Hindu Mythology

Lesson 1: Introduction I

This lesson starts with a few basic topics. The relationship between mythology, religion, philosophy and culture in the context of Hinduism is outlined. A quick look is taken at the sources of the wide diversity of Hindu mythology. The Hindu pantheon introduces the main characters. Creation of the universe is a very important aspect of mythology.

Introduction

Reference will be made to the relevant pages of ‘Hindu Myths’ and ‘The Indian Epics Retold’. These texts provide additional information on the topics discussed and will be used as supplementary readers.

Knowledge of the narratives of the epics will be essential. It is recommended that you start reading ‘The Indian Epics Retold’ right away so that you are ready for the lessons. Read them as a novel. Web sites providing an even briefer summary of the narrative have been suggested.

There is a wealth of material on Hindu mythology on the Internet. We will make full use of this.

Optional Exercises

1a. Browse through the following sites deal with mythology in general.

http://www.pantheon.org http://www.skepticfiles.org/atheist2/her... http://www.mythsdreamssymbols.com/import...