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Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of Chivalry / Legends of Charlemagne
For almost a century and a half, Bulfinch's Mythology has been the text by which the great tales of the gods and goddesses, Greek and Roman antiquity; Scandinavian, Celtic, and Oriental fables and myths; and the age of chivalry have been known.
The stories are divided into three sections: The Age of Fable or Stories of Gods and Heroes (first published in 1855); The Age of Chivalry (1858), which contains King Arthur and His Knights, The Mabinogeon, and The Knights of English History; and Legends of Charlemagne or Romance of the Middle Ages (1863). For the Greek myths, Bulfinch drew on Ovid and Virgil, and for the sagas of the north, from Mallet's Northern Antiquities. He provides lively versions of the myths of Zeus and Hera, Venus and Adonis, Daphne and Apollo, and their cohorts on Mount Olympus; the love story of Pygmalion and Galatea; the legends of the Trojan War and the epic wanderings of Ulysses and Aeneas; the joys of Valhalla and the furies of Thor; and the tales of Beowulf and Robin Hood.
The tales are eminently readable. As Bulfinch wrote, "Without a knowledge of mythology much of the elegant literature of our own language cannot be understood and appreciated. . . . Our book is an attempt to solve this problem, by telling the stories of mythology in such a manner as to make them a source of amusement."
Thomas Bulfinch, in his day job, was a clerk in the Merchant's Bank of Boston, an undemanding position that afforded him ample leisure time in which to pursue his other interests. In addition to serving as secretary of the Boston Society of Natural History, he thoroughly researched the myths and legends and copiously cross-referenced them withliterature and art. As such, the myths are an indispensable guide to the cultural values of the nineteenth century; however, it is the vigor of the stories themselves that returns generation after generation to Bulfinch.
The stories are divided into three sections: The Age of Fable or Stories of Gods and Heroes (first published in 1855); The Age of Chivalry (1858), which contains King Arthur and His Knights, The Mabinogeon, and The Knights of English History; and Legends of Charlemagne or Romance of the Middle Ages (1863). For the Greek myths, Bulfinch drew on Ovid and Virgil, and for the sagas of the north, from Mallet's Northern Antiquities. He provides lively versions of the myths of Zeus and Hera, Venus and Adonis, Daphne and Apollo, and their cohorts on Mount Olympus; the love story of Pygmalion and Galatea; the legends of the Trojan War and the epic wanderings of Ulysses and Aeneas; the joys of Valhalla and the furies of Thor; and the tales of Beowulf and Robin Hood.
The tales are eminently readable. As Bulfinch wrote, "Without a knowledge of mythology much of the elegant literature of our own language cannot be understood and appreciated. . . . Our book is an attempt to solve this problem, by telling the stories of mythology in such a manner as to make them a source of amusement."
Thomas Bulfinch, in his day job, was a clerk in the Merchant's Bank of Boston, an undemanding position that afforded him ample leisure time in which to pursue his other interests. In addition to serving as secretary of the Boston Society of Natural History, he thoroughly researched the myths and legends and copiously cross-referenced them withliterature and art. As such, the myths are an indispensable guide to the cultural values of the nineteenth century; however, it is the vigor of the stories themselves that returns generation after generation to Bulfinch.
Library Binding
First published January 1, 1855
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About the author
Thomas Bulfinch
303 books118 followersThomas Bulfinch was an American writer born in Newton, Massachusetts, best known for the book Bulfinch's Mythology.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 16, 2025
review to come. much like Colson, I have raging senioritis and 0 motivation. at least I can finally give this one back to mr. Davis.
June 18, 2009
Marvelous stuff. Oddly enough, Roland was a more popular character in Italy than France, so he appears as "Orlando" in most of the legends.
March 13, 2019
Language of edition: Russian
+ Уникальный в своем роде сборник рыцарских легенд, переложенный автором на более понятный язык для современника.
+ Приятный слог, который легко читается, несмотря на то что книга написана в позапрошлом веке. Сам автор старается сохранить стилистику преданий прошлого, что ему удается.
+ Обилие информации: читатель, не сведущий в средневековом фольклоре узнает для себя много нового даже о таких известных героях, как Артур из Камелота.
+ Дополнительные исторические справки от автора помогают лучше понять изложенные рассказы.
+ Уникальный в своем роде сборник рыцарских легенд, переложенный автором на более понятный язык для современника.
+ Приятный слог, который легко читается, несмотря на то что книга написана в позапрошлом веке. Сам автор старается сохранить стилистику преданий прошлого, что ему удается.
+ Обилие информации: читатель, не сведущий в средневековом фольклоре узнает для себя много нового даже о таких известных героях, как Артур из Камелота.
+ Дополнительные исторические справки от автора помогают лучше понять изложенные рассказы.
July 18, 2019
A fascinating read, particularly the selections from the Mabinogion and the Legends of Charlemagne.
February 8, 2021
dull, hard to read, very abbreviated.
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September 8, 2009J291.1Bul
October 3, 2012
I just couldn't get in to it. Too much like a college textbook.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews