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The Lady of Ten Thousand Names: Goddess Stories from Many Cultures
Drawing from traditional tales and sacred texts worldwide, Burleigh Muten presents eight goddesses who each face their own set of unique challenges. Whether it be the mighty Isis, who struggles to save her beloved brother amidst the power politics of ancient Egypt, or White Buffalo Woman, who instructs the Sioux tribe how to worship Mother Earth, all of the women brim with determination as they strive to assert their own independence and authority.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2001
1 person is currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Burleigh Muten
19 books13 followersFrom the site:
About Me
I have always loved words.
When I was eight, I began collecting words and categorizing them into word lists: night words, flight words, colors, feelings, places, well — any category will do.
My fifth grade teacher noticed my love of writing and appointed me editor-in-chief of our class newspaper. I loved the clack of the typewriter and the sight of my words in print. I read every book of fairy tales and Greek mythology in the school and town libraries, but my favorite book (then and now) is the dictionary.
I was in college working in the library when I realized I wanted to write for children, but I was a grandmother before my first book GRANDMOTHERS’ STORIES was published.
I live in the woods of western Massachusetts where the hawks soar, owls glide, and the leaves rustle and whisper as I fall asleep. I have two children who are creative adults now: Bjorn, who is a painter and Iris, who is a photographer and librarian. Now I am known as Nana to two boys who live in Maine.
I love teaching the children in my kindergarten and first grade class to read and write. During the summer, I work on my own writing and lead writing workshops for young authors throughout New England.
About Me
I have always loved words.
When I was eight, I began collecting words and categorizing them into word lists: night words, flight words, colors, feelings, places, well — any category will do.
My fifth grade teacher noticed my love of writing and appointed me editor-in-chief of our class newspaper. I loved the clack of the typewriter and the sight of my words in print. I read every book of fairy tales and Greek mythology in the school and town libraries, but my favorite book (then and now) is the dictionary.
I was in college working in the library when I realized I wanted to write for children, but I was a grandmother before my first book GRANDMOTHERS’ STORIES was published.
I live in the woods of western Massachusetts where the hawks soar, owls glide, and the leaves rustle and whisper as I fall asleep. I have two children who are creative adults now: Bjorn, who is a painter and Iris, who is a photographer and librarian. Now I am known as Nana to two boys who live in Maine.
I love teaching the children in my kindergarten and first grade class to read and write. During the summer, I work on my own writing and lead writing workshops for young authors throughout New England.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 13, 2020
American author Burleigh Mutén and British illustrator Helen Cann join forces in this lovely collection of goddess stories from around the world. The eight selections here include:
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names, which details the ancient Egyptian story of Isis, who rescued her brother/husband Osirus, when the god Set murdered him and set him afloat in a sarcophagus on the Nile...
The Princess Who Became a Goddess, in which a mortal Chinese princess named Maio Shan, being too kind and good for the world, became Kuan Yin, the goddess of compassion, going on to aid the father who had had her executed...
We Are All One Family, which sets out the story of White Buffalo Woman, a sacred spirit who came to the Lakota people of North America's great plains, bringing them the sacred pipe, and teaching them sacred rituals...
Mother of Magic, which relates the tale of the Welsh sorceress Cerridwen, whose attempt to use magic to aid her son, Great Crow, didn't go quite as she planned, leading to an unexpected second child...
The Blessing Necklace, in which the Norse goddess Freya gains a necklace of unearthly beauty from four dwarfs, thanks to her charm, only to find her new treasure stolen by Odin...
Ama-Terasu's Mirror, in which the Japanese Shinto sun goddess Ama-Terasu hides from her reckless, destructive brother in a cave, until the other deities find a way to convince her to emerge, bringing light back to the world...
The Great Mother, which tells of how the Nigerian Yoruba mother goddess, Oshun, participates in the creation of humanity...
And finally, Persephone, Demeter and Hekate, which tells the classical Greek myth concerning the kidnapping of Persephone by Hades, and the compromise which brought about the changing seasons...
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names: Goddess Stories from Many Cultures is the second goddess-centered collection I have read from Burleigh Mutén, following upon her Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic . That other title was an encyclopedia of 107 deities, whereas this is an actual story collection. On the whole, I enjoyed Mutén's retelling of the tales here, all of which were already known to me. That said, the real star of this collection, for me, was the lovely artwork from Helen Cann, which captures the beauty and mystery of these stories. By itself, the text probably would have gotten a three-star rating, but such was my enjoyment of the visuals, that I added an extra star. Recommended to young folklore and mythology lovers, and to readers seeking goddess stories from around the world.
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names, which details the ancient Egyptian story of Isis, who rescued her brother/husband Osirus, when the god Set murdered him and set him afloat in a sarcophagus on the Nile...
