The Story of Myth

The Story of Myth PDF Author: Sarah Iles Johnston
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674185072
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
Greek myths have long been admired as beautiful, thrilling stories but dismissed as serious objects of belief. For centuries scholars have held that Greek epics, tragedies, and the other compelling works handed down to us obscure the “real” myths that supposedly inspired them. Instead of joining in this pursuit of hidden meanings, Sarah Iles Johnston argues that the very nature of myths as stories—as gripping tales starring vivid characters—enabled them to do their most important work: to create and sustain belief in the gods and heroes who formed the basis of Greek religion. By drawing on work in narratology, sociology, and folklore studies, and by comparing Greek myths not only to the myths of other cultures but also to fairy tales, ghost stories, fantasy works, modern novels, and television series, The Story of Myth reveals the subtle yet powerful ways in which these ancient Greek tales forged enduring bonds between their characters and their audiences, created coherent story-worlds, and made it possible to believe in extraordinary gods. Johnston captures what makes Greek myths distinctively Greek, but simultaneously brings these myths into a broader conversation about how the stories told by all cultures affect our shared view of the cosmos and the creatures who inhabit it.

The Story of Myth

The Story of Myth PDF Author: Sarah Iles Johnston
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674185072
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
Greek myths have long been admired as beautiful, thrilling stories but dismissed as serious objects of belief. For centuries scholars have held that Greek epics, tragedies, and the other compelling works handed down to us obscure the “real” myths that supposedly inspired them. Instead of joining in this pursuit of hidden meanings, Sarah Iles Johnston argues that the very nature of myths as stories—as gripping tales starring vivid characters—enabled them to do their most important work: to create and sustain belief in the gods and heroes who formed the basis of Greek religion. By drawing on work in narratology, sociology, and folklore studies, and by comparing Greek myths not only to the myths of other cultures but also to fairy tales, ghost stories, fantasy works, modern novels, and television series, The Story of Myth reveals the subtle yet powerful ways in which these ancient Greek tales forged enduring bonds between their characters and their audiences, created coherent story-worlds, and made it possible to believe in extraordinary gods. Johnston captures what makes Greek myths distinctively Greek, but simultaneously brings these myths into a broader conversation about how the stories told by all cultures affect our shared view of the cosmos and the creatures who inhabit it.

Dictionary of Nature Myths

Dictionary of Nature Myths PDF Author: Tamra Andrews
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0195136772
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
Comprehensive and cross-referenced, this informative volume is a rich introduction to the world of nature as experienced by ancient peoples around the globe. 51 halftones.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Mythology

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Mythology PDF Author: Kevin Osborn
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9780028623856
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 428

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Book Description
An introduction to Greek and Roman mythology provides explanations of all the gods and their roles, origins of the myths and theories on who wrote them, and the function of myths in society

Approaches to Greek Myth

Approaches to Greek Myth PDF Author: Lowell Edmunds
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press+ORM
ISBN: 1421414201
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 659

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Book Description
“A handy introduction to some of the more useful methodological approaches to and the previous scholarship on the subject of Greek myths.” —Phoenix Since the first edition of Approaches to Greek Myth was published in 1990, interest in Greek mythology has surged. There was no simple agreement on the subject of “myth” in classical antiquity, and there remains none today. Is myth a narrative or a performance? Can myth be separated from its context? What did myths mean to ancient Greeks and what do they mean today? Here, Lowell Edmunds brings together practitioners of eight of the most important contemporary approaches to the subject. Whether exploring myth from a historical, comparative, or theoretical perspective, each contributor lucidly describes a particular approach, applies it to one or more myths, and reflects on what the approach yields that others do not. Edmunds’s new general and chapter-level introductions recontextualize these essays and also touch on recent developments in scholarship in the interpretation of Greek myth. Contributors are Jordi Pàmias, on the reception of Greek myth through history; H. S. Versnel, on the intersections of myth and ritual; Carolina López-Ruiz, on the near Eastern contexts; Joseph Falaky Nagy, on Indo-European structure in Greek myth; William Hansen, on myth and folklore; Claude Calame, on the application of semiotic theory of narrative; Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood, on reading visual sources such as vase paintings; and Robert A. Segal, on psychoanalytic interpretations. “A valuable collection of eight essays . . . Edmunds’s book provides a convenient opportunity to grapple with the current methodologies used in the analysis of literature and myth.” —New England Classical Newsletter and Journal

Exploring Greek Myth

Exploring Greek Myth PDF Author: Matthew Clark
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444362135
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 231

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Book Description
Exploring Greek Myth offers an extensive discussion of variant forms of myths and lesser-known stories, including important local myths and local versions of PanHellenic myths. Clark also discusses approaches to understanding myths, allowing students to gain an appreciation of the variety in one volume. Guides students from an introductory understanding of myths to a wide-ranging exploration of current scholarly approaches on mythology as a social practice and as an expression of thought Written in an informal conversational style appealing to students by an experienced lecturer in the field Offers extensive discussion of variant forms of myths and many lesser known, but deserving, stories Investigates a variety of approaches to the study of myth including: the sources of our knowledge of Greek myth, myth and ritual in ancient Greek society, comparative myth, myth and gender, hero cult, psychological interpretation of myth, and myth and philosophy Includes suggestions in each chapter for essays and research projects, as well as extensive lists of books and articles for further reading The author draws on the work of many leading scholars in the field in his exploration of topics throughout the text

The Poetics of Myth

The Poetics of Myth PDF Author: Eleazar M. Meletinsky
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136749292
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 517

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Book Description
'Serious students will savor Meletinsky's rich and complex book. The opening section alone is valuable for its erudite examination of modern theory about myth, with special attention to Levi-Strauss and the structuralists. Meletinsky grasps the essentials of theories he discusses and makes clear distinctions between them Highly recommended for upper division undergraduates, graduate students and teachers/scholars of myth.' - Choice

Myth: A Very Short Introduction

Myth: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Robert A. Segal
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191577804
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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Book Description
This book is not about myths, but about approaches to myth, from all of the major disciplines, including science, religion, philosophy, literature, and psychology. The fate of the preternaturally beautiful Adonis is one of the main fables upon which Segal focuses, in an attempt to analyse the various different theories of myth. Where the theory does not work, he substitutes another myth, showing that, for all their claims to all-inclusiveness, certain theories, in fact, only apply to specific kinds of myths. A uniform set of questions is provided, to elucidate both the strengths and the weaknesses of the conjectures. A survey of the past 300 years of theorizing on myth, this book takes into account the work of such prominent thinkers as Albert Camus, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Roland Barthes, C. G. Jung, and Sigmund Freud. Finally, Segal considers the future study of myth, and the possible function of myth in the world as the adult equivalent of play. 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.

The Poimandres as Myth

The Poimandres as Myth PDF Author: Robert A. Segal
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110860112
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Sinceits founding by Jacques Waardenburg in 1971, Religion and Reason has been a leading forum for contributions on theories, theoretical issues and agendas related to the phenomenon and the study of religion. Topics include (among others) category formation, comparison, ethnophilosophy, hermeneutics, methodology, myth, phenomenology, philosophy of science, scientific atheism, structuralism, and theories of religion. From time to time the series publishes volumes that map the state of the art and the history of the discipline.

Greek Myths

Greek Myths PDF Author: John Rearick
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 9780590963831
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 90

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Book Description
A collection of short plays based on Greek myths, intended for grades 4-8.

Mythology

Mythology PDF Author: Alexander Stuart Murray
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mythology
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description