Download or read book African Myths of Origin written by Stephen Belcher and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2005-12-01 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gathering a wide range of traditional African myths, this compelling new collection offers tales of heroes battling mighty serpents and monstrous birds, brutal family conflict and vengeance, and desperate migrations across vast and alien lands. From impassioned descriptions of animal-creators to dramatic stories of communities forced to flee monstrous crocodiles, all the narratives found here concern origins - whether of the universe, peoples or families. Together, they create a kaleidoscopic picture of the rich and varied oral traditions that have shaped the culture and society of successive generations of Africans for thousands of years, throughout the long struggle to survive and explore this massive and environmentally diverse continent.
Download or read book Myths of Origin written by Catherynne M. Valente and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Collected here for the first time, [the author's] early short novels explore, deconstruct, and ultimately explode the seminal myths of both East and West"--P. [4] of cover.
Download or read book Origins of the Specious written by Patricia T. O'Conner and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2010-08-24 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you cringe when a talking head pronounces “niche” as NITCH? Do you get bent out of shape when your teenager begins a sentence with “and”? Do you think British spellings are more “civilised” than the American versions? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re myth-informed. In Origins of the Specious, word mavens Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman reveal why some of grammar’s best-known “rules” aren’t—and never were—rules at all. This playfully witty, rigorously researched book sets the record straight about bogus word origins, politically correct fictions, phony français, fake acronyms, and more. Here are some shockers: “They” was once commonly used for both singular and plural, much the way “you” is today. And an eighteenth-century female grammarian, of all people, is largely responsible for the all-purpose “he.” From the Queen’s English to street slang, this eye-opening romp will be the toast of grammarphiles and the salvation of grammarphobes. Take our word for it.
Download or read book The Origin of Life and Death written by Ulli Beier and published by East African Publishers. This book was released on 1966 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a collection of creation myths from West, East, Central and North Africa.
Download or read book The Origins of the World s Mythologies written by Michael Witzel and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Witzel persuasively demonstrates the prehistoric origins of most of the mythologies of Eurasia and the Americas ('Laurasia').
Download or read book The Penguin Book of Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt written by Joyce Tyldesley and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2010-08-05 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Herodotus to The Mummy, Western civilization has long been fascinated with the exotic myths and legends of Ancient Egypt but they have often been misunderstood. Here acclaimed Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley guides us through 3000 years of changing stories and, in retelling them, shows us what they mean. Gathered from pyramid friezes, archaological finds and contemporary documents, these vivid and strange stories explain everything from why the Nile flooded every year to their beliefs about what exactly happened after death and shed fascinating light on what life was like for both rich and poor. Lavishly illustrated with colour pictures, maps and family trees, helpful glossaries explaining all the major gods and timelines of the Pharoahs and most importantly packed with unforgettable stories, this book offers the perfect introduction to Egyptian history and civilization.
Download or read book Foundation Myths in Ancient Societies written by Naoise Mac Sweeney and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the ancient world, origin stories were told across the ancient world in many different ways: through poetry, prose, monumental and decorative arts, and performance in civic and religious rituals. Foundation myths, particularly those about the beginnings of cities and societies, played an important role in the dynamics of identity construction and in the negotiation of diplomatic relationships between communities. Yet many ancient communities had not one but several foundation myths, offering alternative visions and interpretations of their collective origins. Seeking to explain this plurality, Foundation Myths in Ancient Societies explores origin stories from a range of classical and ancient societies, covering both a broad chronological span (from Greek colonies to the high Roman empire) and a wide geographical area (from the central Mediterranean to central Asia). Contributors explore the reasons several different, sometimes contradictory myths might coexist or even coevolve. Collectively, the chapters suggest that the ambiguity and dissonance of multiple foundation myths can sometimes be more meaningful than a single coherent origin narrative. Foundation Myths in Ancient Societies argues for a both/and approach to foundation myths, laying a framework for understanding them in dialogue with each other and within a wider mythic context, as part of a wider discourse of origins. Contributors: Lieve Donnellan, Alfred Hirt, Naoíse Mac Sweeney, Rachel Mairs, Irad Malkin, Daniel Ogden, Robin Osborne, Michael Squire, Susanne Turner.
Download or read book Myths of the Origin of Fire written by Sir James G. Frazer and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-05-08 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sir James G. Frazer (1854-1941) is famous as the author of The Golden Bough, but his work ranged widely across classics, cultural history, folklore and literary criticism as well as anthropology. A Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, for 62 years, Sir James G. Frazer devoted his life to research. This volume was first published in 1930.
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Allegorical Literature written by David A. Leeming and published by ABC-CLIO. This book was released on 1996-09 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Absalom and Achitophel to Zadig, and from Richard Adams to William Butler Yeats, this volume presents more than 400 articles covering all aspects of literary allegory. In addition, it examines the relationship of allegory to film, music, psychoanalysis, and other fields. Includes many illustrations and black-and-white photos, and an extensive index and bibliography. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Download or read book A Dictionary of Creation Myths written by David Adams Leeming and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Origin Myths and Holy Places in the Old Testament written by Lukasz Niesiolowski-Spano and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-08 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Origin Myths and Holy Places in the Old Testament' examines the biblical narratives which describe the origins of holy places. It argues for the Hellenistic origin or redaction of most of these narratives. Three central questions are addressed: are there common features in biblical accounts about the foundation of places of worship; are there elements in the aetiological stories that reveal the 'real' mythology/rituals of the sanctuary; what were the circumstances of the creation of such narratives?
Download or read book Gods and Robots written by Adrienne Mayor and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-04-21 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traces the story of how ancient cultures envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices and human enhancements, sharing insights into how the mythologies of the past related to and shaped ancient machine innovations.
Download or read book Illustrated Dictionary of Mythology written by Philip Wilkinson and published by DK Children. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Identifies key gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, themes, and symbols from the mythologies of the world.
Download or read book Native American Legends An Anthology of Creation Myths and Origin Tales written by G.W. Mullins and published by Light Of The Moon Publishing. This book was released on 2020-05-26 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Native American Mythology began long before the European settlers arrived on North American soil. The most popular of these myths usually are the ones dealing with Creation and Origins of people, places and things. These myths deal with both how the physical world as we know it came to be and how the many features of specific cultures originated. They cover areas of gods and man and why we were separated, where did the different races come from, and when did evil surface. Being there were so many different tribes with countless beliefs and customs, the only way to understand these beliefs is through understanding the Native American stories. In this book there is a wide landscape of different tribes that present a true look at these beliefs. Among the stories included in this anthology are: Creation of the First Indians, Creation of the Red and White Races, In the Beginning, How the Great Chiefs Made the Moon and the Sun, Origin of Fire, The First Moccasins, The Origin of Game and of Corn, The Origin of Medicine, The Origin of Summer and Winter, Origin of the Animals, Origin of the Buffalo, Origin of the Clans, Origin of the Sweat Lodge, The Origin of the Winds, The Origin of Yosemite, The Origin of Earth, Origin of the Lakota Peace Pipe, How the World Was Made, The First Fire, Origin of the Pleiades And the Pine, and many more.
Download or read book A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths written by Stephen P. Kershaw and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2013-02-07 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book leads the reader through these vibrant stories, from the origins of the gods through to the homecomings of the Trojan heroes. All the familiar narratives are here, along with some less familiar characters and motifs. In addition to the tales, the book explains key issues arising from the narratives, and discusses the myths and their wider relevance. This long-overdue book crystallises three key areas of interest: the nature of the tales; the stories themselves; and how they have and might be interpreted. For the first time, it brings together aspects of Greek mythology only usually available in disparate forms - namely children's books and academic works. There will be much here that is interesting, surprising, and strange as well as familiar. Experts and non-experts, adults, students and schoolchildren alike will gain entertainment and insight from this fascinating and important volume.
Download or read book Seven Myths of Africa in World History written by David Northrup and published by Hackett Publishing. This book was released on 2017-09-01 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Northrup's highly accessible book breaks through the most common barriers that readers encounter in studying African history. Each chapter takes on a common myth about Africa and explains both the sources of the myth and the research that debunks it. These provocative chapters will promote lively discussions among readers while deepening their understanding of African and world history. The book is strengthened by its incorporation of actors and issues representing the African diaspora and African Americans in particular." —Rebecca Shumway, College of Charleston
Download or read book African Religions written by Jacob K. Olupona and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book connects traditional religions to the thriving religious activity in Africa today.