The Princess Who Became a Goddess, in which a mortal Chinese princess named Maio Shan, being too kind and good for the world, became Kuan Yin, the goddess of compassion, going on to aid the father who had had her executed...
We Are All One Family, which sets out the story of White Buffalo Woman, a sacred spirit who came to the Lakota people of North America's great plains, bringing them the sacred pipe, and teaching them sacred rituals...
Mother of Magic, which relates the tale of the Welsh sorceress Cerridwen, whose attempt to use magic to aid her son, Great Crow, didn't go quite as she planned, leading to an unexpected second child...
The Blessing Necklace, in which the Norse goddess Freya gains a necklace of unearthly beauty from four dwarfs, thanks to her charm, only to find her new treasure stolen by Odin...
Ama-Terasu's Mirror, in which the Japanese Shinto sun goddess Ama-Terasu hides from her reckless, destructive brother in a cave, until the other deities find a way to convince her to emerge, bringing light back to the world...
The Great Mother, which tells of how the Nigerian Yoruba mother goddess, Oshun, participates in the creation of humanity...
And finally, Persephone, Demeter and Hekate, which tells the classical Greek myth concerning the kidnapping of Persephone by Hades, and the compromise which brought about the changing seasons...
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names: Goddess Stories from Many Cultures is the second goddess-centered collection I have read from Burleigh Mutén, following upon her Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic . That other title was an encyclopedia of 107 deities, whereas this is an actual story collection. On the whole, I enjoyed Mutén's retelling of the tales here, all of which were already known to me. That said, the real star of this collection, for me, was the lovely artwork from Helen Cann, which captures the beauty and mystery of these stories. By itself, the text probably would have gotten a three-star rating, but such was my enjoyment of the visuals, that I added an extra star. Recommended to young folklore and mythology lovers, and to readers seeking goddess stories from around the world.
February 4, 2011
I picked this up because it was by the woman who wrote two of my favorite compilations of goddess art/poetry/articles/references/etc. Once again, a book for Barefoot Books, making it a children's mythos book on Goddesses. The art was lovely, and the stories are wonderful for children (even though I can definitely tell where artistic license is taken with telling the tales in a format more understandable for children vs. the direct myth itself. I waffle on my thoughts about this, which bring it down from a four to w three in stars)
March 3, 2020
Which shelf do I use for this book? Is this religion? Ancient history? Folklore? Short stories? (I don't have a shelf for Mythology.)
As a child, I only remember hearing fairy tales. I wonder what I would have thought of these stories.
Egypt: Isis (the Earth was hers to protect and nourish)
China: Kuan Yin (embodies kindness, mercy, grace)
N America - Lakota Sioux: White Buffalo Woman
... (taught that Earth is the mother of all)
Wales: Gerridwen
... (fertility, birth & death; blesses poets & musicians)
Scandinavia: Freya
... (love, desire, sorcery, magic, war death)
Japan: Ama-terasu
... (ruler of the six directions & mother of all)
Nigeria - Yoruba: Oshun
... (protectress who rules over love & beauty)
Greece: Triple Goddess - Persephone, Demeter, Hekate
... (rules over the seasons, the cycle of Earth)
Surprising to me: Many of these Goddesses seem overly fond of appearance and fine things (clothes, jewelry)
The Foreword should also be read at the end.
32 sources cited
As a child, I only remember hearing fairy tales. I wonder what I would have thought of these stories.
Egypt: Isis (the Earth was hers to protect and nourish)
China: Kuan Yin (embodies kindness, mercy, grace)
N America - Lakota Sioux: White Buffalo Woman
... (taught that Earth is the mother of all)
Wales: Gerridwen
... (fertility, birth & death; blesses poets & musicians)
Scandinavia: Freya
... (love, desire, sorcery, magic, war death)
Japan: Ama-terasu
... (ruler of the six directions & mother of all)
Nigeria - Yoruba: Oshun
... (protectress who rules over love & beauty)
Greece: Triple Goddess - Persephone, Demeter, Hekate
... (rules over the seasons, the cycle of Earth)
Surprising to me: Many of these Goddesses seem overly fond of appearance and fine things (clothes, jewelry)
The Foreword should also be read at the end.
32 sources cited
January 27, 2022
Just okay. I liked the variety of the stories/countries, but it's been a week and it's already fading from my memory.
July 1, 2016
All these books I've been picking up—the goddesses, Grandmothers' Stories and Grandfather Mountain—I didn't know these were all by Burleigh Muten until I read them. Apparently she has a fascination with these kinds of stories from around the world, and I am so glad, because her books are beautiful and I have loved reading them. The Lady of Ten Thousand Names includes stories about several of the same goddesses that were included in Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic, but where they were only described briefly there, now they each have several pages of their own story. The illustrations here are also lovely, but I liked Rebecca Guay's and Sian Bailey's much better.
Want to read
January 3, 2019RTC.
-------------
Picture Books About Goddesses & Mythology:
(these books feature myths from all over the world and include sources)
Changing Woman and Her Sisters: Stories of Goddesses from Around the World
★★★★☆
Features 10 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 3-5 pages of copy (includes a short intro blurb and story).
Book of Goddesses
★★★☆☆
Features 26 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 1 full page of copy.
Legendary Ladies: 50 Goddesses to Empower and Inspire You
☆☆☆☆☆
Features 50 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 1 full page of copy.
Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic
★★★★☆
Features 100+ goddesses - organized in alphabetical order, each goddess has a very short blurb, with full and half page illustrations sprinkled throughout.
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names
☆☆☆☆☆
Features 8 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and a few pages of copy.
-------------
Picture Books About Goddesses & Mythology:
(these books feature myths from all over the world and include sources)
Changing Woman and Her Sisters: Stories of Goddesses from Around the World
★★★★☆
Features 10 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 3-5 pages of copy (includes a short intro blurb and story).
Book of Goddesses
★★★☆☆
Features 26 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 1 full page of copy.
Legendary Ladies: 50 Goddesses to Empower and Inspire You
☆☆☆☆☆
Features 50 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 1 full page of copy.
Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic
★★★★☆
Features 100+ goddesses - organized in alphabetical order, each goddess has a very short blurb, with full and half page illustrations sprinkled throughout.
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names
☆☆☆☆☆
Features 8 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and a few pages of copy.
December 24, 2018
great topics for young children and colorful stories, but they all seem to end abruptly and in satisfactorily
September 11, 2019
Read as part of our ongoing Comparative World Religion class with my homeschooler. Great introduction to various goddesses from different belief structures.
December 17, 2022
A good collection of stories.
October 23, 2025
8 goddess stories from around the world: Isis, White Buffalo Woman, Cerridwen, Oshun, Amaterasu, Kuan Yin, Freya, and Persephone/Demeter/Hecate.
October 22, 2012
I love myths so I love to collect books about them.
I have several children books about myths and folk legends and this one is the last addiction I made to my collection. The drawings are what you normally find on this type of book and the stories are easy to read.
You have the story of Isis and of Amateratsu which usually appearer in this type of books, but you also have Kuan Yin's story which isn't common at all, as well as the story of a celtic which whose name is totally unpronounceable (at least I cant pronounce it).
All and all it's a good if you don't have many of these, it's great for girls for it's about goddesses, but if you already have a great collection it won't be very different from the all the other ones.
I have several children books about myths and folk legends and this one is the last addiction I made to my collection. The drawings are what you normally find on this type of book and the stories are easy to read.
You have the story of Isis and of Amateratsu which usually appearer in this type of books, but you also have Kuan Yin's story which isn't common at all, as well as the story of a celtic which whose name is totally unpronounceable (at least I cant pronounce it).
All and all it's a good if you don't have many of these, it's great for girls for it's about goddesses, but if you already have a great collection it won't be very different from the all the other ones.
October 31, 2009
My kids really enjoy the stories and illustrations of barefoot books .. as do I.
We like to read and discuss the stories and how they relate to real life in places all over the world and the goddesses.
My son loved the story of Freya. My daughter loved the story of Persephone, Demeter and Hakate. Other stories of Isis, Kuan Yin, White Buffalo Woman, Cerridwen, Ama-terasu, and Oshun.
We like to read and discuss the stories and how they relate to real life in places all over the world and the goddesses.
My son loved the story of Freya. My daughter loved the story of Persephone, Demeter and Hakate. Other stories of Isis, Kuan Yin, White Buffalo Woman, Cerridwen, Ama-terasu, and Oshun.
February 4, 2014
As I've stated in other reviews, I love stories about gods and goddesses, and this one is just as good as my other favorites. The book talks mainly about goddesses, but also about gods a little. This is good for learning about goddesses, and the pictures illustrate the stories well. I will definitely be having this book and others in my classroom.
April 7, 2011
If you like books about Gods this is the book for you. But I think they talk too much about the guy Gods than this book is for you. It talks about one Goddess from a lot of beliefs. It has a fable for nearly every Goddess.
February 26, 2008
Decent collection of goddess stories from around the world.
July 2, 2009
Beautiful pictures and lovely stories. Granted, it's a kid's book but goddesses are still interesting to me.
July 28, 2011
Nice..
September 8, 2016
I have to say I was disappointed in this book... The stories seemed incomplete. I finished the book feeling something was still missing.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews