(Big ideas simply explained) - The Mythology Book

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TITLE PAGE CONTENTS HOW TO USE THIS EBOOK INTRODUCTION ANCIENT GREECE Gaia first gave birth to her equal, Ouranos • Origin of the universe Rhea swaddled up a stone and passed it to Kronos to swallow • The birth of Zeus Zeus in his first youth battered the earthborn Titans • The war of the gods and Titans No wind beats roughly here, no snow nor rain • Mount Olympus He bound cunning Prometheus in inescapable fetters • Prometheus helps mankind Her impulse introduced sorrow and mischief to the lives of men • Pandora’s box Zeus had many women, both mortal and immortal • The many affairs of Zeus Mighty Hades who dwells in houses beneath the earth • Hades and the Underworld He slipped a pomegranate, sweet as honey, into her hand • The abduction of Persephone The raving ladies streamed out of their homes • The cult of Dionysus Turning round, he caught a glimpse of his wife and she had to return below • Orpheus and Eurydice A bringer of dreams • Hermes’ first day Athena presents the olive tree, Poseidon the wave • The founding of Athens I will give infallible counsel to all who seek it • Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi One loved; the other fled the name of love • Apollo and Daphne Life and death are balanced on the edge of a razor • The Trojan War This pair of tyrants. They murdered my father • Orestes avenges Agamemnon Tell me oh muse, the hero’s story • The quest of Odysseus After the labours had been accomplished, he would be immortal • The labours of Herakles He had the face of a bull, but the rest of him was human • Theseus and the Minotaur Disdaining his father’s warnings, the exhilarated Icarus soared ever higher • Daedalus and Icarus Watching the Gorgon’s head in the polished shield, he beheaded her • Perseus and Medusa Hate is a bottomless cup, I will pour and pour • Jason and Medea Unfortunate Oedipus – of all men, least to be envied! • The fate of Oedipus She wants Adonis more than she does heaven itself • Aphrodite and Adonis Whatever I touch, may it be transformed into tawny gold • King Midas In a single day and night the island of Atlantis disappeared beneath the waves • The legend of Atlantis ANCIENT ROME I sing of arms and the man • Aeneas, founder of Rome A desire seized Romulus and Remus to build a city • The founding of Rome The father of gods spurts red flames through the clouds • Numa outwits Jupiter Conceive of Vesta as naught but the living flame • Vesta and Priapus The fates will leave me my voice, and by my voice I shall be known • The sibyl of Cumae I love you as I love my own soul • Cupid and Psyche I am on fire with love for my own self • Narcissus and Echo She yet spins her thread, as a spider • Arachne and Minerva I pay the due penalty in blood • Cybele and Attis Mithras is the Lord of generation • Mithras and the bull He carved a statue out of snow-white ivory • Pygmalion For lying with me, take control of the hinge • Carna and Janus No wood nymph could tend a garden more skilfuly than she • Pomona and Vertumnus Even death shall not part us • Pyramus and Thisbe Those whom the gods care for are gods • Philemon and Baucis NORTHERN EUROPE From Ymir’s flesh the earth was made • Creation of the universe The ash of Yggdrasil is the noblest of trees • Odin and the World Tree The first war in the world • War of the gods They mixed honey with the blood and it turned into mead • The Mead of Poetry Thor might smite as hard as he desired and the hammer would not fail • The treasures of the gods Am I wrong in thinking that this little fellow is Thor? • The adventures of Thor and Loki in Jötunheim The unluckiest deed ever done amongst gods and men • The death of Baldur Brother will fight brother and be his slayer • The twilight of the gods When the worm comes to the water, smite him in the heart • Sigurd the dragon slayer Wonderful the magic sampo, plenty does it bring to northland • The Kalevala The Dagda was eighty years in the kingship of Ireland • A complex god As soon as he touched the earth, he was a heap of ashes • The voyage of Bran One will be long forgetting Cúchulainn • The cattle raid of Cooley He has the name of being the strongest and bravest man in Ireland • Finn MacCool and the Giant’s Causeway So they took the blossoms and produced from them a maiden • Blodeuwedd Who so pulleth out this sword is the rightwise king born of all England • The legend of King Arthur ASIA From the great heaven the goddess set her mind on the great below • The descent of Inanna Command and bring about annihilation and re-creation • Marduk and Tiamat Who can rival his kingly standing? • The epic of Gilgamesh Two spirits, one good, the other evil, in thought, word, and deed • Ahura Mazda and Ahriman Brahma opened his eyes and realised he was alone • Brahma creates the cosmos Siva placed the elephant’s head on the torso and revived the boy • The birth of Ganesha O king, it is wrong to gamble oneself • The game of dice Rama is virtuous and the foremost among all righteous men • The Ramayana I am the lady, ruler of the worlds • Durga slays the buffalo demon O! Meenakshi! Fish-eyed goddess! Grant me bliss! • The fish-eyed goddess finds a husband You are to be the king over all the world • The origins of the Baiga Yang became the heavens Yin became the earth • Pangu and the creation of the world The ten suns all rose at once, scorching the sheaves of grain • Yi shoots the sun I’ll roam the corners of the oceans and go to the edge of the sky • The adventures of the Monkey King Having finished making the lands, they went on to make its spirits • Izanagi and Izanami All manner of calamities arose everywhere • Susanoo and Amaterasu Your rice of the Skyworld is good • Fire and rice There was a man called Dan’gun Wanggeom who created a city and founded a nation • The legendary foundation of Korea Hae Mosu made the sun shine and its rays caressed Yuwha’s body • Jumong THE AMERICAS The Earth is a giant island floating in a sea of water • Cherokee creation It will not be well if they omit it • Spider Woman Begin a Deerskin Dance for it because everything will come out well from that • The Woge settle a dispute She was the shade of the whale • The raven and the whale And the sun belongs to one and the moon to the other • The Hero Twins So then the sun went into the sky • The legend of the five suns In the beginning, and before this world was created, there was a being called Viracocha • Viracocha the Creator The canoe was a wonder • The first canoe The creator of the world has always existed • The sky makes the sun and earth ANCIENT EGYPT AND AFRICA I was alone with the Primeval Ocean • The creation and the first gods Hail to you, Ra, perfect each day! • The night barque of Ra Isis lived in the form of a woman, who had the knowledge of words of power • Ra’s secret name He will not die! Osiris will live a life forever • Osiris and the underworld If they built fires, evil would come • San creation myth I will give you something called cattle • En-kai and the cattle Tie the calabash behind you and then you will be able to climb the tree • Ananse the spider The life-force of the earth is water • The Dogon cosmos The queen wants to kill you • Eshu the trickster OCEANIA Come and hear our stories, see our land • The Dreaming Spear me slowly. I still have more to teach you • The killing of Luma-Luma The world of myth is never far-off • The Déma Master of everything that is • Ta’aroa gives birth to the gods Death obtained power over mankind • Tane and Hine-titama But the redoubtable Maui was not to be discouraged • Maui of a thousand tricks What would you say to our driving the birds to Easter Island? • Makemake and Haua When I utter his name, he hears in the heavens • Mapusia and the Work of the Gods I do not forget the guiding stars • Aluluei and the art of navigation DIRECTORY INDEX CONTRIBUTERS QUOTE ATTRIBUTIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS COPYRIGHT