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Big Ideas Simply Explained
The Mythology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
Eighty of the world's greatest myths and characters, from the gods of Greek mythology to the Norse heroes, retold and explained with engaging text and bold graphics.
From early creation stories to classical hero narratives and the recurring theme of the afterlife, experience each myth and unravel the meanings behind the stories, getting to the heart of the importance of mythology to different cultures worldwide. More than just stories, myths are a testament to the amazing creativity of humans striving to explain and make sense of the world around them. Here you will discover Zeus, god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods, and Loki, the cunning trickster with a knack for causing havoc, aided by his ability to change shape and gender. Beyond the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greek, Roman, and Norse myths, this book delves into the stories of the Australian aborigines, the Cherokee, and the Aztecs, each brimming with amazing characters and insights into human existence.
This newest title in the bestselling Big Ideas series pairs engaging visual style with global coverage of world myths--profiling everything from the well-known tales of the Greeks, Norsemen, and Egyptians to the legends of the Caribbean, the Americas, Oceania, and East Asia--bringing the wisdom of the ages to life.
From early creation stories to classical hero narratives and the recurring theme of the afterlife, experience each myth and unravel the meanings behind the stories, getting to the heart of the importance of mythology to different cultures worldwide. More than just stories, myths are a testament to the amazing creativity of humans striving to explain and make sense of the world around them. Here you will discover Zeus, god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods, and Loki, the cunning trickster with a knack for causing havoc, aided by his ability to change shape and gender. Beyond the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greek, Roman, and Norse myths, this book delves into the stories of the Australian aborigines, the Cherokee, and the Aztecs, each brimming with amazing characters and insights into human existence.
This newest title in the bestselling Big Ideas series pairs engaging visual style with global coverage of world myths--profiling everything from the well-known tales of the Greeks, Norsemen, and Egyptians to the legends of the Caribbean, the Americas, Oceania, and East Asia--bringing the wisdom of the ages to life.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2018
1343 people are currently reading
6314 people want to read
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If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
July 7, 2020
In questo libro di Gribaudo si affronta la mitologia greca (decisamente la mia preferita, sono banale, lo so), quella romana, quella del nord Europa (la mitologia norrena ha un altro posto nel mio cuore), quella asiatica, delle Americhe, dell’antico Egitto e dell’Africa e per finire quella dell’Oceania.
Questa, questa è stata una scoperta meravigliosa.
⠀
“La nostra spiritualità è unità e interconnessione con tutto ciò che vive e respira, ma anche con ciò che non vive né respira.”
⠀
E quasi mi sono commossa quando ho letto che nel 1955, in seguito a un’epidemia, nelle Isole Salomone (a Tikopia in particolare) morirono 200 persone. Questo ha fatto sì che non rimasero abbastanza credenti per portare avanti l’Opera degli dèi. I capi rimasti eseguirono una cerimonia finale per informare gli atua (spiriti) che i loro riti venivano abbandonati e che dovevano ritirarsi nelle loro case spirituali, dove riposare per sempre.
⠀
Questa cura per l’Altro, questa preoccupazione per degli dèi in cui si crede fermamente è qualcosa che per molti di noi risulta inconcepibile.
Eppure ci sono delle persone che credono così tanto, che ripongono tutta la loro fiducia in qualcuno diverso da sé, che si affidano completamente all’Altro che la cosa mi ha commosso, lasciandomi senza fiato.
⠀
“Siamo tutti visitatori di questo tempo, di questo luogo. Lo stiamo solo attraversando. Il nostro scopo qui è osservare, imparare, crescere, amare... e poi torniamo a casa.”
Questa, questa è stata una scoperta meravigliosa.
⠀
“La nostra spiritualità è unità e interconnessione con tutto ciò che vive e respira, ma anche con ciò che non vive né respira.”
⠀
E quasi mi sono commossa quando ho letto che nel 1955, in seguito a un’epidemia, nelle Isole Salomone (a Tikopia in particolare) morirono 200 persone. Questo ha fatto sì che non rimasero abbastanza credenti per portare avanti l’Opera degli dèi. I capi rimasti eseguirono una cerimonia finale per informare gli atua (spiriti) che i loro riti venivano abbandonati e che dovevano ritirarsi nelle loro case spirituali, dove riposare per sempre.
⠀
Questa cura per l’Altro, questa preoccupazione per degli dèi in cui si crede fermamente è qualcosa che per molti di noi risulta inconcepibile.
Eppure ci sono delle persone che credono così tanto, che ripongono tutta la loro fiducia in qualcuno diverso da sé, che si affidano completamente all’Altro che la cosa mi ha commosso, lasciandomi senza fiato.
⠀
“Siamo tutti visitatori di questo tempo, di questo luogo. Lo stiamo solo attraversando. Il nostro scopo qui è osservare, imparare, crescere, amare... e poi torniamo a casa.”
August 27, 2019
I am absolutely in love with "big ideas simply explained" series now!
Look if you want to know almost everything about a subject this book isn't for you. Each of these books talk about a subject as you know, and gives you a really tiny brief information on that subject. so for example after reading The Mythology Book you can tell myths from which culture are your favorites and THEN you can research and find out more stuff about that. these series only gives you a general idea about each subject, and of course they can't talk about everything in detail.
so i would call them "big ideas briefly explained" :D
Look if you want to know almost everything about a subject this book isn't for you. Each of these books talk about a subject as you know, and gives you a really tiny brief information on that subject. so for example after reading The Mythology Book you can tell myths from which culture are your favorites and THEN you can research and find out more stuff about that. these series only gives you a general idea about each subject, and of course they can't talk about everything in detail.
so i would call them "big ideas briefly explained" :D
October 23, 2023
This book provides an overview of world mythology. Each story takes two to four pages and includes illustrations on every page. Since it covers the whole world, the overview for each culture is brief.
The book is aimed at an adult audience, so it is very frank with episode of sexual violence, which are quite common in ancient mythology. So, I don't recommend buying this for children.
The book is aimed at an adult audience, so it is very frank with episode of sexual violence, which are quite common in ancient mythology. So, I don't recommend buying this for children.
May 9, 2018
I am a HUGE history buff - from books to movies to television series, I love it all. In my undergraduate degree all of my elective courses were in the study of Ancient Greeks, Romans, Aztecs and Mayans, to be even more honest, those are the only textbooks I still have from my University days. There is just something so incredible about diving into the past, learning about beliefs, religions, myths and culture. These civilizations shaped so much of what we know today and some of our own beliefs and religions, how can you not want to learn more about them?
This beautiful hard cover book is just slightly smaller than letter sized. The book covers everything from Ancient Greece and Rome to Northern Europe to Asia to The Americas to Ancient Egypt and Africa and Oceania. In logical order, we follow the path of the stories and myths for each culture as they grew and evolved (for example in Ancient Greece, how Gaia gave birth to Ouranos, her children were born and how they destroyed their Father and how the cycle went on). Each myth begins with a brief overview of the theme of that subject, the setting and the key figures. Throughout each section, there are two page spreads that contain the main themes coming up with designs appropriate to that culture and gives you a great hint of what is to come. Each story spans roughly two to four pages and contains highlighted quotes and inserts that contain information on key figures, stories, legends and more. I love love love all of the images that were included in this book. They have included paintings and artifacts that help depict the story while giving us additional context into the story.
This is an amazing book that you will want to read time and time again. With its easy flow, you can come back to it, re-start at a different culture, fast forward to a specific story or figure that you want to learn more about and so on. It is a great read for both young adults and adults alike to help gain a better understanding of the important cultures that made us who we are today.
January 25, 2021
I was rather impressed with this book, given the huge subject matter and range of material available it managed to distill the main / core myths from each region telling each myth clearly with good supporting information if you wanted to know a little more. Clearly this doesn't cover every myth from every country / culture but it offers an excellent starting point for those unfamiliar with them and a great quick reference guide for those who have a bit more knowledge. I was also quite impressed with the brief summary that each myth had the start and the cross referencing that could be used to jump to linking stories, allowing a more fluid means of reading (although I did just go through in the traditional page by page manner).
April 29, 2021
[Ammetto di non aver letto la parte finale sull'Oceania perché non ne potevo più]
A livello grafico il libro è delizioso, un compendio utile per ritrovare le figure principali di qualsiasi mitologia, a partire da quelle più conosciute. Tuttavia il livello di approfondimento è scarno per quanto riguarda il Medio Oriente, rendendo i racconti più confusi che altro. Arrivata a metà ho iniziato ad annoiarmi, i nomi non mi restavano in testa: ho deciso di non leggere le ultime 30 pagine circa, perché tanto non ne ricaverei nulla.
A livello grafico il libro è delizioso, un compendio utile per ritrovare le figure principali di qualsiasi mitologia, a partire da quelle più conosciute. Tuttavia il livello di approfondimento è scarno per quanto riguarda il Medio Oriente, rendendo i racconti più confusi che altro. Arrivata a metà ho iniziato ad annoiarmi, i nomi non mi restavano in testa: ho deciso di non leggere le ultime 30 pagine circa, perché tanto non ne ricaverei nulla.
