The Flood Myth

by Alan Dundes (Editor)

Essays discuss the account of the Flood in Genesis, and compare flood myths from around the world

452 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 1988

About the author

Alan Dundes was a folklorist at the University of California, Berkeley. His work was said to have been central to establishing the study of folklore as an academic discipline. He wrote 12 books, both academic and popular, and edited or co-wrote two dozen more. One of his most notable articles was called "Seeing is Believing" in which he indicated that Americans value the sense of sight more than the other senses.

Reviews

[Kevin Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consisting of twenty-six discrete, separate articles concerning some aspect of its subject matter, "The Flood," edited by Alan Dundes, is a superb compendium that, within its pages, gives an almost encyclopedic view of that greatest of all myths, that of the Noachian Flood. From the first encounter of the myth presented in the story, that of the one in the Book of Genesis, to the Greek version found in Ovid's story of Philemon and Baucis, to the psychoanalytical 'take' as presented by editor Alan Dundes, to the scientific reaction to the flood myth in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries found at the end of the book, this tome presents all aspects of this ubiquitous narrative which, no matter what your point of view, reveals so much about us humans as a people. Reading this beneficently presented book is like viewing a sun beam through a small, beautiful prism: all rays are divided discretely, allowing one to appreciate and approach the myth at its center from what seems like a thousand different points of view. And while some approaches seem more convincing than others from this reader's point of view (Alan Dundes piece and the series of scientific 'takes' on the myth near the end of the book), one is left with an appreciation of the 'truth' of all the perspectives presented in the book. Perhaps this attests to the slippery, multi-faceted nature of truth, or perhaps it is just a testimony to the skill and acumen of the writers of the pieces that are present here. Either way, reading "The Flood Myth" will expand your appreciation of and understanding of this particular myth, and, by extension, the ability of man to tell stories to himself about the nature of the Absolute as revealed in the world around him. Telling a tale is man's defining characteristic; there are no signs that this trait is ending, despite the often un-veridical nature of the tales we tell ourselves. "The Flood Myth" continues this fine tradition and in its execution withholds ultimate judgement; this is a testimony to its ultimate humanity and honoring of its 'truths.' It is also a damn good read.

[Garrett Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

If for whatever reason you want to begin a dive into the universally-attested Flood, you need two books. One is James George Frazier's compilation of notes released as "The Great Flood". This is the other: Dundes's "The Flood Myth": a collection of articles, chapters and excerpts that cover the Flood of Genesis from about every non-Atlantean perspective imaginable. The articles vary in quality from highest quality research, most famous scholars, to weird Freudian cracks. The misses are far outweighed by the hits, and as a whole the collection existing as a quick reference is indispensible to a Flood Scholar. Fundamentalists will not find what they're looking for and should try "The Genesis Flood" by Whitcomb and Morris instead - and a review for that can even be found in Dundes's collection as "Genesis vs. Geology" by Stephen Jay Gould. Even a fundamentalist seeking to understand the geologic argument argued for centuries would do well to read some of these latter entires in "The Flood Myth". Excellent read, but definitely for specialists.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In dreams that combine fire and water, the urethral significance is quite certain."

Get ready for the ride of your life.

This is a terrific work of comparative mythology, if terrifying in its detail. Although it focuses on the Judeo-christian account and its many permutations in other parts of the world, there is a TON of essays on versions of the great deluge myth from pretty much everywhere in the world. It is in fact exhausting in its wealth of detail. There are also some analytical chapters, my favorite two being the theories (no shit) that the flood myth is culturally pervasive because it actually is a symbol of the "vesical dream", that is, man's urge to pee in the morning and the concomitant 'morning wood' (wood for the ark?); and the chapter on how the flood basically equals semen.