Il passato leggendario Serie

Analyse en hervertellingen van de bekendste Oudnoorse Mythen.

Příběhy obsažené v této knize většinou vycházejí z hinduistické tradice a vyskytuje se v nich mocná bohyně Durgá, jejíž svátek se slaví každý podzim; mladý bůh Kršna, v Bengálsku proslulý svým erotickým flirtováním; archetypální král Ráma; a lidová bohyně Manasá a Čandí. Autor se také zabývá příběhy o svatých, například Gazi Pírov, který do oblasti delty přinesl islám. Legenda o něm je částečně vyobrazená v jednom z nejkrásnějších a nejdelších dochovaných vypravěčských svitcích. Všechny příběhy přispěly do pulsující směsi Bengálska a jsou ilustrovány ukázkami z pozoruhodné sbírky Britského muzea.

A vast legacy of powerful creative writing was revealed when nineteenth-century scholars managed to decipher the mysterious wedge-shaped symbols of cuneiform script, inscribed on clay tablets over 5,000 years ago by the ancient Mesopotamians. Strikingly familiar themes emerged, forcing the Victorian world to review its belief in the Bible as the sole source of literal truth. Imagine the impact of the Epic of Gilgamesh -- the saga of a man in search of the secret of eternal life -- which includes scenes of a flood predating the story of Noah and the Ark. In contrast, an alternative version of human origins is described in the Mesopotamian Epic of Creation, while the tale of Etana foreshadows the Greek myth of Ganymede. These and other stories are here retold, based on the latest translations, and illustrated with the works of both contemporary and later artists inspired by the rediscovery of these ancient characters and themes. Not only are the myths a foundation of our Western literary tradition, they are also compelling stories in their own right.

Here retold in all their dramatic power are some of the most exciting and influential of all Greek myths: the epic struggle of the Trojan War, the wanderings of Odysseus, the tragic destiny of Oedipus, and the heroic adventures of Herakles, Theseus, Perseus, and Jason. The author introduces the complex pantheon of Olympian gods and goddesses, describing their attributes, genealogies, and often comic relationships, and illustrates the personalities and their stories by drawing upon the artistry of the ancient culture which created them. A concluding chapter reviews the powerful and continuing imaginative legacy of Greek myth, from Botticelli to Freud.

Báje a mýty, které vznikaly na území Ruska, kdy do Kyjevské Rusi začalo pronikat křesťanství a smíchalo se s pohanskými bohy.

Příručka shrnuje základní příběhy, archetypy a motivy čínské mytologie. Mýty jsou uspořádány do kapitol podle témat (např. stvoření světa, božský kosmos, mýty o katastrofách, bájná flora a fauna) a jsou zasazeny do kontextu světové mytologie.

I miti aztechi e maya derivano da una tradizione culturale mesoamericana condivisa, ancora viva oggi. Molti dei motivi e delle divinità menzionati nelle fonti antiche sono evocati nel folklore contemporaneo del Messico e del Guatemala. Il professor Taube analizza le diverse fonti per i miti aztechi e maya. L'impero azteco iniziò meno di 200 anni prima della conquista spagnola, e la nostra conoscenza della loro mitologia deriva principalmente da documenti coloniali nativi e manoscritti commissionati dagli spagnoli. La mitologia maya è molto più antica e la nostra comprensione proviene principalmente da manoscritti nativi del periodo classico, oltre 600 anni prima della conquista spagnola. Basandosi su queste fonti, così come su scavi e ricerche del XIX e XX secolo, inclusa l'interpretazione dei codici e la decifrazione della scrittura geroglifica maya, l'autore discute, tra le altre cose, i miti del Popol Vuh dei maya, il mito del diluvio del Yucatán settentrionale e i miti di creazione aztechi.

The myths of the Romans are stories not about the gods but about the Romans themselves. Writers such as Livy, Virgil and Ovid presented myths as if they were actual histories of the origins and early days of Rome.

The rich panorama of ancient Egyptian mythology has survived through tomb paintings, temple inscriptions, and papyri. This account begins with the creation legends of Heliopolis, Memphis, and Hermopolis and illustrates the intellectual struggles of the Egyptians to explain the beginning of the world. The myths that follow range from stories about the gods—the murder of Osiris and vengeance of Horus, Isis and the seven scorpions, Sakhmet and the virtual slaughter of mankind—to fables such as the Shipwrecked Sailor and the Enchanted Island. Through these delightful and often amusing tales, we can appreciate more fully the beliefs and imagination of the ancient Egyptians.

As well as vividly exploring the tales, the author brings her expertise in the archaeology of the Iron Age and particularly shamanism to bear on the mythical worlds she describes, with evidence as diverse as the Gundestrup Cauldron and the famous bog bodies. She also asks how the myths survived the Christianization of Europe.

The Etruscan culture flourished for nearly 1000 years, playing an important part in the history of the Mediterranean alongside the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans. This title explores their legacy in mythology and beliefs, as well as Etruscan art, which includes interpretations of scenes from Greek mythology.