August 21, 2025
"We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love ... and then we return home."
Aboriginal saying
What I liked about this book:
1- It was culturally diverse.
2- The pictures were nice (adults love pictures as well, okay?)
What I didn't like about this book:
1- The Asian section was way too small. How is that even possible? Asia is the biggest continent, with many nations, rich in mythologies; yet its section was smaller than those for Greece or Rome.
2- The Greek, Roman, and Norse myths were detailed and in-depth, which was great. But after that, the rest of the book felt rushed. It got to a point where I genuinely had no idea what was happening in some of the myths. Honestly, I lost interest by the time I reached the Egypt section and ended up skipping a lot. I have to admit: I skipped many myths just because they were hard to follow.
3- I kind of wanted this book to be more reader-friendly. It felt dry. It was like a teacher who's just trying to get through the lesson and leave the classroom rather than wanting to engage with the students. It didn’t really talk to the reader. Which is bad, considering the fact that this is about mythologies and you are supposed to tell a story while talking about them.
Overall, out of all the Big Ideas Simply Explained books I've read so far, I liked the Medicine one the most. This one was good, but not great.
4/5 stars
Aboriginal saying
What I liked about this book:
1- It was culturally diverse.
2- The pictures were nice (adults love pictures as well, okay?)
What I didn't like about this book:
1- The Asian section was way too small. How is that even possible? Asia is the biggest continent, with many nations, rich in mythologies; yet its section was smaller than those for Greece or Rome.
2- The Greek, Roman, and Norse myths were detailed and in-depth, which was great. But after that, the rest of the book felt rushed. It got to a point where I genuinely had no idea what was happening in some of the myths. Honestly, I lost interest by the time I reached the Egypt section and ended up skipping a lot. I have to admit: I skipped many myths just because they were hard to follow.
3- I kind of wanted this book to be more reader-friendly. It felt dry. It was like a teacher who's just trying to get through the lesson and leave the classroom rather than wanting to engage with the students. It didn’t really talk to the reader. Which is bad, considering the fact that this is about mythologies and you are supposed to tell a story while talking about them.
Overall, out of all the Big Ideas Simply Explained books I've read so far, I liked the Medicine one the most. This one was good, but not great.
4/5 stars
March 13, 2025
Puanım 4/5 (%80/100)
İkinci Okuma: Daha önce birçok kez açıp baksam da ikinci kez baştan sonra okuyorum. Bunu da yeni kitap araştırma sırasında okudum. Diğer kısımlar çok işime yaramasa da belki ilham verir diye okudum, asıl ilgilendiğim yer Kuzey Avrupa kısmıydı. Güzel bir kaynak.
Ciltli ve kuşe kağıtta bir sürü resim basılmış olduğu için her zaman dikkatimi çeken ve sonunda aldığım bir kitap oldu. Seri olarak 24 kitaptan birisi. Benim en çok ilgimi çeken mitoloji olduğu için onunla başlamak istedim.
Öncelikle kitabın çevirisini gerçekten çok başarılı buldum. Resimlerin ve çeşitli sembollerin yerleştirilmesi zaten çok güzel bir detay ve kitabı rahat bir şekilde okumanızı sağlıyor. İçerik olarak da beklediğimden daha ayrıntılıydı. Bütün dünya mitlerinden ne var ne yoksa her şey içine koyulmuş. Çok fazla bilinmeyen fakat benim bilinmesini düşündüğüm şeyler de koyulmuş.
Biraz kitabın içeriğinden bahsetmek istiyorum. Kitap 7 ana bölüme ayrılmış, bunlar;
1-Antik Yunan
Adından da anlaşılacağı gibi Antik Yunanistan'da yaratılıştan başlayıp, Olymposlular, tanrılar, yarı tanrılar ve kahramanlar ile ilgili işinize yarayacak her şey var diyebilirim. Hikayeler oldukça sade ve anlaşılır dille anlatılmış.
2-Antik Roma
Yunan mitolojisindeki birçok tanrı ve tanrıçanın bulunduğu fakat ek olarak Roma'lı kahramanların ve önemli kişilerin hikayelerinin anlatıldığı bölüm.
3-Kuzey Avrupa
İskandinav mitolojisindeki yaratılıştan başlayıp, önemli hikayelerden ve karakterlerden bahsediliyor. Dünyanın sonu olan Ragnaroktan da bahsedilmiş. Ek olarak ünlü Fin destanı Kalavela, İrlanda mitleri ve son olarak Kral Arthur'dan da bahsediliyor. Bu kısımda Arthur ve onunla ilgili destanlardan daha fazla bahsedilebilir diye düşünüyorum.
4-Asya
Sümer ve Babil destanlarından başlıyor. Gılgamış Destanı'ndan da detaylı bir şekilde bahsedilmiş. Hint mitolojisindeki önemli kişilerden ve ünlü Hint destanı Ramayana'dan da bahsedilmiş. Japon mitolojisi ve son bölümlerde de Çin ve Kore ile ilgili şeyler de var. Bu kısımda da Çin ve Kore bir hayli kenara atılmış gibi geldi bana.
5-Amerika Kıtaları
Amerikan yerlileri ve onların mitolojik karakterlerinden bahsediliyor. Inka gibi toplulukların inançlarından da bahsedilmiş. Genel olarak başarılı bulduğum bir kısım.
6-Antik Mısır ve Afrika
Mısır ve Afrika mitlerine güzel bir giriş fakat pek yeterli değil. Benim favorim olan Anansi'den bahsedilmesi hoş.
7-Okyanusya
Avustralya başta olmak üzere çevresindeki adaların mitleri ve inançlarından bahsedilmiş. Ben özellikle Maui (Loki, Anansi ve İktomi gibi düzenbaz bir karakter) ile ilgili olan hikayelerin anlatıldığı kısmı sevdim. 6.bölüm gibi bu mitlere güzel bir giriş.
Genel olarak ben gayet başarılı buldum kitabı. Bazı şeyleri hatırlamam gerektiğinden hemen elimin altında böyle bir kaynak olması güzel olacak. Yine de bazı mitler sadece giriş seviyesinde kalıyor özellikle Asya, Antik Mısır ve Afrika ve Okyanusya için. Okunması gerekiyor.
İkinci Okuma: Daha önce birçok kez açıp baksam da ikinci kez baştan sonra okuyorum. Bunu da yeni kitap araştırma sırasında okudum. Diğer kısımlar çok işime yaramasa da belki ilham verir diye okudum, asıl ilgilendiğim yer Kuzey Avrupa kısmıydı. Güzel bir kaynak.
Ciltli ve kuşe kağıtta bir sürü resim basılmış olduğu için her zaman dikkatimi çeken ve sonunda aldığım bir kitap oldu. Seri olarak 24 kitaptan birisi. Benim en çok ilgimi çeken mitoloji olduğu için onunla başlamak istedim.
Öncelikle kitabın çevirisini gerçekten çok başarılı buldum. Resimlerin ve çeşitli sembollerin yerleştirilmesi zaten çok güzel bir detay ve kitabı rahat bir şekilde okumanızı sağlıyor. İçerik olarak da beklediğimden daha ayrıntılıydı. Bütün dünya mitlerinden ne var ne yoksa her şey içine koyulmuş. Çok fazla bilinmeyen fakat benim bilinmesini düşündüğüm şeyler de koyulmuş.
Biraz kitabın içeriğinden bahsetmek istiyorum. Kitap 7 ana bölüme ayrılmış, bunlar;
1-Antik Yunan
Adından da anlaşılacağı gibi Antik Yunanistan'da yaratılıştan başlayıp, Olymposlular, tanrılar, yarı tanrılar ve kahramanlar ile ilgili işinize yarayacak her şey var diyebilirim. Hikayeler oldukça sade ve anlaşılır dille anlatılmış.
2-Antik Roma
Yunan mitolojisindeki birçok tanrı ve tanrıçanın bulunduğu fakat ek olarak Roma'lı kahramanların ve önemli kişilerin hikayelerinin anlatıldığı bölüm.
3-Kuzey Avrupa
İskandinav mitolojisindeki yaratılıştan başlayıp, önemli hikayelerden ve karakterlerden bahsediliyor. Dünyanın sonu olan Ragnaroktan da bahsedilmiş. Ek olarak ünlü Fin destanı Kalavela, İrlanda mitleri ve son olarak Kral Arthur'dan da bahsediliyor. Bu kısımda Arthur ve onunla ilgili destanlardan daha fazla bahsedilebilir diye düşünüyorum.
4-Asya
Sümer ve Babil destanlarından başlıyor. Gılgamış Destanı'ndan da detaylı bir şekilde bahsedilmiş. Hint mitolojisindeki önemli kişilerden ve ünlü Hint destanı Ramayana'dan da bahsedilmiş. Japon mitolojisi ve son bölümlerde de Çin ve Kore ile ilgili şeyler de var. Bu kısımda da Çin ve Kore bir hayli kenara atılmış gibi geldi bana.
5-Amerika Kıtaları
Amerikan yerlileri ve onların mitolojik karakterlerinden bahsediliyor. Inka gibi toplulukların inançlarından da bahsedilmiş. Genel olarak başarılı bulduğum bir kısım.
6-Antik Mısır ve Afrika
Mısır ve Afrika mitlerine güzel bir giriş fakat pek yeterli değil. Benim favorim olan Anansi'den bahsedilmesi hoş.
7-Okyanusya
Avustralya başta olmak üzere çevresindeki adaların mitleri ve inançlarından bahsedilmiş. Ben özellikle Maui (Loki, Anansi ve İktomi gibi düzenbaz bir karakter) ile ilgili olan hikayelerin anlatıldığı kısmı sevdim. 6.bölüm gibi bu mitlere güzel bir giriş.
Genel olarak ben gayet başarılı buldum kitabı. Bazı şeyleri hatırlamam gerektiğinden hemen elimin altında böyle bir kaynak olması güzel olacak. Yine de bazı mitler sadece giriş seviyesinde kalıyor özellikle Asya, Antik Mısır ve Afrika ve Okyanusya için. Okunması gerekiyor.
August 23, 2020
Now i wish I had the physical version!
Read
February 26, 2023mythology in a nutshell: try not to commit incest challenge failed
January 24, 2025
4 stars
Just like the tag "Big Ideas Simply Explained", this book is exactly that. Contains mythology, mostly famous ones, from all around the world in a brief explanation. Not all mythology get explained, tho. This book have 7 sections, Ancient Greek, Ancient Rome, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Oceania. Each section start with very brief explanation about the mythology timelines and then followed by the mythology itself in 1 to 4 pages completed with some illustrations and catchy diagrams. While the Ancient Greek and Norse have mythology that I'm familiar with, the Ancient Rome section is pretty much informative. Europe part have Celtic & Finland myth. While the Asian mostly focused to Epic of Gilgamesh and Hindu pantheon, there's some part that have Korean mythology that entirely new to me. Sadly, the SEA part of Asian only represented by Philippines and not Indonesia (boo1 ;p!). American part get represent by Native America & Aztec Myth, Africa have Egypt, Yoruba and West Africa, and the Oceania part tell story of Indigenous Australian, Maui and also Papua New Guinea.
For me, this book is pretty good for a reference especially about mythology. Think wikipedia on book with a luxurious paper that suitable for collector edition. The book contributor also expert of their expertise so they know what they write. A little bit warning, though, this book is not suitable for children because of the violence and sex content. For example, some of Zeus's exploits here are what the Ancient Greek's myth most familiar with and the writer didn't hesitate to write it. Another mythology also have some sexual violence content. However, I still recommend The Mythology Book by DK if you are a myth afficionado or simply want to read one or two folktales from around the world.
Just like the tag "Big Ideas Simply Explained", this book is exactly that. Contains mythology, mostly famous ones, from all around the world in a brief explanation. Not all mythology get explained, tho. This book have 7 sections, Ancient Greek, Ancient Rome, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Oceania. Each section start with very brief explanation about the mythology timelines and then followed by the mythology itself in 1 to 4 pages completed with some illustrations and catchy diagrams. While the Ancient Greek and Norse have mythology that I'm familiar with, the Ancient Rome section is pretty much informative. Europe part have Celtic & Finland myth. While the Asian mostly focused to Epic of Gilgamesh and Hindu pantheon, there's some part that have Korean mythology that entirely new to me. Sadly, the SEA part of Asian only represented by Philippines and not Indonesia (boo1 ;p!). American part get represent by Native America & Aztec Myth, Africa have Egypt, Yoruba and West Africa, and the Oceania part tell story of Indigenous Australian, Maui and also Papua New Guinea.
For me, this book is pretty good for a reference especially about mythology. Think wikipedia on book with a luxurious paper that suitable for collector edition. The book contributor also expert of their expertise so they know what they write. A little bit warning, though, this book is not suitable for children because of the violence and sex content. For example, some of Zeus's exploits here are what the Ancient Greek's myth most familiar with and the writer didn't hesitate to write it. Another mythology also have some sexual violence content. However, I still recommend The Mythology Book by DK if you are a myth afficionado or simply want to read one or two folktales from around the world.
June 27, 2021
Great starter book if you’re interested in this topic. Lots of info given to you simply.
January 22, 2021
a Lot of info so it took me a while to get through but overall i liked it ! not a lot on celtic myths but generally a good overview
September 10, 2018
Okay, I'm getting really frustrated with goodreads and their constant deleting of my well thought out reviews after claiming it has been published (and no it's not goodreads admins deleting it, the app is just glitching).
So, let's see if I can summarize the review I spend 10 minutes on.
So, I feel they spent too much time on Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology given how well known and written about they are. I would have much rather had more on the myths of other regions of the world.
I also felt they spent too many pages on certain myths (it should have been maximum 2 pages for each myth in my opinion).
The "see also" suggestions also confused me as they did not explain why we should also see these other pages.
Finally for criticisms, the myths in the directory would have been better placed at the end of each chapter, rather than collectively at the end.
I did like the concept of the book, I liked that they had the timeline and the various background boxes interspersed through each story.
My favorite tales were: the monkey king (the basis for the kdrama Hwayugi), the foundation of Korea, and "Mapusia and the Work of the Gods" which was from Tikopia. I found the history of the Tikopian people to be tragic and honestly, reading the background information box I almost cried reading the fate of their beliefs.
Overall, it is an interesting read, if taken selectively and used as a starting point for further research.
So, let's see if I can summarize the review I spend 10 minutes on.
So, I feel they spent too much time on Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology given how well known and written about they are. I would have much rather had more on the myths of other regions of the world.
I also felt they spent too many pages on certain myths (it should have been maximum 2 pages for each myth in my opinion).
The "see also" suggestions also confused me as they did not explain why we should also see these other pages.
Finally for criticisms, the myths in the directory would have been better placed at the end of each chapter, rather than collectively at the end.
I did like the concept of the book, I liked that they had the timeline and the various background boxes interspersed through each story.
My favorite tales were: the monkey king (the basis for the kdrama Hwayugi), the foundation of Korea, and "Mapusia and the Work of the Gods" which was from Tikopia. I found the history of the Tikopian people to be tragic and honestly, reading the background information box I almost cried reading the fate of their beliefs.
Overall, it is an interesting read, if taken selectively and used as a starting point for further research.
March 23, 2019
I've been reading the Big Ideas Simply Explained series for awhile, as a method of expanding my general knowledge. Sometimes entries in the brand miss (I'm looking at you, The Psychology Book), and sometimes they hit, but overall I'd deem The Mythology Book a success. I've taken a great interest in mythological and religious traditions and how they act with culture and history for the longest time, and while The Mythology Book doesn't delve in as deep as an academic survey, it presents useful and engaging retellings of myth from a variety of tribes and civilizations. Featuring myths and legends from all across the world, this relatively new entry in DK's hit reference series will more likely than not act as a proper educational resources from people of all ages and backgrounds to get into the study of mythology.
March 26, 2019
Ótimo livro, obviamente não entra em muitos detalhes sobre os mitos, mas o suficiente para você entender e buscar mais informações em outras fontes. Porém eles passam muito tempo focando em mitos gregos e romanos, que sinceramente já são bem conhecidos e de fácil acesso enquanto por outro lado eles correm para contar mitos super complexos em 2 paginas. Gostaria que eles dessem mais foco a outras civilizações
April 18, 2019
Pretty good book, but, for obvious reasons, a bit superficial. Works really well as a complement to other books though!
November 17, 2021
Dieses umfassende Nachschlagwerk kann mit zahlreichen bekannten und unbekannten Mythen aufwarten, die geneigte Leser bisher vielleicht noch nicht kannten. Denn neben den bekannten wie z.B. die Artus-Sage oder der Gilgamesch-Epos finden sich in diesem Mythologiebuch zahlreiche weniger bekannte, wie z.B. der Schöpfungsmythos der Cherokee.
Inhaltlich finden sich Mythen aus dem alten Griechenland, dem alten Rom, Nordeuropa, Asien, Amerika, dem alten Ägypten und Afrika sowie aus Ozeanien. Die Vorstellung eines Mythos ist dabei immer ähnlich. Es gibt eine kleine Zusammenfassung mit den wichtigsten Daten des Mythos und natürlich den Text selbst, der aus verschiedenen Quellen gespeist und von unterschiedlichen Autoren verfasst wurde. Die Texte sind dabei vergleichsweise kurz gefasst, was bei vielen Mythen bekanntlich nicht unüblich ist.
Unbekanntere und weniger umfassende Mythen passen durchaus auf eine Seite, den umfangreichen Vertretern des Genres werden durchaus mehrere Seiten eingeräumt. Allen Beiträgen ist gemein, dass sie mit Werken aus Kunst und Kultur untermalt sind. Das kann ein Gemälde, eine Skizze, eine Skulptur oder aber auch ein kleiner Infokasten mit Zusatzinformationen sein.
Das Buch ist als Nachschlagewerk konzipiert, so dass gezielt nach bestimmten Mythen gesucht werden kann. Es ist aber auch lohnenswert, einfach durch die Mythen der Kontiente zu streifen, denn wie eingangs erwähnt, finden sich in dem Buch zahlreiche Vertreter, die weniger bekannt sind. Dadurch wird das Mythologiebuch sehr umfassend und vielseitig.
Fazit
Ich bin gern in Mythen und Sagenwelten unterwegs. Viele der europäischen Sagen und Legenden kenne ich mittlerweile inklusive der Gottheiten, die sich hier und da tummeln. Hier und da sind mir mittlerweile auch einige afrikanische Sagen begegnet, aber eben nur einige. Gänzlich unbekannt waren hingegen viele Mythen aus Amerika und Asien. Hier konnte ich sehr viele neue und sehr interessante Mythen kennenlernen.
Grundsätzlich ist das Mythologiebuch ein sehr umfassendes, aber nicht zu ausuferndes Nachschlagewerk, das die gängigsten Mythen der Erde enthält. Die Aufmachung fand ich sehr ansprechend und kann das Buch allen interessierten Lesern nahelegen.
Inhaltlich finden sich Mythen aus dem alten Griechenland, dem alten Rom, Nordeuropa, Asien, Amerika, dem alten Ägypten und Afrika sowie aus Ozeanien. Die Vorstellung eines Mythos ist dabei immer ähnlich. Es gibt eine kleine Zusammenfassung mit den wichtigsten Daten des Mythos und natürlich den Text selbst, der aus verschiedenen Quellen gespeist und von unterschiedlichen Autoren verfasst wurde. Die Texte sind dabei vergleichsweise kurz gefasst, was bei vielen Mythen bekanntlich nicht unüblich ist.
Unbekanntere und weniger umfassende Mythen passen durchaus auf eine Seite, den umfangreichen Vertretern des Genres werden durchaus mehrere Seiten eingeräumt. Allen Beiträgen ist gemein, dass sie mit Werken aus Kunst und Kultur untermalt sind. Das kann ein Gemälde, eine Skizze, eine Skulptur oder aber auch ein kleiner Infokasten mit Zusatzinformationen sein.
Das Buch ist als Nachschlagewerk konzipiert, so dass gezielt nach bestimmten Mythen gesucht werden kann. Es ist aber auch lohnenswert, einfach durch die Mythen der Kontiente zu streifen, denn wie eingangs erwähnt, finden sich in dem Buch zahlreiche Vertreter, die weniger bekannt sind. Dadurch wird das Mythologiebuch sehr umfassend und vielseitig.
Fazit
Ich bin gern in Mythen und Sagenwelten unterwegs. Viele der europäischen Sagen und Legenden kenne ich mittlerweile inklusive der Gottheiten, die sich hier und da tummeln. Hier und da sind mir mittlerweile auch einige afrikanische Sagen begegnet, aber eben nur einige. Gänzlich unbekannt waren hingegen viele Mythen aus Amerika und Asien. Hier konnte ich sehr viele neue und sehr interessante Mythen kennenlernen.
Grundsätzlich ist das Mythologiebuch ein sehr umfassendes, aber nicht zu ausuferndes Nachschlagewerk, das die gängigsten Mythen der Erde enthält. Die Aufmachung fand ich sehr ansprechend und kann das Buch allen interessierten Lesern nahelegen.
July 1, 2020
The book is filled with different stories on the different mythologies around the world, including related visuals, quotes, and trivia. Most tell of various creation stories of the world, the foundation of civilizations and empires, or other origin stories of beliefs. It’s an easy read - you can pick any story you’d like and you can easily come back to wherever again and again.
I like how it's comprehensive such that it tackled not just the usual Greek and Roman mythologies, rather, included all other mythologies around the world, such as Norse, Asian, Egyptian, etc. Moreover, a lot can be learned, such as recurrent themes in stories that are carried on and are apparent even in current belief systems. Some of which include the existence of a supreme being who creates the world, the human – like characteristics of gods that need to be appeased with offerings and sacrifices, great floods purging the world, the coexistence or unending battle between chaos and order, and many, many more. However, despite the recurrent themes, each culture still had their own belief systems that are unique and beautiful.
I like how it's comprehensive such that it tackled not just the usual Greek and Roman mythologies, rather, included all other mythologies around the world, such as Norse, Asian, Egyptian, etc. Moreover, a lot can be learned, such as recurrent themes in stories that are carried on and are apparent even in current belief systems. Some of which include the existence of a supreme being who creates the world, the human – like characteristics of gods that need to be appeased with offerings and sacrifices, great floods purging the world, the coexistence or unending battle between chaos and order, and many, many more. However, despite the recurrent themes, each culture still had their own belief systems that are unique and beautiful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
Legado inalienável da nossa História, uma mitologia surge como a primeira tentativa de explicação da existência nossa.
É possível encontrar narrativas mitológicas, em praticamente todas as culturas e em todos os países do mundo, herança de um passado longínquo.
A mitologia socorre-se de alegorias, que procura explicar a origem do universo e ordem da vida. Nesta extraordinária obra do Marcador, somos cuidadosamente convidados a conhecer os mitos mais relevantes, de diversos países.
Organizado de forma muito completa, o livro está repleto de esquemas simplificados, em paralelo com explicações profusamente detalhadas.
Esta forma de organização, permite ao leitor obter as principais informações sobre o mito ou aprofundar o tema, nas mesmas secções.
Os temas são distribuídos pelos continentes, o que confere uma identificação mais fácil e localização das descrições de cada mito.
Abundam ilustrações e reproduções de pinturas representativas das descrições, permitindo ao leitor ter uma visão mais gráfica, tornando a leitura mais agradável.
Complementando o conteúdo fantástico, a cuidadosa encadernação, aumenta o valor desta obra, obrigatória em qualquer estante, onde conste prazer e gosto pela cultura
É possível encontrar narrativas mitológicas, em praticamente todas as culturas e em todos os países do mundo, herança de um passado longínquo.
A mitologia socorre-se de alegorias, que procura explicar a origem do universo e ordem da vida. Nesta extraordinária obra do Marcador, somos cuidadosamente convidados a conhecer os mitos mais relevantes, de diversos países.
Organizado de forma muito completa, o livro está repleto de esquemas simplificados, em paralelo com explicações profusamente detalhadas.
Esta forma de organização, permite ao leitor obter as principais informações sobre o mito ou aprofundar o tema, nas mesmas secções.
Os temas são distribuídos pelos continentes, o que confere uma identificação mais fácil e localização das descrições de cada mito.
Abundam ilustrações e reproduções de pinturas representativas das descrições, permitindo ao leitor ter uma visão mais gráfica, tornando a leitura mais agradável.
Complementando o conteúdo fantástico, a cuidadosa encadernação, aumenta o valor desta obra, obrigatória em qualquer estante, onde conste prazer e gosto pela cultura
April 17, 2023
That was fascinating! As a mythology lover, I wanted to learn more about diverse cultures and their traditions, since I'm more familiar with Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. And this book provided exactly that, with myths from areas such as Oceania and Africa! A great read, would recommend for people who are interested in learning more about mythology.
March 27, 2019
Well, It was ok. There was no mention of Medea of Kolkhis in Greek mythology and with Jason. It was little bit too simple, but it was light and ok. I was hugely surprised when I read about KNIGHT IN THE PANTHER'S SKIN but there was no mention about author or anything else.
November 22, 2021
This book served its purpose .I wanted to have a brief overview of different mythologies with references of further reading in detail about the particular mythology I am interested in . I am loving this series with beautiful illustrations , flowcharts and pictures explaining any confusing idea. the links between different topics of the same theme was also helpful.
October 12, 2022
I really wanted to like this book more. It is a brief insight to mythology (obviously) and I enjoyed parts about ancient Rome and Greece, because I already know a lot about this topic, but the rest was just a blur.
March 30, 2023
It’s a good little book for a basic introduction to some of the most popular mythologies out there. If you don’t know a whole lot and just want a basic overview of several mythologies, this would be a good resource for you to check out. It isn’t super in-depth, which is expected considering it’s trying to cover a bunch of different cultures stories throughout the ages.
September 13, 2019
622 - 2019
April 7, 2022
Good overview. Simple and summarized stories. The way this series presents the subjects for those, like me, that do not want to dive deep in certain subjects.
May 11, 2024
⭐⭐⭐ ½
October 30, 2023
Bien escrito, pero a mi me gustan más las ilustraciones y fotos. Los gráficos nos muestran por más detalle muchos elementos de los mitos.
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