The Truth of Myth: World Mythology in Theory and Everyday Life

Description

The Truth of Myth is a thorough and accessible introduction to the study of myth, surveying the intellectual history of the topic, methods for studying myth cross-culturally, and emerging trends. Readers will encounter insightful commentaries on such questions as: What is the relation of mythology to religion? To science? To popular culture? Did the events recounted in myths actually occur? Why does the term "myth" have so many contradictory definitions and connotations? Offering serious students with an intellectual "toolkit" for launching into this fascinating field, the book is especially useful in conjunction with case studies of individual mythological traditions. Cover Series The Truth of Myth Copyright Contents Prologue Introduction: A World Made of Myth 1. Definitions and Starting Points 2. Highlights in the History of Mythological Research 3. Studying Mythology Comparatively 4. Some Current Trends Conclusion: Moving Forward with Myth Glossary Works Cited Index