Mythology Unveiled: A Complete Guide To The World Of Myth

by Robert Jones

Mythology Unveiled is perhaps the most complete account of the meaning behind the world's mythology and one of the most important works on the topic written in recent times. R. D. Jones writes in a beautifully compelling way that draws the reader in from the first paragraph until the last page. The book is magnificent in its scope as it paints the world of mythology before breaking it apart until each point is clear in the readers mind and a complete understanding of the stories is revealed. This is a must have for anyone interested in mythology, legends, folklore, or fairy tales. Inside you will find:

Complete stories from the traditions of Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, and Babylonian mythology.
A detailed explanation on the various styles of myth interpretation.
A thorough telling and explanation for every type of mythology including:
Creation Myths.
Fertility Myths.
Transitional Myths.
Psychological Myths.
Astrological Myths.
A breakdown of major gods, lesser gods, monsters, and heroes.
Ancient, classical, and modern philosophy in mythology.
Mythological places and times.

Buy now and discover the stories of classical mythology for yourself.

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2016

About the author

Robert Jones was born in Adelaide, Australia. He has worked in super markets, as a door-to-door salesman, labourer, a mental health therapist, and on drill rigs in the remote outback, before spending 10 years as a mine regulator overseeing compliance for some of Australia's biggest quarries. He has also toured the world as a musician and written and performed in the highly acclaimed live production, Ritual, for the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

The Isolde Saga was Robert's first releaase in the world of literature, a dark-fantasy epic adventure told across a series of novelletes. Inspired by Norse mythology, the tale follows the heroine Isolde as she battles men, monsters, and gods.

Following his passion for mythology, spirituality, psychology, and faith, Robert has studied and published a number of non-fiction works including the well received Mythology Unveiled.

Robert now lives and travels through North America with his partner Lisa De Palo, residing in Niagara, Ontario, when they're not on the road.

Reviews

[E.M. Swift-Hook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mythology 101

'...mythology is the symbolic representation of the human experience that is life.'

'Mythology Unveiled' is a very ambitious book - its title reminding one irresistibly of Blavatsky's famous 'Isis Unveiled' which set out to prove all religions came from a common source, and this book is attempting a similar kind of in depth analysis of how we understand mythology. So we hear from voices as varied as Nietzsche and Luke Skywalker, Freud and Tolkien, Herodotus and Robert Plant. We have references as far removed from each other as kabbalah and muppets.

This book begins by setting out to acquaint the reader with the basic ideas of mythology and how it is studied. It presents a good outline of the key academics in the field from Frazer to Campbell and beyond. As such it is a very good introduction for someone with a little pre-existing knowledge. It then moves into less academic realms and considers the mythological significance of astrology and the tarot sequence as well.

The highlight for me is the exposition and analysis of the Twelve Labours of Heracles in an interesting blend of literary, psychological and even spiritual ways. It was also good to see the inclusion of 'modern myths' - those stories which have become as much a part of our cultural landscape as the myths of Greece and Rome, maybe more so for a generation which often only encounters the ancient myths only in passing.

'These stories unite us and make us human.'

I have to admit a vested interest here - unlike the audience for which this book is intended I am not new to the subject and I already had some knowledge of almost all the references, authors, theories and myths the author explores. I was very impressed by the breadth, as well as the depth, of research involved in the book, looking beyond more common mythologies and interpretations into much more esoteric territory at times as well. For example, the mythological explanation for the rise of monotheism.

As a text the book is easy to read and the language is mostly accessible with the ideas developing at a steady pace and in a well thought out order. The author makes an effort to assume little or no knowledge and to address the reader in a chatty and not academic manner. Each chapter progresses the understanding of the reader and brings in more relevant and pertinent ideas and examples. Most of the examples given are fascinating to deconstruct through the author's analysis and most often I was nodding along in agreement and occasionally zipping off to check something I had not come across before. I was pleasantly surprised to find some of the thinking novel and challenging too.

'Now that we have an understanding on what symbolism is in mythology, it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't actually look at some.'

There were aspects of the book I found less than captivating. For example, the 'talk to the reader' approach I found sometimes came over more like 'talk down to the reader'.

The myths given as very lengthy extracts from translated ancient sources were dry as academic dust, and off putting to me, let alone to a novice reader. Personally, I did not see the point in putting in old translations of myths as opposed to simply retelling all the myths cited in a more catchy and engaging language. I was also a bit puzzled, in a book so thoroughly researched to find the odd place where that had clearly not happened. For example, the author speaking of an 'uncanny similarity' between the story told in Lord of the Rings and Christianity - Tolkien was a devout Christian and his stories, like those of C.S. Lewis' Narnia, were reflecting this.

