Mythology

[flybye023]

I am interested in reading the myths of various cultures. So far I have read Edith Hamilton's Mythology which is about Greek myths; a book about Norse mythology by Padraic Colum. I just bought Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis and Irish Folk & Fairy Tales Omnibus by Michael Scott.

Honestly, though, I am a little overwhelmed by all the choices there are out there. :confused:

What mythology books have you read and enjoyed? My next culture will probably be Native American though I would appreciate suggestions on any culture.

[LostMyMind]

I actually don't mind reading the actually mythologies stories. They're more interesting than other people's take on the stories. Which reminds me, I got to get the rest of my books out so I can find my old (printed in 18 somthing) greek mythology book

[tacohuman]

i'd recommend popol vul, the mayan book of the dead. it's extremely interesting.

[kebable]

Try Kalevala (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala)... and read here about Finnish Mythology. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_mythology)

[Asarelah]

I am interested in reading the myths of various cultures. So far I have read Edith Hamilton's Mythology which is about Greek myths; a book about Norse mythology by Padraic Colum. I just bought Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis and Irish Folk & Fairy Tales Omnibus by Michael Scott.

Honestly, though, I am a little overwhelmed by all the choices there are out there. :confused:

What mythology books have you read and enjoyed? My next culture will probably be Native American though I would appreciate suggestions on any culture.


I'm a BIG, BIG, BIG mythology buff. As soon as I find my really, really good book about Native American mythology (where the %#$^ did I put it?! Agh!), along with the other mythology books that I can't seem to @#%@$ing find, I will get back to you.

I also hold a Bachelor's Degree in anthropology. If you find a myth baffling or confusing (which they can often be), I'll be happy to try to help put it into a cultural context for you. Just PM me.

[flybye023]

Well, I have a copy of the Kalevala. Thanks for the suggestion, Kebable :p .

I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm still looking for Popol vul though. Next stop, Library :D . Thanks again, Kebable and Tacohuman.

[Asarelah]

I found it! I reccommend American Indian Myths and Legends, by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Legends-Pantheon-Folklore-Library/dp/0394740181/sr=8-1/qid=1157679506/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-0598178-5078438?ie=UTF8&s=books

Enjoy. Its one for the best books about American Indian mythology that I've ever read.

[Barefootgirl]

Kebable, I'm going to a hotel in Helsinki next week that has quotations from the Kalevala woven into the carpets and which has a front desk based on the shape of the great egg...

The White Goddess and The Golden Bough are interesting, if somewhat heavy going explanations of northern European mythology. Oh, the time I spent ploughing through the bloody Golden Bough when I was studying T S Eliot at uni...

[Rapscallion]

Feeling up for the original Arthurian myths? Try the Mabinogion (Mabinogian? can't remember the exact spelling...).

Rapscallion

[kebable]

Kebable, I'm going to a hotel in Helsinki next week that has quotations from the Kalevala woven into the carpets and which has a front desk based on the shape of the great egg...

The White Goddess and The Golden Bough are interesting, if somewhat heavy going explanations of northern European mythology. Oh, the time I spent ploughing through the bloody Golden Bough when I was studying T S Eliot at uni...

Reviving an old thread... but I gotta ask:
What was the name of the hotel you were in?

And you must try this someday:
Kemi snowcastle (http://www.snowcastle.net/)

[Barefootgirl]

Hi Kebable, it was the Klaus K, on Bulevardi, in Helsinki. Its one of my favourite hotels in Helsinki, and if it had the Tourni's bar and ladies' room, it would be THE favourite...! :D

[rdp78]

I have a couple books on mythology and have yet to read them in full but I did read a few things in both. I am planing on reading in them all well, one day (I have quite few other books I have but haven't read). Now one is pretty much has the stories and other is sort of a reference book.

Anyway one is called World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics by Donna Rosenberg and that has every several tales from everywhere in the world. They have The Iliad, The Odyssey, and the story about the King Arthur which I have read however they are the condence versions. They do have a few Native American tales such as The Emergence (Navajo) and Sedna (Inuit).

The other is The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology by Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm which is very much a reference book. It's mainly has the characters of the myths and pretty much the European, Oriental myths. They didn't include the American Indian myths.

[Monica]

I read the Edith Hamilton book. I prefer Greek and Roman mythology.

[hq_]

it was the Klaus K, on Bulevardi, in Helsinki...
...if it had the Tourni's bar and ladies' room, it would be THE favourite...!

Please edit quotes

As a HIGHLY off-topic sidenote, those two hotels were the choice of Lee Harvey Oswald during his stay in Helsinki in October 1959. Hmm, that might even fall under the term "mythology" in the loose sense of the word, considering all the conspiracy theories behind the JFK assasination. :D

(Torni's top floor "American Bar" is one of my favourites too, especially during the summer when the roof terrace is open.)

[Mr B Rabbit]

Hmm, that might even fall under the term "mythology" in the loose sense of the word, considering all the conspiracy theories behind the JFK assasination.

Please edit quotes

Probably urban legend rather than mythology, but those are pretty much mythology in the making. If you want to find out about them try http://www.project2067.com.

I used to be heavily into mythology, but recently I've been looking more at urban legends and the seeds behind them.

[hq_]

Probably urban legend rather than mythology

Harvey Lee Oswald's whereabouts between October 9th and 15th 1959, including checking in into both of these hotels, are covered fairly extensively in the Appendix XIII of Warren Commission's report (titled "biography of L.H.O.") so that part seems to be one of the few - although slightly irrelevant - historically accurate facts in it.

Personally I'm not *that* interested in JFK/LHO, just a small tidbit of trivia I came across once while doing research on a completely unrelated subject. ;)

As far as mythology and urban legends are concerned, I agree with you, the only difference seems to be the timespan and a complete lack of means to check the facts in the ancient times. Fascinating, nonetheless.

[Mr B Rabbit]

Not to mention that gods and magic feature more heavily in mythology than in urban legends, though the older ULs do tend to be more ghostly or supernatural.

[Knightmare]

Neil Gaiman (http://www.neilgaiman.com/) has some wonderful stories and many of them have mythological backgrounds (Anansi Boys and American Gods are the two that pop into my head right now). He is a wonderful writer, and I think most people will enjoy his work. He cowrote Good Omens with Terry Pratchett, The Sandman comic books for DC/Vertigo, and has some television and movie projects in development.

Especially check out American Gods. Very rich in mythology; but good luck trying to figure out all the gods.

[Mr B Rabbit]

Neil Gaiman (http://www.neilgaiman.com/) has some wonderful stories and many of them have mythological backgrounds (Anansi Boys and American Gods are the two that pop into my head right now). He is a wonderful writer, and I think most people will enjoy his work. He cowrote Good Omens with Terry Pratchett, The Sandman comic books for DC/Vertigo, and has some television and movie projects in development.

Especially check out American Gods. Very rich in mythology; but good luck trying to figure out all the gods.

Mirrormask is the film he brought out a while ago I believe.

Don't forget all of the spinoffs of the Sandman books such as Lucifer. He is a good writer, and he includes urban legends as well as edited myths in his work.

[Knightmare]

Yeah, Mirrormask has been out for a while now. I snatched up the DVD when I first saw it (Pretty darn good, if you ask me).
His new projects are:
Coraline (Excellent book, I hope the movie is good)
Beowulf
Stardust (another great book. Again, hope the movie is good)

And I constantly hear rumors of Good Omens coming out on the big screen, but I haven't seen or heard anything concrete yet.

Sorry to hijack the thread for a bit.

Please continue.