The World of Myth

Since its publication in 1991, The World of Myth has provided thousands of students with a fascinating, wide-ranging introduction to world mythology. Building on the bestselling tradition of the first edition, the long-awaited second edition offers a uniquely comprehensive collection of myths from numerous cultures around the globe. Featuring a thematic organization, it helps students understand world mythology as a metaphor for humanity's search for meaning in a complex world. Author David Leeming presents a sweeping variety of myths whose origins range from ancient Egypt and Greece to the Polynesian islands and modern science. Students will be captivated by stories of great floods from the ancient Babylonians, Hebrews, Chinese, and Mayans; tales of apocalypse from India, the Norse, Christianity, and modern science; myths of the mother goddess from Native American Hopi culture and James Lovelock's Gaia; and much more. One of the most wide-ranging anthologies available, this volume includes myths from African, Australian Aboriginal, Aztec, Celtic, Chinese, Greek, Hittite, Japanese, Moslem, and Persian cultures. NEW TO THIS EDITION Greatly expanded coverage of non-Western myths, including new selections from Arabia, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mesoamerica, North and South America, and Sub-Saharan Africa More coverage of "Great Mother" and "World Mother" myths-including new selections from Ireland, Mexico, and North American Indian cultures-and other feminine-based myths Many new translations, a new design, key terms (boldfaced at their first appearance), and a glossary A world locator map at the front of the book showing the geographical distribution of the myths covered in the text "Indispensable and by far the most accessible anthology available."--Susan A. St. Peters, Riverside City College"The World of Myth is incredibly informative, covering a large range of cultures and regions. It could easily stand alone as the main text in an Intro to Mythology course. It is comprehensive, culturally inclusive, and well researched."--Maggie DiVito, Columbus College of Art and Design"This text is the most accessible survey of world myth on the market today. All cultures are represented. As far as coverage goes, it offers all that teachers need in order to give students a concise but representative perspective on the stories that we tell about ourselves."--Edward Karshner, Roberts Morris UniversityIntroduction: The Dimensions of Myth ; PART ONE. COSMIC MYTHS ; THE CREATION ; Egypt: Ex Nihilo Beginnings ; Mesopotamia (Babylon): Enuma Elish and the World Parent ; Israel: Genesis and the Talmudic Lilith ; India: The Sacred Words ; Iran (Persia): Aryan and Zoroastrian ; China: Cosmic Egg and Yin and Yang ; Greece: Hesiod's Theogony ; Iceland (Norse): The World Parent of the Eddas ; Meso-America (Aztec-Mexica): Coatlicue the World Mother ; Native North America (Onondagan): Star Woman and Earth Divers ; Africa (Boshongo-Bantu): Bumba's Creation ; Native North America (Acoma); Goddesses and the Emergence ; Darwin: Origins ; Modern Physics: The Big Bang ; THE FLOOD ; Mesopotamia (Sumer-Babylon): Utnapishtim (Ziusudra) ; Israel: Noah ; Iran (Zoroastrian): Yima ; Egypt: Hathor, Blood and Beer ; China: Yu ; India: Manu ; Greece-Rome: Deucalion and Pyrrha ; Meso-America (Mayan): The Popol-Vuh ; South-America (Incan): Viracocha and the Giants ; THE APOCALYPSE ; Israel: The Day of Yahweh ; Asia Minor (Christian): The Book of Revelation ; Iran (Zoroastrian): The Savior Saoshyant ; Arabia (Muslim): End of the World ; India: The End of the Kali Age ; Native North America (Hopi): Emergence to the Fifth World ; Iceland (Norse): Ragnarok ; Modern Physics: Entropy and Heat Death ; PART TWO. MYTHS OF THE GODS ; THE PANTHEONS ; Mesopotamia (Sumer): Gods of the Elements ; Egypt ; India: The Triad ; Greece: Orginators and Olympians ; Rome: The Renamed Olympians ; Iceland (Norse): The Aesir and the Vanir ; Ireland and Wales: The Family of Don and the Tuatha de Danann ; THE GOD AS ARCHETYPE ; THE SUPREME BEING ; India: Krishna-Vishnu as Brahman ; Israel: Yahweh ; Native South America (Uitoto): Nainema ; Africa (Bushman): Mantis ; Native North America (Cherokee): Sun Goddess ; Japan: Amaterasu ; Modern Science: Immanent Mind ; THE GREAT MOTHER ; Ireland and Wales: Danu-Don ; Native North America (Inuit): Sedna ; North America (Lakota Sioux): White Buffalo Woman ; Mexico: Our Lady of Guadaloupe ; Modern Science: Gaia as Earth ; THE DYING GOD ; Mesopotamia (Sumer): Inanna (Ishtar) ; Egypt: Osiris and Isis ; Greece and Rome: Adonis and Aphrodite ; Asia Minor (Phrygia): Attis ; Greece: Dionysos ; Iceland (Norse): Odin ; Native North America (Penobscot): Corn Mother ; THE TRICKSTER ; Mesopotamia (Sumer): Enki and the Me ; Greece: Hermes Steals the Cattle ; India: Krishna and the Gopis ; Iceland (Norse): Loki ; Native North America (Maida): Coyote ; Africa (Fon): Legba ; GODS, GODDESSES, AND LESSER SPIRITS ; Greece and Rome ; Non-Greek ; PART THREE. HERO MYTHS ; Native North America (Tewa): Water Jar Boy ; Greece: Theseus ; Greece: Herakles (Hercules) and the Twelve Labors ; India: The Buddha ; Ireland: Cuchulainn ; Greece: Antigone ; Europe: King Arthur ; Europe: Parcival and the Holy Grail ; Israel: Jonah ; Greece: Jason and the Golden Fleece ; Rome: Aeneas ; Arabia: Muhammad and the Night Journey ; Africa (Kikuyu): Wanjiru ; Indonesia (Ceram): Hainuwele ; India: Rama and Sita ; India: Draupadi ; Australia (Aboriginal): The Pleiades ; Mesopotamia: Gilgamesh ; Greece and Rome: Orpheus and Eurydice ; Greece: Odysseus ; Israel: Jesus ; Meso-America (Toltec/Aztec): Quetzalcoatl ; Europe: Mary ; Greece: Alcestis ; PART FOUR. PLACE AND OBJECT MYTHS ; THE WORLD OF AFTERLIFE ; Egypt: Osiris ; Greece and Rome: Lands of the Dead ; Native North America (Hopi): The Kachinas ; THE MOUNTAIN ; India: Mount Meru ; THE CITY ; Greece and Rome: Troy ; Israel-Palestine: Jerusalem ; Greece: Delphi ; THE TEMPLE ; Europe: The Chapel Perilous ; THE GENITALS ; Greece: Tiresias ; Native North American (Apache): The Vagina Girls ; THE STONE ; Asia Minor (Phrygia): The Agdos Rock ; Australia (Aboriginal): Erathipa ; THE TREE ; India: The Cosmic Tree ; China: Fusang ; Iceland (Norse): Yggdrasil ; THE GARDEN, THE GROVE, AND THE CAVE ; Arabia: Muhammad's Cave ; THE LABYRINTH ; Greece: Daedalus and Icarus