What do you think?
Rate this book
Η μυθολογία των Ελλήνων
Ο Κερένυϊ γεννήθηκε το 1897 στην Ουγγαρία και πέθανε το 1973 στην Ελβετία όπου ζούσε από το 1943. Έγραψε τα περισσότερα έργα του στα γερμανικά. Υπάρχουν όμως ενδιαφέροντα μελετήματα που είναι άγνωστα στη Δύση. Το έργο του Κερένυϊ πάνω στην αρχαιότητα είναι σημαντικό όχι μόνο στον Δυτικό αλλά και στον παγκόσμιο ορίζοντα. Το έργο αυτό δεν ήταν δουλειά ενός φιλολόγου του γράμματος και των τύπων, αλλά η δουλειά ενός άριστου αρχιμάστορα, που βίωνε και εξέφραζε με πάθος το πνεύμα των αρχαίων κειμένων.
659 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1958
81 people are currently reading
730 people want to read
About the author
Karl Kerényi
102 books123 followersKároly (Carl, Karl) Kerényi, Ph.D., (University of Budapest, 1919), was one of the founders of modern studies in Greek Mythology, and professor of classical studies and history of religion at the Universities of Szeged and Pécs, Hungary.
Karl Kerenyi is also published under the names Carl Kerenyi and Károly Kerényi, in French as Charles Kerényi and in Italian as Carlo Kerényi.
Karl Kerenyi is also published under the names Carl Kerenyi and Károly Kerényi, in French as Charles Kerényi and in Italian as Carlo Kerényi.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 8, 2023
Η πιο αναλυτική και εξονυχτιστική εξέταση της ελληνικής μυθολογίας που έχω διαβάσει. Ο Κερένυι παραθέτει ολόκληρο το σώμα των μύθων αντλώντας από πλήθος πηγών (που παραθέτει με εξαντλητική συνέπεια), πολλάκις αντικρουόμενων, παραδίδοντας σχεδόν κάθε γνωστή εκδοχή για κάθε συμβάν. Ιλιγγιώδες έργο, πυκνό και δυσανάγνωστο, που δεν προτίνεται για πρώτη (ή τουριστική) επαφή με την ελληνική μυθολογία, παρά μονάχα για τον μελετητή και όποιον θέλει να έχει μια πλήρη και σφαιρική εικόνα, μαζί με πλήρη βιβλιογραφία. Αυτό που δεν προσπαθεί να κάνει είναι έννοιες και πλήρεις αφηγήσεις για οποιονδήποτε μύθο, με την έννοια του να συγκεράσει στοιχεία για να βγει μια ικανοποιητική ιστορία. Έχω κρατήσει πολυπληθείς σημειώσεις, για γεγονότα και λεπτομέρειες που είτε δεν ήξερα, είτε είχα ξεχάσει, κάτι που από μόνο του άξιζε τους σχεδόν τρεις μήνες που κράτησε η ανάγνωση.
Το βιβλίο χωρίζεται σε δύο μέρη, του Θεούς και τους Ήρωες. Όσον αφορά το δεύτερο, έχει ενδιαφέρον η εξέταση των περισσότερων ηρώων ως αρχέτυπα για τη μάχη και νίκη επί του θανάτου - ο Κερένυι ανάγει πολλούς από τους άθλους και τα συναρπαστικά γεγονότα των ηρώων σε θανατομαχικές διηγήσεις.
Το βιβλίο χωρίζεται σε δύο μέρη, του Θεούς και τους Ήρωες. Όσον αφορά το δεύτερο, έχει ενδιαφέρον η εξέταση των περισσότερων ηρώων ως αρχέτυπα για τη μάχη και νίκη επί του θανάτου - ο Κερένυι ανάγει πολλούς από τους άθλους και τα συναρπαστικά γεγονότα των ηρώων σε θανατομαχικές διηγήσεις.
June 13, 2017
Cosa non è questo libro? Che capolavoro, avrei continuato a leggerlo all'infinito.
March 14, 2021
Diese Entscheidung ist mir sehr schwer gefallen!
Ich habe dieses Buch mit Freunden bis Seite 80 gelesen.
Ich habe viel Geld für dieses Buch gezahlt und bin (auch durch ein anderes Buch) zum Entschluss gekommen, nicht auch noch meine Lebenszeit zu verschwenden.
Es mag sein, dass dieses Buch bestimmt für all diejenigen toll sein wird, die bereits gute Grundkenntnisse haben, aber für einen Anfänger ist das Buch wahnsinnig unübersichtlich.
1. Zu viele Namen! Es interessiert keinen Anfänger, unter welchen 5 Namen ein Gott/Göttin (oder was weiß ich) noch bekannt ist. Entscheide dich! Lege dich bitte auf EINEN Namen fest (den Bekanntesten von allen). Die Namen wurden auch mal bunt durchmischt verwendet.
2. Ich bin nicht in der Lage, mir jedes Detail zu merken! Eine Chronologie wäre sehr hilfreich. Vor allem bei so VIELEN Namen.
3. Manche Seiten wurden NUR mit Namen gefüllt. - Keine Story.
4. Hochtrabende Sprache.
5. Es wurde nicht zwischen wichtigen und unwichtigen Informationen differenziert. (Für mich.)
Ich hatte so hohe Erwartungen aufgrund der Bewertungen.😩
Ich habe dieses Buch mit Freunden bis Seite 80 gelesen.
Ich habe viel Geld für dieses Buch gezahlt und bin (auch durch ein anderes Buch) zum Entschluss gekommen, nicht auch noch meine Lebenszeit zu verschwenden.
Es mag sein, dass dieses Buch bestimmt für all diejenigen toll sein wird, die bereits gute Grundkenntnisse haben, aber für einen Anfänger ist das Buch wahnsinnig unübersichtlich.
1. Zu viele Namen! Es interessiert keinen Anfänger, unter welchen 5 Namen ein Gott/Göttin (oder was weiß ich) noch bekannt ist. Entscheide dich! Lege dich bitte auf EINEN Namen fest (den Bekanntesten von allen). Die Namen wurden auch mal bunt durchmischt verwendet.
2. Ich bin nicht in der Lage, mir jedes Detail zu merken! Eine Chronologie wäre sehr hilfreich. Vor allem bei so VIELEN Namen.
3. Manche Seiten wurden NUR mit Namen gefüllt. - Keine Story.
4. Hochtrabende Sprache.
5. Es wurde nicht zwischen wichtigen und unwichtigen Informationen differenziert. (Für mich.)
Ich hatte so hohe Erwartungen aufgrund der Bewertungen.😩
August 24, 2018
La grandezza di questo libro -che ammetto, avevo in casa da anni e sempre usato come enciclopedia, mai letto per intero prima- è il saper condensare un lavoro di ricerca davvero titanico in una narrazione comunque coinvolgente e mai noiosa.
La grandezza di Kerenyi sta nel riuscire a raccogliere ed esporre più versioni, rendendo davvero l'idea del mito come qualcosa di vivo, cangiante, non una narrazione fissa, morta e dogmatica come spesso si pensa.
Unica nota negativa: possiedo l'edizione del Saggiatore, che necessiterebbe davvero di una nuova revisione. Ci sono troppe virgole tra soggetto e predicato, troppe per pensare a sviste momentanee.
La grandezza di Kerenyi sta nel riuscire a raccogliere ed esporre più versioni, rendendo davvero l'idea del mito come qualcosa di vivo, cangiante, non una narrazione fissa, morta e dogmatica come spesso si pensa.
Unica nota negativa: possiedo l'edizione del Saggiatore, che necessiterebbe davvero di una nuova revisione. Ci sono troppe virgole tra soggetto e predicato, troppe per pensare a sviste momentanee.
November 13, 2017
Αν θέλουμε να λέμε πως γνωρίζουμε την ελληνική μυθολογία θα πρέπει να έχουμε διαβάσει αυτό το βιβλίο ώστε να γνωρίσουμε τους μύθους όπως πραγματικά είναι, αφού η σχολική εκδοχή τους είναι αρκετά "εξευγενισμένη" επειδή απευθύνεται σε παιδιά, και να μάθουμε ποιο το νόημα πίσω από αυτούς. Ένα εξαιρετικό βιβλίο!
March 7, 2016
O Τόμας Μαν, σύμφωνα με το οπισθόφυλλο, αποκάλεσε αυτό το βιβλίο "θησαυρό από ιστορίες... από ένα σοφό πλάι στον οποίο δεν μπορεί να σταθεί άλλος". Έχοντας διαβάσει τη "Μυθολογία των Ελλήνων" δεν μπορώ παρά να συμφωνήσω. Ο Κερένυϊ είναι ένας από τους πιο μεθοδικούς συγγραφείς που έχω διαβάσει ποτέ μου. Δεν μπορώ καν να φανταστώ πόση δουλειά θα χρειάστηκε να χαρτογραφήσει κανείς σε τέτοιο βαθμό λεπτομέρειας την αρχαία ελληνική μυθολογία, και να την παρουσιάσει με τέτοιο υπέροχο αφηγηματικό ύφος, αποφεύγοντας να ακουστεί "στεγνός" και ακαδημαϊκός. Δεν υπάρχει ιστορία που να μην καλύπτεται εξαντλητικά μέσα στο βιβλίο, κι αυτό είναι ίσως το μοναδικό αναπόφευκτο αρνητικό του. Είναι τόσο μεγάλο και λεπτομερές που εξαντλεί. Όπως και να έχει, χρωστάμε ένα μεγάλο ευχαριστώ στον Κερένυϊ, τόσο ως Έλληνες όσο και ως αναγνώστες. Μακάρι να μεταφραστούν εν καιρώ και τα υπόλοιπα έργα του στη γλώσσα μας. Το ήθελε, μας λέει ο μεταφραστής, και ο ίδιος.
Να μην ξεχάσω να προσθέσω ότι η βιβλιοδεσία της "Εστίας" είναι εξαιρετική, και η μετάφραση του Δημήτρη Σταθόπουλου ιδανική για το έργο.
Να μην ξεχάσω να προσθέσω ότι η βιβλιοδεσία της "Εστίας" είναι εξαιρετική, και η μετάφραση του Δημήτρη Σταθόπουλου ιδανική για το έργο.
March 5, 2017
Mi mancherà molto questa lettura. :( Eccezionale lavoro di ricerca storica, filosofica e filologica.
July 7, 2024
Le due stelle non sono per l'opera in sé, ma per la traduzione pessima, al limite dell'illeggibile.
May 9, 2023
Es ist einfach ZU VIEL auf EINMAL.
Namen über Namen, Orte über Orte. Der Onkel der Tante der Schwester der Oma (if you know what i mean). Nimmt man zb das Medusa Kapitel, lernt man nicht, wie man vielleicht meinen würde, etwas über Medusa aber über ihren Vater, ihre Mutter, die Geschwister und mit wem sie noch verwand ist. Dazu gibt es sehr viele Alias (was alles nur noch komplizierter macht). Auch werden verschiedene Stories erwähnt, viele nie ganz.
Ich bin wahrscheinlich zu dumm für dieses Buch oder habe nicht die Aufmerksamkeitsspanne die man braucht, keine Ahnung. Bitte nur lesen wenn man schon (relativ) viel über griechische Mythology weiss.
Namen über Namen, Orte über Orte. Der Onkel der Tante der Schwester der Oma (if you know what i mean). Nimmt man zb das Medusa Kapitel, lernt man nicht, wie man vielleicht meinen würde, etwas über Medusa aber über ihren Vater, ihre Mutter, die Geschwister und mit wem sie noch verwand ist. Dazu gibt es sehr viele Alias (was alles nur noch komplizierter macht). Auch werden verschiedene Stories erwähnt, viele nie ganz.
Ich bin wahrscheinlich zu dumm für dieses Buch oder habe nicht die Aufmerksamkeitsspanne die man braucht, keine Ahnung. Bitte nur lesen wenn man schon (relativ) viel über griechische Mythology weiss.
February 11, 2024
Anyone who aspires to culture will want to arrive at a just appreciation of the significance of the phenomenon of mythology. Many of us will have become familiar with the old tales of the gods, goddesses and heroes as children, but they can certainly repay our mature consideration, as adults. For at the least, they reveal something about what it means to be a human being, and what is more – as we shall recur to below in this review – they could offer a window into divine things as well, even if only indirectly. Owing to the historical accident of the central geographical placement of the Mediterranean Sea, the classical Graeco-Roman mythology happens to be among the best attested among the leading civilizations, a great mass of material before which one has to harbor a due respect.
The present work by the noted twentieth-century Hungarian scholar Karl Kerényi, Die Mythologie der Griechen: Götter, Menschen & Heroen (Klett-Cotta, first published in 1951 resp. 1958, latest edition, 2021) promises to accompany one as a trustworthy guide, as he seeks to assimilate the profusion of literary remains and to inculcate a deeper understanding of them. Advantages: Kerényi is nothing if not thorough. He knows all the written sources and, where needful, complements them by citing evidence from vase painting, numismatics and architecture. His method is to recount in paraphrase all the major incidents in the cycle of Greek myth, along with any variants. What is invaluable, in comparison, say, with Edith Hamilton’s less comprehensive account, is the scholarly perspective Kerényi brings to bear. For he will ordinarily begin each chapter by framing the context with a high-level description of what he is about to cover, in which he may advert to precedents in the mythology of earlier civilizations of the ancient near East or point out what is distinctive about the matter at hand, i.e., what we can learn from it about the specifically Greek mentality.
Three stars: by no means just a bald or workmanlike retelling of the traditional material, the way Kerényi glosses the incidents in his version of the familiar narratives, characterizing them through his erudite observations of a geographical, archaeological or psychological nature, always proves helpful to a better appreciation of the myth itself. For instance, this reviewer once read Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica before, but there was nothing either in the original text or in the introduction to the translation of it in the Penguin Classics version to alert him to how the original audience must have conceived of the adventure. The destination of Jason’s voyage to retrieve the golden fleece was Colchis, at at the extreme eastern end of the Black Sea; Kerényi points out that, to the contemporary Greeks living around the Aegean Sea, going there would have meant much more than it could to us today, who might be accustomed to board a jet to fly to some other longitude and latitude on the globe, but represents a venture into the great unknown, almost, as it were, into a realm beyond the land of the living. Many of the stories of the other heroes, such as Heracles, possess a similar character which no doubt contributed to their appeal. For an analogous phenomenon in the present day, maybe one could look to imaginative science fiction movies.
There is, on the other hand, little if anything in the way of theoretical analysis in Kerényi. His work is intended merely as a paraphrase and commentary to aid comprehension, not, perchance, as an evaluation of what the modern scholar might extract from the myths in order to learn about human psychology or about the nature of polytheism as a theological system. Another thing: what Kerényi gives us are really annotated plot summaries with occasional quotations, not the full story replete with dialogue. A subject as popular as Greek mythology continues to inspire numerous adaptations among writers today, who may weave in more circumstantial detail and regale us with more verve and literary effect. Thus, Kerényi’s two volumes are certainly worth a read through to round out one’s knowledge of Greek mythology but maybe not the ideal place to learn the myths for the first time? To pursue an informed perspective on the pagan mentality behind the myths, moreover, one will want to turn to the extant Homeric hymns or Pindar’s Odes themselves, where a pagan religiosity comes to the fore far more so than in the abundance of colorful stories in the cycle of myths – the invention of which evidently belongs to a secondary phenomenon of mythopoetic consciousness.
The present work by the noted twentieth-century Hungarian scholar Karl Kerényi, Die Mythologie der Griechen: Götter, Menschen & Heroen (Klett-Cotta, first published in 1951 resp. 1958, latest edition, 2021) promises to accompany one as a trustworthy guide, as he seeks to assimilate the profusion of literary remains and to inculcate a deeper understanding of them. Advantages: Kerényi is nothing if not thorough. He knows all the written sources and, where needful, complements them by citing evidence from vase painting, numismatics and architecture. His method is to recount in paraphrase all the major incidents in the cycle of Greek myth, along with any variants. What is invaluable, in comparison, say, with Edith Hamilton’s less comprehensive account, is the scholarly perspective Kerényi brings to bear. For he will ordinarily begin each chapter by framing the context with a high-level description of what he is about to cover, in which he may advert to precedents in the mythology of earlier civilizations of the ancient near East or point out what is distinctive about the matter at hand, i.e., what we can learn from it about the specifically Greek mentality.
Three stars: by no means just a bald or workmanlike retelling of the traditional material, the way Kerényi glosses the incidents in his version of the familiar narratives, characterizing them through his erudite observations of a geographical, archaeological or psychological nature, always proves helpful to a better appreciation of the myth itself. For instance, this reviewer once read Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica before, but there was nothing either in the original text or in the introduction to the translation of it in the Penguin Classics version to alert him to how the original audience must have conceived of the adventure. The destination of Jason’s voyage to retrieve the golden fleece was Colchis, at at the extreme eastern end of the Black Sea; Kerényi points out that, to the contemporary Greeks living around the Aegean Sea, going there would have meant much more than it could to us today, who might be accustomed to board a jet to fly to some other longitude and latitude on the globe, but represents a venture into the great unknown, almost, as it were, into a realm beyond the land of the living. Many of the stories of the other heroes, such as Heracles, possess a similar character which no doubt contributed to their appeal. For an analogous phenomenon in the present day, maybe one could look to imaginative science fiction movies.
There is, on the other hand, little if anything in the way of theoretical analysis in Kerényi. His work is intended merely as a paraphrase and commentary to aid comprehension, not, perchance, as an evaluation of what the modern scholar might extract from the myths in order to learn about human psychology or about the nature of polytheism as a theological system. Another thing: what Kerényi gives us are really annotated plot summaries with occasional quotations, not the full story replete with dialogue. A subject as popular as Greek mythology continues to inspire numerous adaptations among writers today, who may weave in more circumstantial detail and regale us with more verve and literary effect. Thus, Kerényi’s two volumes are certainly worth a read through to round out one’s knowledge of Greek mythology but maybe not the ideal place to learn the myths for the first time? To pursue an informed perspective on the pagan mentality behind the myths, moreover, one will want to turn to the extant Homeric hymns or Pindar’s Odes themselves, where a pagan religiosity comes to the fore far more so than in the abundance of colorful stories in the cycle of myths – the invention of which evidently belongs to a secondary phenomenon of mythopoetic consciousness.
September 10, 2023
Imagine you want to learn about the gods.
So you visit the oracle. As they are munching their shrooms and leaves of daphne they invite you in to the back halls that are full of tablets from different times and different lands, some written as esoteric texts and some written as post-it notes. Time to arrange them and make some sense out of these fragmented stories. Etymology and archaeology are the tools of the day.
Not for the faint of heart and definitely contra to the fairy tale popularized mythology book crowd - “hurr durr Zeus the sex offender I saw it in the marvel movie and god of war”. You will come to understand the anthropomorphic nature of the gods and heroes.
Without a doubt the most challenging book I have read in recent years, but worth it.
So you visit the oracle. As they are munching their shrooms and leaves of daphne they invite you in to the back halls that are full of tablets from different times and different lands, some written as esoteric texts and some written as post-it notes. Time to arrange them and make some sense out of these fragmented stories. Etymology and archaeology are the tools of the day.
Not for the faint of heart and definitely contra to the fairy tale popularized mythology book crowd - “hurr durr Zeus the sex offender I saw it in the marvel movie and god of war”. You will come to understand the anthropomorphic nature of the gods and heroes.
Without a doubt the most challenging book I have read in recent years, but worth it.
March 23, 2025
Un saggio estremamente tecnico che ripercorre i miti degli dei greci e degli eroi. Pur essendo molto dettagliato e particolareggiato e scritto molto bene, ho trovato difficoltoso a tratti riuscire a discriminare i diversi aspetti di uno stesso mito, in quanto per onestà intellettuale sono state inserite le diverse interpretazioni del mito nel corso del tempo. Ho apprezzato molto gli alberi genealogici degli eroi al termine del libro, per questo avrei preferito che fosse presente anche un albero genealogico degli dei e dei figli da essi generati, oltre che un piccolo glossario/descrizione relativo a ciascun personaggio. In generale, un libro esaustivo e utile per comprendere in parte la cultura greca, tuttavia richiede una lettura lenta per assorbire i concetti e lasciarli depositare.
January 12, 2022
Es fiel mir mega schwer, dass Buch zu bewerten, da ich mich soo sehr darauf gefreut hatte, aber dann doch ziemlich enttäuscht wurde. Für Personen die zwar bereits Berührungspunkte mit der Griechischen Mythologie hatten, aber nicht allzu tief, ist es eher weniger empfehlenswert 😅 Wie oft stand da « wie man weiß « und ich dachte mir nein, woher bitte? 😂
Außerdem war mir die Gestaltung viel zu chaotisch. Es sprang von einem Gott zum nächsten, um dann wieder zum vorherigen Gott zurückzukehren nur um dann bei jemand komplett anderem zu landen. Natürlich war es informativ und ich konnte ein wenig dazulernen, aber von Lesespaß kann ich leider nicht sprechen.
Außerdem war mir die Gestaltung viel zu chaotisch. Es sprang von einem Gott zum nächsten, um dann wieder zum vorherigen Gott zurückzukehren nur um dann bei jemand komplett anderem zu landen. Natürlich war es informativ und ich konnte ein wenig dazulernen, aber von Lesespaß kann ich leider nicht sprechen.
December 19, 2024
Από τα καλύτερα βιβλία για την ελληνική μυθολογία. Ο Karl Kerényi ειδικευόταν στον τομέα της μυθολογίας. Υπήρξε ένας καταξιωμένος επιστήμονας με ένα πλούσιο συγγραφικό έργο το οποίο εμπεριέχει πολλές βαθυστόχαστες εργασίες για την ελληνική θρησκεία. Μια και ίσως η πιο γνωστή εργασία του είναι "Η μυθολογία των Ελλήνων".
September 1, 2019
Link alla recensione: https://www.instagram.com/p/B10uy-HoTkX
Want to read
March 4, 2022Non vedo l'ora di leggere tutto il libro.
July 23, 2023
oh super preciso e accuratissimo ma posso dire, che pesantezza
August 10, 2023
Immer noch gut für Zeus
December 10, 2023
Puh. Es war eine Qual. Dieses Buch ist nichts für mich.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews