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The Mythology of Supernatural: The Signs and Symbols Behind the Popular TV Show
A look into the paranormal legends, lore, mythology, and monsters featured on the hit television show Supernatural .
From angels to demons, The Mythology of Supernatural explores the religious roots and the ancient folklore of the otherworldly entities that brothers Sam and Dean Winchester face on the hit television show Supernatural —and that have inhabited the shadows of human imagination across countless cultures and centuries.
From angels to demons, The Mythology of Supernatural explores the religious roots and the ancient folklore of the otherworldly entities that brothers Sam and Dean Winchester face on the hit television show Supernatural —and that have inhabited the shadows of human imagination across countless cultures and centuries.
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2011
82 people are currently reading
2848 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Robert Brown
19 books25 followersNathan Robert Brown (1977-present) is an author, pop culture mythologist, and technical writer from Texas, currently residing in Florida. He received the 2009 Harry Brown Award for 'The Rape of Lilith.' Nathan has done extensive research in world mythology, folklore, urban legends, ancient civilizations, and world religions, and is an expert on trinities/tripartite systems and universal themes in myth, religion, mysticism, and pop culture. He is the author of many books, such as The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Mythology, World Religions at Your Fingertips, The Mythology of Supernatural, and The Mythology of Grimm.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
October 14, 2013
The amount of easily verifiable mistakes made me doubt and question everything I read. Not the best way to keep a reader interested.
May 24, 2013
The Mythology of Supernatural: the Signs and Symbols behind the Popular TV Show is a must read for anyone who loves the CW series. Not only is it chock full of amazing lore and stories but the author helps debunk some rumors in the fandom as well as add interesting insight to the characters. The book is dedicated to the most amazing (and kick ass!) car in the world the 1967 black Chevy Impala because it is the only car cool enough to be driven by Dean Winchester into the apocalypse! Sadly the book was written at the end of the apocalypse arc (after Sam jumps into the pit) So it's not fully up to date. However, it's got the angels in it and a great couple pages on everyone favorite angel Castiel as well as a few on Anna!
April 15, 2020
This was such an interesting read! I took me years to finish it because I didn't feel the need to finish it right away, it's one of those books you have to read slowly over time in order to retain all the information. I learnt so many interesting things from this book.
If you're a fan of the show Supernatural, then I highly suggest that you read this.
If you're a fan of the show Supernatural, then I highly suggest that you read this.
August 27, 2012
This book was very good and pretty comprehensive. I have to say that the author tried too hard, though. Sometimes he tried sounding too academic and knowledgeable about the various myths, gods and goddesses. Then he would throw in "Supernatural speak" (if you're a fan of the show you know what I mean) and it just sounded inappropriate and ridiculous. He also strays from the topic a little sometimes. For example, in the section about The Apocalypse, he went on about an Egyptian myth that had nothing to do with an apocalyptic event.
The other thing I noticed is that he really doesn't have a good grasp of Judaism or the history of the Hebrew people, referring to them as the YHVH followers (or something like that). No Jew would ever call themselves that, now or then. He constantly refers to the "Old Testament" as the Christian Bible, not attributing it to the Jews at all. I found this very surprising as he seems to have such respect for every other culture but Judaism. That took away from his credibility in my eyes.
He also seems to have the Norse religion confused a bit - the genealogy of Odin, Thor, Loki and Baldur are different in my college mythology book than how Mr. Brown portrayed them. But I also know that mythology has different interpretations through various sources.
However, all that aside, the book is a good look at the characters we have seen on Supernatural. It answers some questions some inquisitive viewers might have, and it also encouraged me to read further on for myself. I just wish he didn't try to sound like Dean so much. Mr. Brown, you are NOT Dean Winchester.
The other thing I noticed is that he really doesn't have a good grasp of Judaism or the history of the Hebrew people, referring to them as the YHVH followers (or something like that). No Jew would ever call themselves that, now or then. He constantly refers to the "Old Testament" as the Christian Bible, not attributing it to the Jews at all. I found this very surprising as he seems to have such respect for every other culture but Judaism. That took away from his credibility in my eyes.
