Reviews (1)

The essential elements of the Western tradition (Volume 2)
This is the fifth edition of Volume II of "The Western Humanities" by Roy Matthews and F. DeWitt Platt, covering the cultural achievements of Western civilization in terms of art, music, literature, philosophy, theater, film, and the other arts, from the Renaissance to the Present.The two chapters on the Renaissance are in both volumes of "The Western Humanities," which allows for institutional differences on where various schools decide to break the study of Western humanities into two courses. However, what attracted me to "The Western Civilization" was that in addition to the two textbooks, there were not only a pair of additional books with readings from literature and philosophy, but also a CD with music.Read more

Subjects:  1. Civilization, Western    2. Folklore & Mythology    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Literature: Classics    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Sources    9. World - General    10. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    11. Literary studies: general    12. Social Science / Folklore & Mythology   

Reviews (3)

A New Standard
Though many have attempted such a feat, in Myth & Knowing, Leonard and McClure have finally written the foundational textbook for comparative mythologies, and, in doing so, have also created a remarkable text for exploring the transition from oral tradition to written text.As the title suggests, Myth & Knowing moves beyond a simple reiteration of the stories by grouping them into conceptual chapters (Creation Myths, The Female Divine, The Male Divine, Trickster Myths, and Sacred Places)which not only invites direct comparisons but creates archetypal structures that become the critical basis for analyzing modern mythologies and even modern epistomologies.I have used this text with great success in introductory mythology, religion, and literature classes.

Mythology class book
This was a book that I read for a Mythology and Folklore class. I liked the book because it was easy to read and it contained a lot of history. Having the background information to accompany the stories was helpful and made the reading more interesting. Highly recommended.

Great for class or just to read
Myth and Knowing was used for my Mythology in Literature class at University and it was a great book. The chapter divisions are helpful for the way my class was taught. The chapters are divded into groups like; The Male Divine and Creation Myths. In this format you can look at the many many different creation myths out there all in one section to see the differences and similarities. The book covers a huge range of cultures in the stories used for examples about the topic at hand. From Iceland to Africa and America it offers stories on how the many people groups of the world view the divine. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Folklore & Mythology    2. Mythology    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. World - General    6. World History    7. Social Science / Folklore & Mythology   

Reviews (11)

Conventional View Of Atlantis
Being a student of Atlantis I felt I should read this book since it's considered a classic on the subject.
the antediluvian world
Being a latinamerican reader as well as a student of the 19th egyptian dinasty, I have been delighted with Mr. Donnelly's treatment of the correlations between the native american and egyptian archeologies. This work becomes a magnificent base for the study of the hyperborean 1196 B.C. invasion, a theme of my deepest interest.I am of course interested in the other books in your Atlantis series. I highly recommend this book to the Amazon friends as an excellent historical review.Thanks !

Ignatius' work is enjoyable and packed with rare texts
Whether or not you think there was an Atlantis, this work should be read on account of the breath of insight which typifies some (not all) 19th century scholars. Professors today are often incapable of such writing because their feild of study is too narrow. This was written before Atlantis became associated with flaky new-age belief systems. It is packed with exerpts from hard to find texts from the ancient world. The analysis is graceful and intriguing, and it is hard to set the book down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Atlantis    2. Deluge    3. Folklore & Mythology - Folklore    4. General    5. Mythical Civilizations    6. Philosophy    7. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques    8. Social Science / General   

Reviews (3)

Must-read for students of Ancient Near East
This is an outstanding work for anyone interested in the goddess mythology of the Ancient Near East and how this was transformed, reinterpreted, and attempted to be eradicated by the Biblical authors. I have used this text as an undergrad, a doctoral student, and in teaching. Invaluable scholarship with excellent footnotes.

Enlightening, Accessible Scholarship in Goddess Studies
I found this book invaluable while researching sacred prostitution and Goddess religions in the ancient Near East for my Masters degree.Frymer-Kensky's articulate discussion of the texts from which we gain our (limited) knowledge of ancient religions exposes the frequently romantic or naive interpretations which have become accepted as history in too many Pagan or Goddess spirituality circles.Her work is scholarly but is definitely accessible to a reader who is interested in this topic. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Goddess religion, Biblical studies, or women's studies.

