Description
Book SynopsisDiscover (or rediscover!) history's greatest myths and legends From Grendel and Beowulf to Poseidon, Medusa, and Hercules, the gods, monsters, and heroes of mythology are endlessly weird and fascinating. And if you're looking for a helpful companion to this wild collection of creatures, humans, and deities, you've found it! Mythology For Dummies delivers the straight goods on history's most popular myths, helping you make sense of even the most complicated ancient stories. You'll learn about the origins of your favorite myths, their cultural impact, and more. Discover: The coolest mythological characters, including intrepid Odysseus, the volatile gods of Mount Olympus, and Thor and LokiHow ancient mythology intersects with our daily lives in pop culture, high culture, and everything in betweenMythological destinations, like Atlantis, and famous sites from Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologyAn engrossing guide to some of the most enduring and interesting tales from throughout history, Myt
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1
Part 1: Mythology Basics and Why the Stories Endure 5
Chapter 1: The Truth About Myths 7
Chapter 2: Ancient Myths in Modern Culture: The Legacy 19
Part 2: Thunder and Lightning: Greek Mythology 29
Chapter 3: Greek Creation Myths and Really Ancient Greek Gods 31
Chapter 4: Taller, Younger, and Better Looking Than You: The Olympian Gods 45
Chapter 5: The Fairest and Meanest of Them All: The Greek Goddesses 61
Chapter 6: So Fine and Half Divine: Heroes 77
Chapter 7: The Trojan War, the Iliad, and the Odyssey 95
Chapter 8: Of Chorus They’re so Dramatic: Greek Tragedy 115
Part 3: The Cultural Spoils of an Empire: Roman Mythology 131
Chapter 9: Will the Real Roman Mythology Please Stand Up? 133
Chapter 10: Virgil’s Aeneid and the Founding of Rome 149
Chapter 11: Time to Change Things Up: Ovid’s Metamorphoses 159
Part 4: One Big Family Feud: Norse and Northern European Mythology 169
Chapter 12: Snow, Ice, and Not Very Nice: Norse Deities 171
Chapter 13: Heroes and Monsters: The Big Northern European Sagas 189
Chapter 14: A Seat at the Round Table: King Arthur and His Court 201
Chapter 15: Myths from the Emerald Isle: Ireland and Celtic Mythology 217
Part 5: The Cradle(s) of Civilization: African and Near-Eastern Mythology 225
Chapter 16: Central and Southern Africa: The Bantu’s Eternal Earth and Sly Animals 227
Chapter 17: Floods, Mud, and Gods: Mesopotamian and Hebrew Mythology 235
Chapter 18: Three Cheers for Egypt: Ra, Ra, Ra! 249
Chapter 19: North African Mythology: A Real Melting Pot 261
Chapter 20: One Thousand Tales: Persian Mythology 269
Part 6: Kashmir to Kyoto, and a Lot in Between: South- and East Asian Mythology 279
Chapter 21: Land of a Thousand Gods: India 281
Chapter 22: Get out the Fine China: Early Chinese Myth and the Three Teachings 293
Chapter 23: Japan: Myths from the Land of the Rising Sun 305
Part 7: “New World”? Says Who? Mythology of the Americas 317
Chapter 24: Central and South American Mythology: Civilizations, Cities, and Ball Games 319
Chapter 25: Sea to Sea, and Lots of Animals in Between: Indigenous Myths of North America 333
Part 8: The Part of Tens 349
Chapter 26: Ten Mythological Monsters 351
Chapter 27: Ten (Plus One) Mythological Places 357
Index 365