He also seems to have the Norse religion confused a bit - the genealogy of Odin, Thor, Loki and Baldur are different in my college mythology book than how Mr. Brown portrayed them. But I also know that mythology has different interpretations through various sources.
However, all that aside, the book is a good look at the characters we have seen on Supernatural. It answers some questions some inquisitive viewers might have, and it also encouraged me to read further on for myself. I just wish he didn't try to sound like Dean so much. Mr. Brown, you are NOT Dean Winchester.
October 27, 2013
THIS BOOK WAS FREAKING AMAZING!
It was written after the 5th season of the show. It's divided into chapters with different themes, angels, demons, signs and sigils, weapons, and so on. There's a lot of information and background story about everything, and you can tell the author has researched a lot! It's not only about the monsters and weapons, the last chapter is about the Apocalypse, and you also get to read about some other historical brothers and so on.
It's written beautifully, I literally fell in love with this book after reading the first page. The 4 pages long introduction actually made my eyes teary! It feels like you're sitting in front of a campfire and some old man is telling you about all of it. It's so professional but at the same time entertaining. It made me smile and I learned a lot of new stuff.
I didn't realize how much of the TV series that is actually based on true mythology and history, until I read this book. I love this show even more now!
I definitely recommend this book to all Supernatural fans out there, this work is too good to not be read by everyone!
It was written after the 5th season of the show. It's divided into chapters with different themes, angels, demons, signs and sigils, weapons, and so on. There's a lot of information and background story about everything, and you can tell the author has researched a lot! It's not only about the monsters and weapons, the last chapter is about the Apocalypse, and you also get to read about some other historical brothers and so on.
It's written beautifully, I literally fell in love with this book after reading the first page. The 4 pages long introduction actually made my eyes teary! It feels like you're sitting in front of a campfire and some old man is telling you about all of it. It's so professional but at the same time entertaining. It made me smile and I learned a lot of new stuff.
I didn't realize how much of the TV series that is actually based on true mythology and history, until I read this book. I love this show even more now!
I definitely recommend this book to all Supernatural fans out there, this work is too good to not be read by everyone!
March 8, 2012
All I have to say is holy shit does this man know his mythology. This is somehow one of the best mythology books that I've read. It covers a broad range of topics (all of which do pertain to events on the show) and he offers several different versions of each tale so as not to be biased. The author did his research and he did it well. You do not have to be a fan of Supernatural to enjoy this book although I have to say that all the quotes from the show did have me giggling. But, this book holds it's own. It's smart and it doesn't drag on and the fact that there was three pages worth of an exorcism written entirely in Latin was just mind blowing to me. If you are a fan of Supernatural and the mythology the show is based on, pick this book up. If you are just a fan of lore and mythology, still pick this book up. It was a good read and left me not wanting it to end.
July 22, 2014
As a Supernatural fan and a mythological/history nerd this book was tailor made for me and did not disappoint. It explained the myth and legend behind some of the shows most important elements and then explained how the writers changed those details to fit with Supernatural's canon. It was a quick read too, I managed to finish it in one day.
If you love hunters, carry around salt and follow Misha Collins on Twitter then you might indeed enjoy this book.
If you love hunters, carry around salt and follow Misha Collins on Twitter then you might indeed enjoy this book.
October 9, 2017
I will admit that I am a huge fan of the show Supernatural and I found this book to be rather interesting and contained some information that was new to me. For example to learn where Castiel may have been derived from was interesting and to just learn some extra information regarding angels and demons was just fun. I did enjoy this book and find myself wanting to learn more about other forms of mythology.
October 30, 2013
This book was just really fascinating. i would definitely recommend. I am a big Supernatural fan so it was great for when you were wondering about the real life information on the things in the episodes, he had an answer. Even if you don't watch the show, it's an awesome read.
January 5, 2014
What an amazing book! Not only talks about Supernatural, my all time favorite show, it also talks about mythology and actual american history, really really good, I had to read it for college but I would re-read it anytime!
March 20, 2015
Absolutely loved this book, finished it in no time and was completely engulfed in the information.
April 28, 2015
I highly suggest this for any supernatural fan or anyone that likes to know origin stories. Great read!!
June 4, 2016
A lot of interesting and fascinating information. Definitely recommend for fans of Supernatural and interested in the mystical,paranormal, and mythology.