Intriguing veiwpoint on the development of partiarchal relig
I read this book at about the same time as Merlin Stone's "When God Was a Woman", and the contrast is powerful.The author has an intriguing perspective on the influence of the Goddess cultures on the development on modern partiarchal religion.Her scholarship seems at times weak; however, overall it's an excellent read and definitely valuable to put the works of other authors into perspective. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Folklore & Mythology - Mythology    2. God (Judaism)    3. Goddesses    4. New Thought    5. Philosophy    6. Sociology    7. Women in the Bible    8. Women's Studies - General    9. Body, Mind & Spirit / New Thought   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Eskimos    4. Folklore    5. Folklore & Mythology    6. Folklore, Eskimo    7. Inuit   

Editorial Review

Ready or not, here she comes! That clever, mischievous, loving matriarch of the nursery knows more verses and ditties than you can shake a stick at.From the familiar "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater" and "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" to the more obscure "I'm Dusty Bill from Vinegar Hill," this lovely, good-humored collection of nursery rhymes is sure to find a place on the shelf of classics. On the heels of her first award-winning collection, Read more

Reviews (9)

Sanitized Pablum
Why did she shorten a number of the poems/ditties? This reads like my radio scanning the first 10 seconds of each station. These poems were written with lots of verses, why not include them?
Love it, love it, love it !!!
We bought this book for my son when he was around 15 months old. He would spend hours carrying this book from one person to the next, wanting it to be read over and over.The repetition, the rhyming, and the order of each chapter seemed to just resonate with him.He absolutely loved it and still does.He is almost five years old now and will still take it out of his collection for bedtime reading. It is a little young for his comprehension level now, but he loves to recite the rhymes and finds comfort in its familiarity.I recommend this book wholeheartedly, especially for ages one to three.

Buy My Very First Mother Goose instead
Going strictly on my three preschoolers' (ages 5, 3, and 1)preferences, we honestly can't recommend Here Comes Mother Goose.We have spent countless hours reading/singing (and taping and repairing) Opie/Wells' first book, My Very First Mother Goose. But Here Comes M.G. just doesn't resonate with my children in the same way.If you're trying to decide between the two, we whole-heartedly recommend My Very First Mother Goose - a much-loved favorite! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Baby - Poetry    2. Children's Books/Baby-Preschool    3. Children's poetry    4. Children: Preschool    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Nursery rhymes    7. Poetry - Mother Goose    8. Poetry - Nursery Rhymes    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Poetry / Nursery Rhymes   

Reviews (3)

Boring
I wanted to like this book.I love Sagas of Icelanders.I was ecstatic over the Poetic Edda.Snorri's "Prose Edda" was frequently mentioned in my other reading, and I decided I would have to check it out.What a disappointment.
Captures the wonderful dry humor!
I agree with the review from 1998, and wanted to add that this translation really captures the dry humor in Sturluson's Edda.The Scandanavians (myself included) have wonderful dry humor, and Norse mythology is full of it as well.This is an excellent translation that does not lose the essence of the Edda.
Good, but not for dilettantes
There are two chief sources for the Norse myths, the Elder (Poetic) Edda and the Younger (Prose) Edda. This is a translation of the Prose Edda and includes the creation of the earth from the remains of the giant Ymir, the death of Baldr, the twilight of the gods (Ragnar�k), and certain stories of Sigurd and Brynhild (Siegfried and Br�nnhilde in Wagner's operas). Most translations include only the parts that are "of interest to the general reader", but this one is complete, so you can make your own judgment about which parts to read and which to skip. The translation is solid, though perhaps a little flat at times, and the price is right. Definitely for those with more than a passing interest in Norse mythology, though; if you just want to read the stories without bothering about the literary sources, you might be better off with a retelling, e.g. Favorite Norse Myths by Mary Pope Osborne. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient, Classical & Medieval    2. Folklore & Mythology - Mythology    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Literature: Folklore/Mythology    5. Mythology, Norse    6. Scalds and scaldic poetry    7. Icelandic    8. Poetry & poets: classical, early & medieval   

Reviews (17)

