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An examination of the traditional stories from the world's important mythologies. The book analyzes the expression of such serious concerns as the creation of the universe and of human life, the evolution of society, and agricultural fertility cycles.
847 pages
First published January 1, 1965
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About the author
Pierre Grimal
188 books37 followersAdmitted to the École Normale Supérieure in 1933, and receiving a third in the "Agrégation des lettres" in 1935, he was member of the French School at Rome (1935-1937) then taught Latin at a Rennes lycée. Then he was active as a professor of Roman civilization at the faculties of Caen and Bordeaux, and finally at the Sorbonne for thirty years.
He published studies on the Roman civilization, of which many volumes to the "Que sais-je?" series, and translations of Latin classical authors (Cicero, Seneca the Younger, Tacitus, Plautus, Terence). On his retirement, he also published biographies and fictionalized histories (Mémoires d’Agrippine, le procès Néron), more intended for the general public.
At the end of his life, he campaigned for the safeguarding of literary teaching.
Source
He published studies on the Roman civilization, of which many volumes to the "Que sais-je?" series, and translations of Latin classical authors (Cicero, Seneca the Younger, Tacitus, Plautus, Terence). On his retirement, he also published biographies and fictionalized histories (Mémoires d’Agrippine, le procès Néron), more intended for the general public.
At the end of his life, he campaigned for the safeguarding of literary teaching.
Source
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 6, 2011
This Excalibur publishers full cloth edition scared the hades out of its previous owner apparently and I quote written in a crimson cursive, "Satan, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus and bid you here on earth as you are in heaven. God's truth is there now and forever and shall NOT be mocked."
So, barring all the satan rebuker's highlighting and annecdotal scribbling, I'm enthralled to have this mind-bendingly beautiful book edited by Pierre Grimal, Professor at the Sorbonne!
WTF, is myth... American Indian, King Arthur, Neolithic stone earth mother goddesses or the near East dragons? If we could but grasp a fraction of what went down in Sumer, Babylon, Egypt and the rest of Mesopotamia not excluding the Assyrians, Hittites, or Phoenicians muchless the Indians, other Persians and Greeks, we would be struck dead from shear information overload but alas, leave it to the French to put it all together in a treasury that very well may keep me busy reading, thinking and debating for the rest of my life.
So, barring all the satan rebuker's highlighting and annecdotal scribbling, I'm enthralled to have this mind-bendingly beautiful book edited by Pierre Grimal, Professor at the Sorbonne!
WTF, is myth... American Indian, King Arthur, Neolithic stone earth mother goddesses or the near East dragons? If we could but grasp a fraction of what went down in Sumer, Babylon, Egypt and the rest of Mesopotamia not excluding the Assyrians, Hittites, or Phoenicians muchless the Indians, other Persians and Greeks, we would be struck dead from shear information overload but alas, leave it to the French to put it all together in a treasury that very well may keep me busy reading, thinking and debating for the rest of my life.
September 10, 2016
Gorgeous. One of my favourite acquisitions of 2016.
Okay, I'm exaggerating - somewhat. This was put together in France in 1963, so does not reflect the last half-century of scholarship. Europe gets the bulk of the book, followed by East Asia, with smaller sections at the end for the New World and Africa. But, then again, I would expect an equivalent book published in, say, Kenya to be exactly the same in reverse, so how can I complain?
A wonderful book that discusses, in the introduction, the problems of prehistoric religions, and acknowledges that the vicissitudes of history also play their role in the critical lacunae of the Americas and Australia: literary cultures in Europe and East Asia simply left more complex details of their mythologies and - in some cases - simply had more (often needlessly) complex mythologies because of these generations of literate people.
Anyhow, this is an exquisite book on the subject, with each of the 546 pages packed with information. No extraneous chatter here, no attempts to fill out pages with anything less than research and thought-provoking discussion. And a decent bibliography rounds out the package.
Okay, I'm exaggerating - somewhat. This was put together in France in 1963, so does not reflect the last half-century of scholarship. Europe gets the bulk of the book, followed by East Asia, with smaller sections at the end for the New World and Africa. But, then again, I would expect an equivalent book published in, say, Kenya to be exactly the same in reverse, so how can I complain?
A wonderful book that discusses, in the introduction, the problems of prehistoric religions, and acknowledges that the vicissitudes of history also play their role in the critical lacunae of the Americas and Australia: literary cultures in Europe and East Asia simply left more complex details of their mythologies and - in some cases - simply had more (often needlessly) complex mythologies because of these generations of literate people.
Anyhow, this is an exquisite book on the subject, with each of the 546 pages packed with information. No extraneous chatter here, no attempts to fill out pages with anything less than research and thought-provoking discussion. And a decent bibliography rounds out the package.
November 14, 2018
A very good introduction to mythology. Clearly "eurocentric", leaves a lot behind, being very short in the Americas and Africa. It is already aged, being the first edition from 1965.
Anyway, it was my own introductory material to a wide view about mythology, and I'm always thankful to it (and to my parents, who gave it to me).
Anyway, it was my own introductory material to a wide view about mythology, and I'm always thankful to it (and to my parents, who gave it to me).
April 22, 2021
I actually read an even older version from the 60s. So some of the analysis might be a little dated but getting the general picture and trend of mythology around the world, both the variety and constancy, I found beneficial to my better understanding the human condition.
June 12, 2016
Many illustrations. Most in b&w. The entries are quite reasonably informative. Can also be dipped into just for fun.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews