Softcover, 688 pages
Price: $AUD59.95
Published by Simon & Schuster Australia
Lower Ground Floor 14-16 Suakin Street (PO Box 33) PYMBLE NSW 2073 AUSTRALIA
ISBN: 1844830616
'Myths are magic mirrors in which we can see the reflection of not just our own deepest hopes and fears but also those of people from the earliest times. Lying at the roots of much of our literature, art, and religion, myths represent the heritage of the world's imagination.'
This statement is taken from the first chapter - 'Meaning of Myth' - and summarises this complex topic well.
The author, C. Scott Littleton is a Professor of Anthropology at Occidental College, Los Angeles. He has taught at Waseda University and the University of Tokyo, and has twice been awarded the prestigious Fulbright Research Fellowship. Previous publications include the 'Sacred East' - I haven't seen a copy of this yet but if 'Mythology' is an indicator of the type of work he does, then it is likely to be well worth investigating.
A reference book of this quality is an excellent addition to your reference library... especially if you are the type of person who likes to understand others at a deep level. Whatever your subject, students of many different topics would also find this an indispensable title to have in your library. With more than 700 colour photographs and nearly 700 pages of information-packed pages to look through, 'Mythology' is an excellent value reference book to add to your collection.
Even though there is a lot of information presented in this book, it is set out in a way that makes it easy to find the information you are looking for. The chapters are set out in the following structure:
1. Meaning of Myth 2. Cradles of Civilisation Egypt's Divine Kingship Ancient Mesopotamia The Glories of Greece and Rome 3. The Celtic, Viking and Germanic Worlds Celtic Deities and Heroes Sagas of the Norsemen 4. The Eastern World India's Eternal Cycle China's Heavenly Mandate Japan's Realm of the Rising Sun 5. The New World North America's Mother Earth, Father Sky Mesoamerica's Gods of Sun and Sacrifice South American Kingdoms of Gold 6. The Southern World The Ancestral Voices of Africa The Unseen Worlds of Australiasia
If you are not sure which section your myth belongs to you can always use the index, which is very well set out too.
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