A Short History of Myth (Myths series)

A Short History of Myth (Myths series) PDF

Author: Karen Armstrong

Publisher: Vintage Canada

Published: 2010-10-29

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 0307367290

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What are myths? How have they evolved? And why do we still so desperately need them? A history of myth is a history of humanity, Karen Armstrong argues in this insightful and eloquent book: our stories and beliefs, our curiosity and attempts to understand the world, link us to our ancestors and each other. This is a brilliant and thought-provoking introduction to myth in the broadest sense–from Palaeolithic times to the “Great Western Transformation” of the last 500 years–and why we dismiss it only at our peril.

A Short History of Myth

A Short History of Myth PDF

Author: Karen Armstrong

Publisher: Canongate Books

Published: 2008-10-30

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 1847673880

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As long as we have been human, we have been mythmakers. In A Short History of Myth, Karen Armstrong holds up the mirror of mythology to show us the history of ourselves, and embarks on a journey that begins at a Neanderthal graveside and ends buried in the heart of the modern novel. Surprising, powerful and profound, A Short History of Myth examines the world's most ancient art form - the making and telling of stories - and why we still need it.

A Short History of Myth

A Short History of Myth PDF

Author: Karen Armstrong

Publisher: Text Publishing

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1920885870

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October marks the beginning of an exciting new series of books which will revisit and rewrite classic myths. With contributions from Margaret Atwood and Jeanette Winterson following in November, the series is launched with Karen Armstrong's compelling investigation into myth; what it is, how it has evolved, and why we still so desperately need it. Armstrong's characteristically insightful and eloquent book serves as a brilliantly thought-provoking introduction to myth in the broadest sense.

A History of God

A History of God PDF

Author: Karen Armstrong

Publisher: Gramercy

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780517223123

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A study of the deity of the world's three dominant monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In a dynamic interplay between religion and society's ever-changing beliefs, values, and traditions, human beings' ideas about God have been transformed. Ideas about God have been molded to apply to the spiritual needs of the people who worship him in a particular place and time. The author explores and analyzes the development and progression of the various perceptions of God from the days of Abraham to present times--Adapted from book jacket.

Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction

Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction PDF

Author: Helen Morales

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2007-08-23

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13: 0191579335

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From Zeus and Europa, to Diana, Pan, and Prometheus, the myths of ancient Greece and Rome seem to exert a timeless power over us. But what do those myths represent, and why are they so enduringly fascinating? Why do they seem to be such a potent way of talking about our selves, our origins, and our desires? This imaginative and stimulating Very Short Introduction goes beyond a simple retelling of the stories to explore the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical myths. It is a wide-ranging account, examining how classical myths are used and understood in both high art and popular culture, taking the reader from the temples of Crete to skyscrapers in New York, and finding classical myths in a variety of unexpected places: from arabic poetry and Hollywood films, to psychoanalysis, the bible, and New Age spiritualism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Myth

Myth PDF

Author: Robert Alan Segal

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 0198724705

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Where do myths come from? What is their function and what do they mean? In this Very Short Introduction Robert Segal introduces the array of approaches used to understand the study of myth. These approaches hail from disciplines as varied as anthropology, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, philosophy, science, and religious studies. Including ideas from theorists as varied as Sigmund Freud, Claude Levi-Strauss, Albert Camus, and Roland Barthes, Segal uses the famous ancient myth of Adonis to analyse their individual approaches and theories. In this new edition, he not only considers the future study of myth, but also considers the interactions of myth theory with cognitive science, the implications of the myth of Gaia, and the differences between story-telling and myth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Don't Know Much About Mythology

Don't Know Much About Mythology PDF

Author: Kenneth C. Davis

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2005-11-01

Total Pages: 561

ISBN-13: 006019460X

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The latest installment in the New York Times bestselling Don't Know Much About® series -- a magical journey into the timeless world of mythology It has been fifteen years since Kenneth C. Davis first dazzled audiences with his instant classic Don't Know Much About® History, vividly bringing the past to life and proving that Americans don't hate history, they just hate the dull, textbook version they were fed in school. With humor, wit, and a knack for storytelling, Davis has been bringing readers of all ages up to speed on history, geography, and science ever since. Now, in the classic traditions of Edith Hamilton and Joseph Campbell, he turns his talents to the world of myth. Where do we come from? Why do stars shine and the seasons change? What is evil? Since the beginning of time, people have answered such questions by crafting imaginative stories that have served as religion, science, philosophy, and popular literature. In his irreverent and popular question-and-answer style, Davis introduces and explains the great myths of the world, as well as the works of literature that have made them famous. In a single volume, he tackles Mesopotamia's Gilgamesh, the first hero in world mythology; Achilles and the Trojan War; Stonehenge and the Druids; Thor, the Nordic god of thunder; Chinese oracle bones; the use of peyote in ancient Native American rites; and the dramatic life and times of the man who would be Buddha. Ever familiar and instructive, Davis shows why the ancient tales of gods and heroes -- from Mount Olympus to Machu Picchu, from ancient Rome to the icy land of the Norse -- continue to speak to us today, in our movies, art, language, and music. For mythology novices and buffs alike, and for anyone who loves a good story, Don't Know Much About® Mythology is a lively and insightful look into the greatest stories ever told.

A Short History of Myth

A Short History of Myth PDF

Author: Karen Armstrong

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 159

ISBN-13: 9780739463901

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Human beings have always been mythmakers. Theologian Armstrong here investigates myth: what it is, how it has evolved, and why we still so desperately need it. She takes us from the Paleolithic period and the myths of the hunters, up to the Great Western Transformation of the last five hundred years and the discrediting of myth by science. The history of myth is the history of humanity, our stories and beliefs, our curiosity and attempts to understand the world, which link us to our ancestors and each other.--From publisher description.

Mythology

Mythology PDF

Author: C. Scott Littleton

Publisher: Duncan Baird

Published: 2004-09

Total Pages: 688

ISBN-13: 9781844830619

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Myths are the timeless expression of the imagination born out of the need to make sense of the universe. Moving across the centuries, they resonate with our deepest feelings about the fragility and grandeur of existence. Mythology is a comprehensive, richly illustrated survey of the mythic imagination in all its forms around the world, from the odysseys, quests and battles of ancient Greece and Rome to the living beliefs of indigenous cultures in the Americas, Africa and Oceania. Looking at each major myth-making culture in turn, this book retells some of the most significant and captivating stories in a lively, contemporary style. Generously illustrated with more than 700 color photographs, Mythology brings you the vibrant stories that echo time and again in our lives.