World Mythology: The Illustrated Guide - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195307526 ISBN 13: 9780195307528

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2006

Synopsis

The great myths of the world create meaning out of the fundamental events of human existence: birth, death, conflict, loss, reconciliation, the cycle of the seasons. They speak to us of life itself in voices still intelligible, yet compellingly strange and distant. World Mythology offers readers an authoritative and wide-ranging guide to these enduring mythological traditions, combining the pure narrative of the myths themselves with the background necessary for more complete understanding.

Here, noted mythology expert Roy Willis, brings together a team of nineteen leading scholars navigate a clear path through the complexities of myth as they distill the essence of each regional tradition and focus on the most significant figures and the most enthralling stories. All aspects of the world's key mythologies are covered, from tales of warring deities and demons to stories of revenge and metamorphosis; from accounts of lustful gods and star-crossed human lovers to journeys in the underworld. All are told at length and are accompanied by illuminating and readable introductory text. Also included are summaries of important theories about the origins and meaning of myth, and an examination of themes that recur across a range of civilizations.

Beautifully illustrated with more than 500 color photographs, works of art, charts, and maps, World Mythology offers readers the most accessible guide yet to the heritage of the world's imagination.

About this title

About the Author

Roy Willis, Ph.D., is Honorary Fellow in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh.

From Library Journal

The study of mythology does not suffer from a dearth of fine, scholarly reference books, but until now the general reader lacked a good, illustrated collection of the most important myths. In this fascinating and authoritative encyclopedia, scholarly contributors use more than 500 color photographs, maps, and artifacts to describe the myths of Egypt, the Middle East, India, China, Tibet, Mongolia, Japan, Greece, Rome, the Celtic lands, Northern and Eastern Europe, the Arctic, North and South America, Mesoamerica, Africa, Australia, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. An insightful foreword by Robert Walter of the Joseph Campbell Foundation adds further credibility to this oversized, colorful book. Recommended for the general reader and as an introduction for the student and scholar in any library.
- Gary P. Gillum, Brigham Young Univ., Provo, Ut.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0195307526
• ISBN 13: 9780195307528
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320
• Editor: Willis Roy