Mythology: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Principal Myths and Religions of the World

by Richard Cavendish

Mythology is the study of the imaginative traditions through which humans attempt to understand and control the world about them.

This comprehensive and accessible survey of the world's principal myths, the result of extensive research, shows how each story relates to the social patterns and religious beliefs of the time and place to which it belongs.

Includes over 400 color and black & white illustrations.

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, Reference, Religion, History, Philosophy, Research

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1980

About the author

Richard Cavendish (1930 - 2016) was a writer, lecturer, broadcaster, historian & leading authority on Magic and Witchcraft. He is the author of 'The Black Arts', a study of the European tradition of magic.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this on the bargain table at Barnes and Noble the other day. It was a good purchase.

Mythology is a lavishly illustrated collection of myths and religious tidbits from many different cultures. The table of contents lists Asia, the Middle East, The West, Africa, The Americas, and the Pacific as the territories covered. It's not often you see Buddhism, Voodoo, and Incan myths in the same volume but they're just a sampling of what's within.

I bought this book as a writing resource and I'm not disappointed in the slightest. I'd recommend this to any fantasy writer looking for new ideas rather than drawing from the Tolkien well for the thousandth time. That well's nearly dry and has been shat in quite a few times over the years...

[Negin · Rating 3 out of 5]

به نظرم ترجمش یکم جای کار داره اما یه دید خوب درباره عقاید و اسطوره های مناطق مختلف بهتون میده.

[Virginie Gagné · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how the booked showcased broas patterns in myths found all over the world, but, especially for some regions, it felt like the author wasn't providing enough context. I really felt like I needed some background knowledge on some of the cultures showcased before reading the book, but at the same time, if I had background knowledge on these cultures, I might have not learned much from the read...

[Matthew Wielgus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could have used a more comparative format, but there's enough here to proverbially dip one's toe in. Decent jumping-off point for exploring the myriad mythologies of humanity.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books of this type I have read. Lots of interesting photos accompany well-written text, that isn't too dry and boring, but manages to capture the magic of a lot of the myths it is discussing. One I will probably keep on my reference shelves for future perusals.

[Jane]

I got this book for my The Myths of Greece and Rome class at uni. But I also found it very useful for Art and Its Context class.

[Frederic · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty basic but usefully wide-ranging survey. A bibliography, organized by world area and major religions, gives classic references if one wants to go further.

[McKenzie McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off this review I just want to say that this book is surely one of the best books I have ever read and I think that once you read this book you too will see that this book can get you through anything that you may be learning about. In this encyclopedia you get to travel the world almost learning everything about a place, things like they're culture for example and as well as any myths and you also get to see pictures and artwork of what it was like back then. Oh and another thing is that when you first start reading the book it gives you a place for example Asia, and then describes every culture or religion and gives precise and very detailed information. Like for Asia it start off with Hinduism and more are described after that. This book definitely gets 5 stars for sure!