Caveat Emptor
Campbell was quite prolific; why would he have published such a very short book? He didn't, actually, it was put together posthumously. Understanding the editor is key to understanding this book.I found odd that such a short book could nonetheless be so incoherent and incomprehensible. After researching its editor, Eugene C. Kennedy, it made sense. What the publishers of this book don't tell you (don't want you to know?) is that Eugene C. Kennedy was a Catholic Maryknoll priest for 22 years, teaches at the Jesuit Loyola University, and is the author of such classics of humanist mythological studies as "Would You Like to be a Catholic?" and "Cardinal Bernadin's Stations of the Cross". This information puts "Thou Art That" into perspective.The book starts out with (ex-)Father Kennedy's preposterous assertion that Campbell had some kind of deathbed conversion. Apparently Campbell's wife put Campbell in a Catholic hospital, then claimed that her husband had spent his entire life studying spirituality, mythology, and archetypes without ever once in his life "experiencing emotionally" their meaning... until he saw some kind of Catholic religious image before he died. This sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the "Doctrine of the Faith" department. I very much doubt this happened; the assertion puts Campbell's entire life's work into question. What kind of person could write about something his whole life without ever experiencing it emotionally?Reading Kennedy's selection of Campbell's works is like reading Thomas Aquinas's selection of Arisotle's works: the result is a confused, disjointed mess, because the material has been gerrymandered in a sometimes desperate attempt to make the author more palatable to Catholic theology. It appears that very little of Campbell's work suits Kennedy's purposes, which would explain why the book is both so short and so fragmentary. At the very least, such an editing misrepresents the author.Here's some Latin that the editor should have shared with you: "caveat emptor".

An Encyclopedic Knowledge of Mythology
Joseph Campbell is a brilliant thinker with an encyclopedic knowledge of mythology. THOU ART THAT, however, is filled with dense material and is not an easy read without some prior familiarity with Campbell's work - such as his TV interviews with Bill Moyers. Useful Introduction
Campbell points out that all of the religions of the West come from the Near East rather than Europe. He is referring to Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In all of these religions it is taught that the world was made by God. The creator is God and the creature is the world. The world and God are not the same. In these religions the Divine is not within the individual.Read more

Subjects:  1. Christian symbolism    2. Christianity    3. Christianity - Theology - General    4. Folklore & Mythology - Mythology    5. General    6. Metaphor    7. Mythology    8. Philosophy    9. Religion    10. Religion - Commentaries / Reference    11. Religious aspects    12. Judaism    13. Myths & mythology    14. Philosophy of religion    15. Philosophy & Spirituality   

Reviews (19)

Very worth reading
By no means exhaustive but a painfully clear dissertation on what we have lost.Incredble insights into the Palaeolithic world.I'd never considered before the era-spanning character of the appearance of specific Greek figures (Herakles and Artemis as Paleolithic, Demeter as Neolithic).

Five skipping stones...
There are no words I can adequately conjure, to express how much I love the writings of Karen Armstrong.
Good Material, Good Presentation, But...
Good material, good presentation, good production, but the ratings on this CD will probably depend on where and how you listen to the CD. Not recommended for drive-time listening..too many distractions on the road...But, to listen in a room, in a stationary situation where you can concentrate on content, probably pretty good....
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Subjects:  1. Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology    2. Fiction - General    3. Folklore & Mythology    4. General    5. History    6. Myth    7. Mythology    8. Religion (General)    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Fiction / Folklore   

Reviews (6)

Creature Features
This book might not be suitable for children under twelve. But it's still a good book because I like mythology. Some people will say it's a bad book, and will not like the pictures, but ignore them. My favorite chapter is the one about the ten mythological creatures, although I counted only eight. I like the details about the dragons, the phoenix, the sphinx, griffons, and Cerberus the Hound of Hell.
Don't myth it...
'Mythology for Dummies' is part of the widely-read 'Dummies' series, and lives up to most of the expectations one might have of a volume in that series.It has the requisite cartoons, the various side-bar items throughout the text, and the the top-ten lists at the end - in this case, the Top Ten Places (which includes Vahalla, Elysium, Atlantis, even Brigadoon) and the Top Ten Monsters (Gorgons, Unicorns, the Sphinx, dragons, etc.).
Great introduction to world mythology.
Written in the friendly Dummies style, illustrated with many pictures, drawings, maps, charts, humorous icon guides and even hilarious cartoons, this book presents the best collection of explained myths, legends, traditions and folktales available today in a single volume.
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Subjects:  1. Folklore & Mythology    2. Folklore & Mythology - Mythology    3. General    4. Literature: Folklore/Mythology    5. Mythology    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    9. Myths & mythology   

Reviews (5)

