egyptian mythology
  • Cycladic, Minoan, Mycenaean, and Archaic Greek mythology
  • Classical Greek mythology
  • Roman mythology
  • Celtic mythology
  • Norse mythology
  • Indian mythology
  • East Asian mythology : China and Japan
  • Central Asian mythology
  • Oceanic mythologies : Australian aborigine and Polynesian
  • African mythologies
  • Mesoamerican and South American mythologies : Maya, Aztec, Inca
  • Native North American mythologies
  • Modern myths
  • The world myth
  • Appendix. Parallel mythology
  • Appendix 2. Selected mythological texts
  • Characters in mythology.
Review by Choice Review

Leeming (emer., Univ. of Connecticut) is the author of other mythology resources, including The Oxford Companion to World Mythology (CH, Jul'06, 43-6244) and Encyclopedia of Creation Myths (CH, Mar'95, 32-3645). Here, in a vein similar to Joseph Campbell, he incorporates Jungian theories in a review of the literature and interprets myth as a means of accounting for natural occurrences and human cares. This volume is arranged in a semi-historical and geographic order. Coverage ranges from strong for the "Classical Greek Mythology" section to very weak for "Native North American Mythologies," which omits the myths of Pacific Northwest tribes and Canadian First Peoples (such as cultures in the Northwest Territories and the Arctic). Similarly, "Oceanic Mythologies" includes no mention of Hawaiian shark myths or Maori myths. Maps, or some other type of geographic representation, would have provided a visual context to the myths. Appendixes include a list of "topical" categories with chapter cross-references, a selection of original texts, an alphabetical listing titled "Characters in Mythology," and a short glossary. Summing Up: Optional. For public and school libraries; general readers. --Mila C. Su, SUNY Plattsburgh

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review

This helpful guide on mythology covers the basic definitions and origins of mythology, with subsequent chapters covering myths by geographic area (e.g., Middle East, Africa, Asia) or major tradition (e.g., Greek, Norse, Celtic). The chapters themselves are broken up into easily digestible paragraphs, each framed as the answer to a question. This format makes the substantial information included seem very accessible to the student or general reader. The volume is rounded out by useful appendixes with parallel myths, texts from selected myths, a list of characters in mythology, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Highly recommended for most libraries serving adults and students high-school age and above who need an update to their general mythology materials.--Dierks, Blaise Copyright 2014 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review

Starred Review. Leeming (emeritus, myth, religion, and literature, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs) explains in his introduction that this volume includes myths that he has assessed to be part of "some of the most revelatory mythic traditions." Coverage is global in scope and spans centuries. After an opening chapter that offers a brief discussion of prehistoric myth, the sections that follow each take on a specific geographic area, such as the Middle East, Asia, or the Americas. While the individual regions are given separate treatment, the volume also addresses modern myth and aims to identify and present "larger patterns" related to "cultural traditions" and the "great myths." Black-and-white photos are included in every chapter. A glossary, bibliography, list of mythological characters, and an index round out the volume, as well as an intriguing appendix listing broad mythological themes, each of which is paired with a list of myths that represent it. The material is quite readable, but its brevity may mean that a collection of more focused works (including, for example, titles by the same author such as 2009's Creation Myths of the World) could be of more use to academic libraries. Similarly, those libraries subscribing to Gale's Virtual Reference Library may find their needs already met by included content such as UXL's Encyclopedia of Mythology. VERDICT Leeming's likable and helpful work is recommended for public and high school library collections. Depending on a library's existing holdings, this volume may be better suited for circulating collections to be enjoyed by mythology fans.-Lura Sanborn, St. Paul's Sch. Lib., Concord, NH (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.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 6 Up-This guide to mythology is everything the title promises and more. After an introduction setting out the book's goals and an initial chapter outlining a working definition of mythology, Leeming delves into the mythological traditions across the world (which include African, Asian, Polynesian, Cletiv, Greek, Roman, and Native American), one chapter at a time. These traditions are covered in great detail, and the author examines the geography, history, and culture associated with them and highlights important figures and tales. There is a great emphasis on the influence of psychology on the study of mythology. Early on, the author discusses the work of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Joseph Campbell and how they brought the importance of mythology into academic circles. Leeming concludes by discussing the idea of the monomyth, or Campbell's concept that there are certain motifs and themes that are common to many traditions and that transcend individual cultures. The glossary, index, and bibliography make this volume an excellent reference source, and the appendix takes it further, offering lists of characters and stories that fall under categories such as "The Great Earth Mother Goddess" and "The Hero Quest" and the pages where readers can find them. This title is an ideal starting point for reports as well as an entertaining and informative read for interested students.-Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City (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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