Dictionary of Ancient Deities

by Patricia Turner, the late Charles Russell Coulter

Nothing reveals more about a civilization than the gods and goddesses it worshipped. For thousands of years humans have fashioned stories about divine beings to explain their most mysterious, terrifying, and exalted experiences. Today the names of many of these deities have fallen into obscurity. The Dictionary of Ancient Deities brings these gods and goddesses back to light.
Here, in one superbly written volume, is every known divine being throughout recorded history, from Athena and Brahma to the evil demon king Ngworekara of the African Fan people and the Babylonian dream messenger Zaqar. With over 10,000 entries, The Dictionary of Ancient Deities is the most comprehensive reference of its kind, covering not only gods and goddesses, but also spirits, places, festivals, sacred texts and objects, heroes, monsters, demigods, and the plethora of fantastic mythical beasts that have populated the human imagination from time immemorial. The encyclopedia also includes many deities often missing from standard collections, notably from Inuit, Native American, and African cultures. Alphabetically arranged entries provide the name of each deity (with alternate spellings), followed by the tribe or culture that worshipped the deity. Most importantly, the entries--whether brief descriptions or longer essays--offer lucid and engaging explanations of the origins and functions of the god or goddess.
With a comprehensive index and an extensive bibliography, The Dictionary of Ancient Deities is the best choice for anyone intrigued by the rich pantheon of divine beings that have mirrored the human psyche and shaped our earliest civilizations.

Genres: Reference, Mythology, Nonfiction, Religion, Occult, History, Spirituality

597 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Russell Coulter's and Patricia Turner's Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities is indeed a wonderful and highly informative mythological reference manual and as such a five star book and most definitely highly recommended for anyone even remotely interested in mythology, world religions and/or folklore. It is extensive, with well over 10,000 entries (and yes, the preface even states that Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities is the most comprehensive collection of information on the topic, on the subject of ancient deities, an assertion that I can more than well believe). But while the individual entries of Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities are indeed delightfully informative, because this is primarily an alphabetical (from A to Z) encyclopedia, they are of course also not overly detailed (albeit that they do in my opinion provide more than enough required primary information). Furthermore, the authors have also provided a detailed bibliography at the back of Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities (something that I, personally, do very much appreciate, as that is not always and actually often only rather rarely the case with these types of reference materials). And indeed, Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities is also not really a book that one would generally tend to ever read from cover to cover (and in one sitting). I have used my own copy extensively over the years, often for research purposes, to look up names of ancient deities that have appeared in books I was reading (both academic and literary). It takes much of the guesswork and potential frustration out of encountering unfamiliar mythological allusions in the course of one's reading (and is also just an interesting and informative source encyclopedia on the gods and goddesses of the past as yes, I often spend hours simply browsing through some of the many entries).

[Daryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother wrote this book. It took ten years of research, during which time her co- author and best friend commit suicide. She plugged along starting at a leather topped antique partners desk in her Los Angeles bedroom until she finished in her basement bedroom at my house in Daly City,CA She fell in love with many of the dieties she wrote about and was very sad yet elated to finish writing it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is probably the most comprehensive book on ancient deities I have ever come across. An excellent reference.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome reference book for those interested in mythology and folklore.

[Regina Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way they give the other possible names and comparisons.

[Mehrdadjons]

ok

[Renee Alberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an essential reference to deities of multiple cultures.