Full of Gems
A very useful source book, I use it often. The division of the book into specific religions/cults makes it easy to use.
Invaluable texts
As Marvin M. Meyer explains in his excellent introduction, the Mysteries (from the Greek myein = to close) were associations of individuals: 'The Mysteries were secret religious groups composed of individuals who decided, through personal choice, to be initiated into the profound realities of one deity or another. They joined an association of people united in their quest for personal salvation.'
excellent source
Marvin W. Meyer's "The Ancient Mysteries: A sourcebook of Sacred Texts" is a splendid resource for original texts pertaining to the ancient Greco-Roman mystery cults.Meyer covers the full range of mystery cults, from the mysteries of Demeter and Persephone, through the mysteries of Dionysos, the Great Mother, Isis, Osiris, and Mithras, finishing with the mysteries within Judaism and Christianity.The texts span a wide spectrum of viewpoints and sources, from relatively objective accounts by period historians, to manuals from within the cults governing discipline and worship, to actual hymns and stories by initiates such as Apuleius's "The Golden Ass."My favorite selection was his excerpts from the Orphic Hymns, reproduced from the incomparable translation by Apostolos Athanassakis, which inspired me to obtain and read the entire book.
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Subjects:  1. Antiquities & Archaeology    2. Christianity - General    3. Comparative Religion    4. Folklore & Mythology    5. History    6. Institutions & Organizations    7. Mysteries, Religious    8. Mythology    9. Religion    10. Religion - Church History    11. Sources    12. Spirituality    13. World history   

Reviews (16)

An Educator's Opinion
Having taught children of all ages for over thirty years I knew this was a favorite among children and bought it for my granddaughter when she was two.She is now almost eight and we still love to do this rhyme together.The rhyme makes it easy for children to learn and a favorite memory is of her when she couldn't say her L's clapping her hands reciting Miss "Woocy" had a baby .......
Sing Song Winner
I remember this song when I jumped rope, and now it has a new meaning for me.This book is one of my daughters' favorite books. The sing-song format and pictures help them remember the words, and they like to 'read' it to each other and anyone who will listen.They think it is silly and fun, but I think it is empowering because they can do it themselves and pure magic!

'The Lady with the Alligator Purse' is fun for children to listen to, memorize, and then recite
"Nadine Bernard Westcott's irresistable adaptation of the favorite nonsense rhyme is now available in a format perfect for little hands," is the starburst quotation on the back cover of the 1998 version of this board book.In general, the quote is slightly superlative, but 'The Lady with the Alligator Purse' is a cute and safe story.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Baby-Preschool    2. Children's poetry    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Humorous Stories    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Nonsense verses    7. Nursery rhymes    8. Poetry - Humorous    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Poetry / Humorous   

Reviews (6)

The role of myth in the history of the Middle East and Europe
One topic from PRIMITIVE MYTHOLOGY, the first volume of the MASKS OF GOD, that is especially prominent in the beginning of this volume concerns the mythology of the Earth Goddess reaching back to the Bronze Age. Primitive agriculture spread within the broad equatorial zone but first developed in the Middle East, and the myths that come out of that time represent an endless cycle of life and death, growth and decay, in which everything is renewed as in the obvious phases of the moon, in the endless reappearance of the sun. The force of this growth and renewal is necessarily female, of the goddess, and the items that appear in the artifacts dating from this time concern the serpent, the tree, the moon, and include signs of both human and animal sacrifice for the purpose of ensuring fertility.
A Fundamentally Flawed, Misleading Work
Campbell gets way too much credit for being intelligent. In this book, he severely mocks the Book of Genesis, a very stupid thing to do. Even if one does not believe the narratives of Genesis, its antiquity and terse language (in the original Hebrew) demand respect. Campbell's analysis of Greek myth (more like a pointless exercise in free association) is devoid of understanding. He never grasped that Greek "myth" is not myth at all but rather the history of the human race told from the Greeks' unique religious standpoint. For real understanding, I recommend THE PARTHENON CODE: MANKIND'S HISTORY IN MARBLE.

Complex and rewarding read......
When Joseph Campbell died, we lost a treasure. Campbell spent years building his vast knowledge of myths and thankfully, committed much of his distilled knowledge to writing. OCCIDENTAL MYTHOLOGY is one of three major works the author compiled about the history of the myth and is part of the THE MASKS OF GOD series. In OM Campbell reinforces the compelling case he made to Bill Moyers and through his writing, that we need to look beyond the masks if we would truly know `the thing that stands behind'. In the`Masks of the Gods'series, Campbell synthesizes much of the archeological, linguistic, and theological material discovered and analyzed in the 20th Century, to elaborate and modify many themes found in Sir James Frazier's GOLDEN BOUGH written almost a century earlier. Read more

Subjects:  1. Folklore & Mythology - Mythology    2. Literature - Classics / Criticism    3. Literature: Folklore/Mythology    4. Mythology    5. Fiction / Folklore    6. History of ideas, intellectual history    7. Myths & mythology    8. Spirituality   

Reviews (3)

An important guide to symbolic material.
M.L. von Franz was one of Jung's closest associates and is proclaimed by some to be his intellectual heir.She was a language specialist, in particular ancient languages, and worked with Jung from her early twenties until his death.
A Good Place to Start!
I want to second the good review already written and add that the thing about Marie-Louise von Franz is her great readability compared with most of Jung, who can at times be very obtuse.All of von Franz's fairy tale studies are valuable and useful, but for the beginning searcher, this IS a good place to start.Von Franz, "the greatest living heir to C.G. Jung," is down-to-earth in her writing, and her examples of interpretations are always crystal clear and practical.She IS a Jungian, but for her Jung is just a tool that she uses -- she is no slave to a method.She freely admits that any interpretation is just one of many possible ones one might make.Beware!If you like this book and find it useful, you will want to read ALL of her other books.

Good introduction into applying Jungian Psychology
This book by marie-Luise Von Franz provides valuable insight into the varied uses of a Jungain approach to psychology. Interpreting fairy tales provides us with skills and techniques to help interpret our own fairytales, that of our dreams and life stories. Useful for all students of Jungand applicable in our own lives if only for the joy of seeking connectionsand associations in our own experiences. Ideal for dreamers andphilosophers as well as beginner Jungians. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fairy tales    2. Folklore    3. Folklore & Mythology - Folklore    4. General    5. History and criticism    6. Jungian Psychology    7. Movements - Behaviorism    8. Psychoanalysis and fairy tales    9. Psychology    10. Psychology & Psychiatry / General    11. Psychotherapy   

Reviews (31)

All the classics and then some!
This is a fantastic collection - a must have for any home library. I just wish it was hardbound! I really think that's all that needs to be said.

Colorful and Easy to Read
Growing up, the only fairy tales that I have ever known were those that have been sanitized-- no wonder I have always thought fairy tales are boring.My reading of this book has completely changed my views!What color, what spice!

Doesn't miss a thing...
I like this newer edition, which includes stories I've never read before.I read a much older edition every time I visited my grandparents and knew I must get this for my children.There's something less mystical about holding a softcover book, but the stories are still as amazing.
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Subjects:  1. Fairy tales    2. Fiction    3. Folklore    4. Folklore & Mythology    5. Germany    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Fiction / Fairy Tales   

Subjects:  1. Folklore & Mythology    2. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    3. Popular Culture - General    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. Social Science / Folklore & Mythology   

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Groups In Literature    2. Fiction    3. Folklore & Mythology - Folklore    4. Jewish authors    5. Jews    6. Judaism - General    7. Judaism - Rituals & Practice    8. Religion    9. Religion - Judaism    10. Short Story    11. Short stories, American    12. Short stories, Jewish    13. Social life and customs    14. American English    15. Jewish studies    16. Modern fiction    17. Religion / Judaism / General    18. Short stories   

Reviews (10)

The Queen of Black Folklore
Whne I was 12 years old in the Summer of 1977, I found this book at the local library. I immediately saw the connection between this and the tales my father and older Blacks told around town, and this led ot my lifelong interest in folklore.
Hurston's Mules and Men
I read Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes are Watching God" and wanted to read more. Hurston (1891 -- 1960) had studied anthropology at Barnard with one of the founders of modern anthropology, Franz Boas.With Boas' encouragement and funding from a private source, Hurston travelled South to collect African-American folklore.Her first stop was Eatonville, Florida, an all-black community where Hurston had spent much of her childhood.She then went South to Polk County, Florida and its sawmills and the Everglades.She went further South to Pierce and Lakeland gathering folk materials before heading to New Orleans to study Hoodoo.In 1927, she rented a small house in Eau Gallie, near Melbourne, Florida where she organized her extensive notes.Her book, "Mules and Men" was published in 1935.
Tales & Roots
A friend said I should buy this book. it has roots in it he said.......you might find them entertaining. How surprised I was to find old slave tales as well. I love anything that is cultural. A rare find. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Black American Folklore    3. Ethnic Issues    4. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    5. Florida    6. Folklore    7. Literary    8. Literature: Folklore/Mythology    9. Louisiana    10. Sociology    11. Tales    12. Fiction / Literary