But there was one point I found really troubling, bearing in mind this book is aimed at someone ignorant in the topic, There was not enough effort made to remind the reader when they were dealing with the author's own opinion rather than agreed academic opinion. For example, the author mentions controversial claims such as those regarding Akhenaten and the Dogon, but makes only token criticism of these and fails to underline the fact most academic opinion would not agree, leaving the impression they are more likely true than false. In doing so the author makes the very mistake he warns us as readers against with the myth of Procrustes - trimming the facts to fit the theories he favours.

I really enjoyed this book and - armed with the caveat that someone new to the subject should be aware other sources may differ on some of the interpretations later in the book, the basics are sound, well presented and a good introduction to a fascinating subject.

[Tassa DeSalada · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mythology Unveiled" is filled with tons and tons of fascinating information about mythology. The narrative is a very carefully crafted, and a very well-articulated, presentation of the deepest reaches of ancient, and modern, mythology in our everyday lives. I love mythology, but I haven't kept up with that hobby. This book was an incredible awakening of the various implications that mythology has had in modern society.

"Mythology Unveiled" might seem to wander everywhere, and it does, but Robert Jones is super skilled in touching upon far reaching topics that are critical to making his point, and then bringing the reader back to the subject of mythology. It's an amazing journey, and surprisingly easy to follow due, to the Robert Jones' extreme diligence and clear writing style.

[Love Indie Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Annie Arcane

A free copy was provided by the author.

Initial thoughts:

This book covers a ton of info in under 400 pages. Laid out well and very in-depth!

What I loved:

DISCLAIMER: I have a not-so-secret obsession with mythology and may have taken multiple electives that were completely irrelevant to my degree. Anyhoo, with that out of the way...

I must start off by saying that the overall progression from chapter-to-chapter is strategic and smart. It starts by setting a basic foundation and then builds in a manner that wouldn't lose readers with zero knowledge on the subject. Moreover, it's obvious that Jones did an extensive amount of research and gathered a ton of intel in order to write this book.

While I didn't feel it was necessary to include such long passages - might've been more effective with shorter quotes woven in - I personally enjoyed reading them a great deal, particularly in Chapter XIII: A Herculean Task.

What left me wanting:

A small thing that stood out to me was how opinion was presented as fact sometimes, which only matters because this book is intended to be a "guide". While I appreciated seeing the author's stance, readers brand new to the topic might not be able to discern the difference between straight information and personal interpretation.

Final thoughts:

A well-written, well-researched, and well-organized guide. Would definitely recommend to anyone with an interest in mythology!

[Sarah Doebereiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a very general and basic understanding of mythology going into this book. I have to say I was impressed with the thoroughness of the details. The stories themselves were engaging and each added something I had never considered before. There are several sections that are fun and approachable. Celestial Studies and the Birth of the Zodiac and Tarot and the Mind’s Journey are both fun reads. They are more of an overview than an in depth study, but still a highlight. Odin and the Well of Knowledge was also a personal favorite.

Parts of the commentary are a bit dry. My least favorite part was the modern mythology. I got that section was trying to highlight how modern day culture utilizes the same themes, but I felt like the section was a miss. Diagramming archetypes was also a segment that I felt added little and created a sort of information sink that wasn’t very approachable.

Overall, it’s a well written book. I would not recommend it for people who are looking for light reading. The narratives are tempered with quite a bit of larger scale theme exploration. This would be a great book to read and discuss in a classroom or book club setting.

I received a free review copy of this book for my enjoyment.

[Leon Huet · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ambitious book that sets out to touch upon every aspect of mythology and its implications, this a good introduction that I think fulfils the author's objective of inspiring readers to seek out further works. It seems well placed for a teenager or young adult with little prior knowledge of the subject.

For those who have a passing knowledge of myth and have perhaps read other works such as The Hero Has a Thousand Faces or The Seven Basic Plots, this book does not add much more than act as a great chance to (re)read original texts. Without alternate (or at least cautious) interpretations of the various myths, and references from other historians/theologians/philosophers, it can come across as lacking authority.

Despite this, what really shines through is the author's passion for the topic and the readable style.

[Kshitij · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always fascinated by mythology, mostly in the sense that how something with almost no proof progress in different cultures through media and television. This book help answers some of the questions I already had before reading the book. I’d say that it is exhaustive and relevant and packed with interesting information about myths.
I like how lucidly book explains about mythology and its different forms developing in different countries. Before reading this I'd just surface knowledge. I feel much enlightened after reading this book. The chapters are interesting especially the Greek Mythology and I see no reason why the lovers of history and mythology shouldn’t pick this book. Even the people who like to do research on mythology, folklore would find this book very handy.
If you’re looking for something different from usual fiction reads, give this book a try. It’s fun way to learn more about mythology. I’m taking a star back because of some typos I found during my read.

[Siyabulela Mbalekwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was extremely informative. It started off pretty slow with too much information being given but when the application of mythology was exhibited I started to see where the author was going with the story. Not my normal kind of read, but I enjoyed it. Felt it read well and easy to follow.

[Melinda Brasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made some interesting points and connections I'd never really thought of before. I also appreciated the recap of Joseph Campbell's heroic cycle and Carl Jung's archetypes.

However, there was too much repetition for my taste. Part of this was the repeated use of the same myths to illustrate slightly different points. I think it would have been helpful to tell a few more stories from mythology and relate these different tales to the various concepts discussed. I also thought the excerpts of original texts were too long for how dry they were. It might have been better just to retell them, which the author pretty much did anyway, adding to the repetition problem.

Otherwise, the organization was well thought out and led to good understanding of the subject matter.

I believe that symbolism depends more on the person interpreting the symbols than anything else, and thus no interpretation is right or wrong. The author, early on, also said something along these lines. However, he then proceeded to tell us what various myths meant, not so much what they could mean. The Hercules section felt a bit like a self-help book about reaching enlightenment and made some pretty big stretches about what various story elements meant, talking to the readers as if this were the only interpretation. Of course, I also believe that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, so that probably tainted my view of the whole section.

My biggest issue is the editing. Unfortunately, when a book has excessive errors in punctuation, grammar, and word choice, I tend to lose some faith in the author's expertise in other areas. Perhaps this is not fair, but the book really needs better editing, especially in the apostrophe department. There are also quite a few other punctuation errors, some grammar issues, and several places where I'm pretty sure the author meant a different word than he used.

I really like how the author used examples of modern books and films in addition to old myths. I learned some interesting bits of mythical stories that I'd never heard or had simply forgotten. I also learned a lot about the different ways to look at mythology, and since I believe this was one of the main aims of the book, it accomplished much of what it set out to do.

If you like mythology and the search for enlightenment and don't mind proofreading issues, you'll like this book.

[Loralee · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I must say that this informative book is jam-packed full of awesomeness. There was so much educational, enlightening information about various myths from so many parts of the world, that I was absolutely delighted. It is clear that the author has done his research. I especially liked the section on the "Hero's Journey", the universal archetype of how many stories go, and how modern stories, like Bilbo Baggins' journey and Luke Skywalker's follow this pattern. I appreciated how the author brought in many different myths from many different cultures, including modern stories like Labyrinth. And he talked about things in a way that made me think. About how myths and logic are both necessary to describe the human condition, and how mythology should not be so quickly discounted as mere stories with little meaning beyond the surface.

So why then am I not giving it more stars? Well, despite the great information in this piece, there were, unfortunately, quite a lot of grammar, spelling, syntax, redundancy etc. mistakes that were almost constantly throwing me off. There were multiple typos, wrong words, and sentence fragments, or incorrect punctuation usage. There were also situations where the same word or word pattern was used in the same paragraph and sometimes in the same sentence. It's never a good idea to use the same word (other than articles, the, an, a of course) with the same paragraph let alone the same sentence. It comes across as redundant, even if it is grammatically correct. An example was"...why we only see Frodo only use..."
Another error I saw often was something like this: "Our mind and body" when it should have been -Our minds and bodies- since we all have different minds and bodies.
Also there were times when apostrophes were misused. "Pan's" for example when the apostrophe should not have been there as it was not describing something that "Pan" owned, nor was it a contraction of "Pan is". "Contempt" was used when it appeared that -contentment- should have been. "Bawked" was used when it should have been -Balked-
There were many other multiple errors that I found unfortunate and distracting, but I won't list them.

This is a book that would benefit immensely from the help of a professional editor, and I would heartily recommend that, as it would help to present these great ideas a in a more concise, efficient and clear way.

[T.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally taken aback by the sheer amount of information that the author was able to cover in this one book. Somehow Robert Jones was able to break down the varying perspectives of mythological interpretation and the symbolic meaning behind the myths themselves into bite sized excerpts that even the casual reader can fully grasp and comprehend.
I especially enjoyed the chapter "Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious". It was fascinating to see how archetypes such as the mentor, the trickster, the hero, etc. have managed to present themselves in various myths all across the world. Most startling is the fact that these archetypes, still alive and well today, are even present in the advertisements, commercials and marketing campaigns that we see and hear every day.

Simply put, "Mythology Unveiled: A Complete Guide From Greece to Egypt, From Creation to the World Beyond" is a must read for all lovers of mythology and ancient history. It is a perfect companion to The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

[Javalin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise Book on Mythology

This a wonderful book for both beginner and advanced readers on subject of mythology. The author is clear with his interpretation and general explanations. Also makes nice cross references in in some interpretations. His sections focusing on modern myths was very good and interesting. If I had to point out a negative, it would be the inclusion of lengthy myth excerpts - it was kind of distracting. Although the academic in does appreciate the author making his book complete and a good reference to the reader. One final thing, the author closes with encouraging the reader to read myths covered. It would be very helpful to have an appendix contains list of these myths and recommended versions/translations. Also list of other interpretive books would be great.

[James FitzPatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Excellent guide to understanding mythology and its significance on our culture and history. Huge insight into how these myths are apart of our being.