August 19, 2023
This was a fun dive back into a show I still hold dear in my heart, even with all its flaws.
Much like the show, the author definitely perpetuates some toxic ideas of masculinity, sexism and homophobia.
But aside from that, there's some good tidbits of lore. I'm always particularly fascinated by how religious texts have influenced our stories to this day. Perhaps that's the Catholic in me.
The most interesting section of the whole book was the chapter on Lilith. I would honestly read a whole book about that archetypal character, but preferably from a more feminist scholarly lense.
If you're big into mythology and folklore like me, then there's a lot in here that really serves as a refresher.
Much like the show, the author definitely perpetuates some toxic ideas of masculinity, sexism and homophobia.
But aside from that, there's some good tidbits of lore. I'm always particularly fascinated by how religious texts have influenced our stories to this day. Perhaps that's the Catholic in me.
The most interesting section of the whole book was the chapter on Lilith. I would honestly read a whole book about that archetypal character, but preferably from a more feminist scholarly lense.
If you're big into mythology and folklore like me, then there's a lot in here that really serves as a refresher.
December 16, 2017
As an SPN fanatic, I try to collect & read all the books about the show / pertaining to the show that I possibly can. I strongly disagree with fellow SPN-Family Members who harshly rated this book in that I LOVED it! Probably my favorite SPN book I’ve read thus far after “Family Don’t End with Blood”.
Although the Texas-native, (as are both Jared & Jensen) author clearly states no connection to, or authorization / endorsement by the show or anyone associated with it, he clearly is a real fan, unlike a few other un-authorized / endorsed authors I’ve read who are clearly just trying to profit off of the popularity & obsessive fan base of the show & actually know & care about very little to nothing about it.
I mean, in all honesty, he had me from the dedication: “To the legendary 1967 Chevy Impala 327 V-8 four-barrel - the only car with enough awesome to be driven into an Apocalypse by Dean Winchester.” Also, his introduction about the human history of heroes & why the Winchester’s perfectly fit into that historic mold, had me literally tearing up.
Beyond that, this guy clearly knows his stuff. Just as he stated in the intro he hoped to accomplish to some degree with the book, I was thoroughly fascinated & entertained while learning A LOT throughout the entire book! I learned SO many things about not only Judeo-Christian beliefs and The Bible, but also about so many other religions, myths, folklores and stories. The way he tied them all up into what SPN has done & features & showed the differences, similarities & (more often than not), mixtures between SPN storylines & where their actual beliefs & connections lye was absolutely fascinating. Made me love the show, writers & researchers even more.
Another fun piece of this book for us longtime SPN fans is that although it was written sometime during season 6, (based off of a few of the season 6 episodes he referenced throughout, I’m guessing that it was written halfway through the season-ish) - he talks about religious beliefs, myths & lore pertaining to things that happen in the show after season 6 such as Leviathan, The Mark of Cain, etc. He also talks about what’s going on in the show right now, (we’re currently halfway through season 13), when he talks about Nephilim, Asmodeus, etc. Also, the conclusion - Why / how DID Chuck disappear into thin air like that? Season 11 anyone? haha.
So yeah. Loved this book. Learned a lot. Well researched & put together & I truly felt that the author is a real fan of the show & trying to highlight & support it.
One funny thing I will say though is the more I learn about the actual cultural beliefs, whether they be biblical, religious or just folklore & myths as old as time in some cases - they often make the show portrayals not seem dark or horror-like comparatively @ all & they are oftentimes MUCH stranger, odd and hard to believe which begs the question for me, personally, of why certain SUPER religious people take it on faith believing The Bible & all the ‘unbelievable’ & @ times quite dark stories in it word-for-word, yet believe that other ‘supernatural’ concepts & beliefs that have been around & deeply believed in for just as long, such as ghosts, aliens, (even zombies, werewolves & vampires,) to be so unbelievable? Not saying either belief system is right or wrong, I just think it’s an interesting concept.
Although the Texas-native, (as are both Jared & Jensen) author clearly states no connection to, or authorization / endorsement by the show or anyone associated with it, he clearly is a real fan, unlike a few other un-authorized / endorsed authors I’ve read who are clearly just trying to profit off of the popularity & obsessive fan base of the show & actually know & care about very little to nothing about it.
