"Greek mythology has long been one of the major literary underpinnings of Western (European-based) culture. What many Westerners do not realize, however, is that very similar tales exist in the mythologies of cultures and peoples around the globe. Looking at the many similarities among the gods and myths of past peoples around the globe, it is only natural to wonder how those parallels came about. A number of modern scholars have concluded that it...

"Throughout history, all human cultures had creation stories in which one or more gods arose, often in a burst of light, from the dark depths of non-existence. That divine being then progressed to one or more acts of creation. This idea of a miraculous creation by one or multiple thinking beings is one of a few core cultural concepts-also including love, death, and war-that have long been universal to human societies"--

"Considering the prevalence of war throughout history, it is understandable that every ancient human society had at least one god who oversaw its workings. In spite of the numerous cultural differences among these peoples, their war-gods had certain traits in common. All were associated with fighting, weapons, victory, and courage in battle, which were and remain universal themes"--Provided by publisher.

"The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Hindus, and numerous others all celebrated the beauty and purity of true love between spouses, parents and children, siblings, and friends alike. More often than not, such feelings were thought to be the gift of gods and goddesses who oversaw the process of love"--Provided by publisher.

The epic looms large as a storytelling genre in world mythology. Because of their customary length and level of detail, epics often provide a more comprehensive sense of the early cultures that spawned them than any other literary form. African mythology contains numerous captivating epics. Explore what is known of an ancient and powerful one: the Dausi.

A beautifully packaged and affordably priced edition of this classic, accessible guide to world mythology, unabridged and complete. Thomas Bulfinch collected and interpreted the legends of the world for everyday people, so that those who lacked extensive schooling could still understand the mythological allusions that fill classic and contemporary literature.