Title: The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and
Legends
Author: Arie Kaplan
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group—Wellfleet
Press
Pages: 256
My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Myths and legends are everywhere, in our
language, vocabulary and science. Our language is rife with examples. Thursday
from Thor, the Norse god of thunder; January from Janus, the Roman god of time
who was two-faced, with one face looking forward, the other backward. There are
examples like narcissistic mirroring Narcissus who was obsessed with himself.
Unlike other books of its kind, this one
doesn’t limit itself to myths of European origin, but covers those of Egypt,
Nigeria, Benin, South America, Persia, Angola, Japan and India, among others.
India is represented by the Buddha, as
mentioned in the Jataka Tales, and our very own Ajanta Caves, a UNESCO World
Heritage site, among other references.
The pages are beautifully designed with
coloured illustrations strewn throughout. Painters like Francis Bacon who
painted myths are mentioned alongside Salvador Dali and Indian artist Sakti
Burman who creates paintings and sculptures about classical art from Hindu
mythology.
After a long introduction, we read about
different Creation myths, why they exist and their significance. The author
points out similarities and differences between various creation myths. The
Creation myths covered here include the four versions of the Egyptian Creation
myths, besides those of Benin, Greece, Nigeria and Japan. The Creation myth of
the Nordic region explains the presence of the snow and frost. The section also
includes the DC Comics Creation Myth and that of the Marvel universe.
The chapter on gods and deities includes
gods of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Inca and Norse mythology. The chapter on heroic
mythical characters include characters like Mwindo of the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, King Arthur and Merlin of England, Scheherazade of Persia,
Heracles of Greece, Robin Hood of England, Rama and Sita of India, Ahura Mazda
from ancient Persia, Mulan of China, Perseus of Greece, Kintaro of Japan and Li
Chi of China.
The chapter on Tricksters, Villains and
Misunderstood Miscreants includes Loki from Norse mythology, Legba from ancient
Dahomey, Eshu from Yoruba mythology, Papa Legba from the Haitian/Voudou
mythology, Anansi the spider from West Africa, Set, the Egyptian god of chaos,
Thanatos from Greek mythology, the Minotaur from Greek mythology, Medusa from
Greek mythology and Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legend.
The chapter on Monsters includes Dragons
from Chinese, Norse and Scandinavian mythology, vampires and bloodsuckers, and
demons such as Ravana from Hindu mythology.
Blurbs on Mythic Masters cover those who
have worked to preserve stories and folklore through art, film, music and
literature. Filmmaker Taika Waititi, Terry Gilliam and George Lucas, authors
Zora Neale Hurston and Neil Gaiman, singer Beyonce Knowles and comic book
artist Jack Kirby.
Blurbs on Legendary Lore include the Tooth
Fairy, Leprechaun, Santa Claus, Stonehenge, Unicorns, the Sphinx and Mermaids.
The author provides a list of references
to books and articles for those interested in reading more on this subject. The
book was not Eurocentric in nature, and I appreciated that. So many cannot see
beyond European mythology. The style is engaging with a touch of humour.
(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank
you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.)
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