I mean, in all honesty, he had me from the dedication: “To the legendary 1967 Chevy Impala 327 V-8 four-barrel - the only car with enough awesome to be driven into an Apocalypse by Dean Winchester.” Also, his introduction about the human history of heroes & why the Winchester’s perfectly fit into that historic mold, had me literally tearing up.
Beyond that, this guy clearly knows his stuff. Just as he stated in the intro he hoped to accomplish to some degree with the book, I was thoroughly fascinated & entertained while learning A LOT throughout the entire book! I learned SO many things about not only Judeo-Christian beliefs and The Bible, but also about so many other religions, myths, folklores and stories. The way he tied them all up into what SPN has done & features & showed the differences, similarities & (more often than not), mixtures between SPN storylines & where their actual beliefs & connections lye was absolutely fascinating. Made me love the show, writers & researchers even more.
Another fun piece of this book for us longtime SPN fans is that although it was written sometime during season 6, (based off of a few of the season 6 episodes he referenced throughout, I’m guessing that it was written halfway through the season-ish) - he talks about religious beliefs, myths & lore pertaining to things that happen in the show after season 6 such as Leviathan, The Mark of Cain, etc. He also talks about what’s going on in the show right now, (we’re currently halfway through season 13), when he talks about Nephilim, Asmodeus, etc. Also, the conclusion - Why / how DID Chuck disappear into thin air like that? Season 11 anyone? haha.
So yeah. Loved this book. Learned a lot. Well researched & put together & I truly felt that the author is a real fan of the show & trying to highlight & support it.
One funny thing I will say though is the more I learn about the actual cultural beliefs, whether they be biblical, religious or just folklore & myths as old as time in some cases - they often make the show portrayals not seem dark or horror-like comparatively @ all & they are oftentimes MUCH stranger, odd and hard to believe which begs the question for me, personally, of why certain SUPER religious people take it on faith believing The Bible & all the ‘unbelievable’ & @ times quite dark stories in it word-for-word, yet believe that other ‘supernatural’ concepts & beliefs that have been around & deeply believed in for just as long, such as ghosts, aliens, (even zombies, werewolves & vampires,) to be so unbelievable? Not saying either belief system is right or wrong, I just think it’s an interesting concept.
January 11, 2018
4.5
I'm a huge fan of the early Supernatural seasons (and some of the later ones), so this was an interesting and educational supplementary read to the show. While it was very information-heavy, the writing was colloquial and easy to understand, and Nathan Robert Brown's humor is great.
I guess the subtitle of the book kinda threw me off because I was expecting more info on the literal symbols, when in reality it discussed mostly religious/mythical representation. This was still really interesting, though, even with not remembering a good chunk of seasons 4 through 6. I was hoping for more info on the creatures and the lore and legends of the early seasons, but that may be more suited for a book titled "The Legends of Supernatural" lol. (Does this exist? I really hope so.)
Another thing I wanted: pictures! Can't have it all I guess. I still really enjoyed this book and feel like I learned A LOT from it. Then again its source material is one of the most clever shows out there.
I'm a huge fan of the early Supernatural seasons (and some of the later ones), so this was an interesting and educational supplementary read to the show. While it was very information-heavy, the writing was colloquial and easy to understand, and Nathan Robert Brown's humor is great.
I guess the subtitle of the book kinda threw me off because I was expecting more info on the literal symbols, when in reality it discussed mostly religious/mythical representation. This was still really interesting, though, even with not remembering a good chunk of seasons 4 through 6. I was hoping for more info on the creatures and the lore and legends of the early seasons, but that may be more suited for a book titled "The Legends of Supernatural" lol. (Does this exist? I really hope so.)
Another thing I wanted: pictures! Can't have it all I guess. I still really enjoyed this book and feel like I learned A LOT from it. Then again its source material is one of the most clever shows out there.
March 31, 2016
Mythology is something that I find really interesting, so I was really excited to read this book (being both a fan of the show and the history). I really liked the coverage of the stories within the book. Each concept got explained in the context of Supernatural mythology, realistic mythology, and any other background information the author felt the reader might need. I was relieved to find that the author left his sources within the text and layout the information in a way that allowed the reader to follow the story of the myth and how it evolved over time. Everything tied in together really well. And the book covered a lot. It didn't cover everything from the TV show, but that was to be expected. I found the book to be fascinating and extremely interesting for people who are interested in that kind of stuff. However, for the people like me who enjoy knowing everything about a myth, from where it started to how it evolved to its social impacts to the cultures that observed the myth, its a decent jumping off point, but definitely leaves room for more research.
December 27, 2012
This was a very well put together book. Every section delved heavy into the mythology of Supernatural and also other religions and beliefs and what part they played in where the Supernatural mythos came from. I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to fans of the show or fans of information period because this book is jammed full of information.
I learned a lot from this book, not only about the show and their ideas, but other religions and belief systems, as well as stories that have been passed around for years, centuries etc. Definitely deserved 5/5.
Now if only I could speak the latin parts as well as I read them, I'd be all set.
I learned a lot from this book, not only about the show and their ideas, but other religions and belief systems, as well as stories that have been passed around for years, centuries etc. Definitely deserved 5/5.
Now if only I could speak the latin parts as well as I read them, I'd be all set.
October 26, 2014
after almost 5 months, AT LAST. That's what happens when you're reading non fiction.
If you like Supernatural and mythology this is a good book, though if you know your fair share of it already, this won't add nothing new to your data base. The book is basically descriptive on where the mythology of SPN comes from but it doesn't delve in speculation . I miss a little bit of that and more depth in the accounting of some myths.
But as I said, if you are new to mythology and you like SPN, this is the perfect book for you.
If you like Supernatural and mythology this is a good book, though if you know your fair share of it already, this won't add nothing new to your data base. The book is basically descriptive on where the mythology of SPN comes from but it doesn't delve in speculation . I miss a little bit of that and more depth in the accounting of some myths.
But as I said, if you are new to mythology and you like SPN, this is the perfect book for you.
September 25, 2020
I know this book is unauthorized but the silhouettes on the cover obviously being random guys and not of the Winchester’s has always bugged me.
I was hoping for more demonology, especially since I wasn’t too crazy about the angels when they first came along in the series, and at the time when I bought it I was really into the paranormal. But it was interesting finding out about all the mythological elements involved with the story.
I was hoping for more demonology, especially since I wasn’t too crazy about the angels when they first came along in the series, and at the time when I bought it I was really into the paranormal. But it was interesting finding out about all the mythological elements involved with the story.
September 23, 2014
As someone who spends most of the Supernatural episode trying to figure out where they myths and creatures come from, this book was an end to all my wikipedia rabbit-trails. Brown is a mythologist who researched all the lore used on the show and writes what's straight from mythological history and what's been creatively enhanced.
July 30, 2017
With a 2011 copyright, this endeavor covers about half the Supernatural series to date. Some of the questions raised here have been answered in subsequent seasons. Regardless, this is a worthy read for any fan. Mr. Brown does a sound job of exploring various world mythologies and mysteries as they may relate to the world of Supernatural. His explanations are accessible and engaging.
April 11, 2017
Incredibly well- & thoroughly researched, almost (pleasantly) surprisingly so. Goes just a little bit in-depth about everything without getting boring. Intelligent while still being a super fun read. More serious (in a good way) than some of the other fandom stuff.
August 14, 2011
You can read my review of this book here: http://nyjournalofbooks.com/review/my...
July 8, 2012
This book was so interesting and informative!!!!
November 6, 2014
A MUST HAVE for every Supernatural fan. Covers weapons, allies, enemies and basically everything Supernatural.
April 1, 2012
Great book if you're a fan and want a good organized list of what's been covered in the show concerning the mythology.
September 28, 2012
Very good and interesting! Loved this book!
March 24, 2013
Great for authors of the supernatural as a bible of different legends about signs and symbols and how they are used on the show. Next for me is te monsters version.
February 8, 2015
4 or 4,5 stars!
Review in Swedish: http://bookshelf.blogg.se/2015/februa...
Review in Swedish: http://bookshelf.blogg.se/2015/februa...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews