Download or read book Zoo of the Gods Animals in Myth Legend Fable written by Anthony S. Mercatante and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals man's attitudes toward beasts as evidenced in world mythology and folklore.
Download or read book Sacred and Mythological Animals written by Yowann Byghan and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2020-03-12 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the household cat to horses that can fly, a surprisingly wide range of animals feature in religions and mythologies all across the world. The same animal can take on different roles: the raven can be a symbol of evil, a harbinger of death, a wise messenger or a shape-changing trickster. In Norse mythology, Odin's magical ravens perch on his shoulders and bring him news. This compendium draws upon religious texts and myths to explore the ways sacred traditions use animal images, themes and associations in rituals, ceremonies, texts, myths, literature and folklore across the world. Sections are organized by the main animal classifications such as mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians and insects. Each chapter covers one significant grouping (such as dogs, cats or horses), first describing an animal scientifically and then detailing the mythological attributes. Numerous examples cite texts or myths. A final section covers animal hybrids, animal monsters and mythical animals as well as stars, constellations and Zodiac symbols. An appendix describes basic details of the religions and mythologies covered. A glossary defines uncommon religious terms and explains scientific animal names.
Download or read book American Myths Legends and Tall Tales 3 volumes written by Christopher R. Fee and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-08-29 with total page 1265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating survey of the entire history of tall tales, folklore, and mythology in the United States from earliest times to the present, including stories and myths from the modern era that have become an essential part of contemporary popular culture. Folklore has been a part of American culture for as long as humans have inhabited North America, and increasingly formed an intrinsic part of American culture as diverse peoples from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania arrived. In modern times, folklore and tall tales experienced a rejuvenation with the emergence of urban legends and the growing popularity of science fiction and conspiracy theories, with mass media such as comic books, television, and films contributing to the retelling of old myths. This multi-volume encyclopedia will teach readers the central myths and legends that have formed American culture since its earliest years of settlement. Its entries provide a fascinating glimpse into the collective American imagination over the past 400 years through the stories that have shaped it. Organized alphabetically, the coverage includes Native American creation myths, "tall tales" like George Washington chopping down his father's cherry tree and the adventures of "King of the Wild Frontier" Davy Crockett, through to today's "urban myths." Each entry explains the myth or legend and its importance and provides detailed information about the people and events involved. Each entry also includes a short bibliography that will direct students or interested general readers toward other sources for further investigation. Special attention is paid to African American folklore, Asian American folklore, and the folklore of other traditions that are often overlooked or marginalized in other studies of the topic.
Download or read book Owls written by Kim Long and published by Big Earth Publishing. This book was released on 1998 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An illustrated presentation of [owl] behavior, biology, and individual characteristics. A practical resource for both the backyard and the field, this combination illustrated field guide, fact book, and folklore collection presents an accurate, informative portrait of owls in their natural habitat, as well as an examination of the relationship between owls and humans."--Back cover.
Download or read book The Serpent and the Swan written by Boria Sax and published by Univ. of Tennessee Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Serpent and the Swan is a history and analysis of animal bride tales from antiquity to the present. The animal bride tale, the author argues, is an enduring expression of humankind's need to remain close to and a part of nature. Boria Sax traces the idea of the animal bride through history by drawing upon legends and literary works from throughout the world. He pays particular attention to Eurasian sources which support his thesis that the animal bride theme originated among the serpent cults of Mesopotamia and southeastern Europe. Through time, the details of the animal bride theme changed as a result of mankind's changing perceptions of the natural world. In general, this study is an account of myths and beliefs that have surrounded animals--and women--during the rise of modern humankind. The Serpent and the Swan identifies and explains images of the animal bride that pervade, enliven, and enrich our culture. The bride becomes Eve taking an apple from the serpent, Medea casting spells, Cinderella riding to the royal ball in a pumpkin coach, and the Little Mermaid rising from the waves. The Author: Boria Sax, who holds a doctorate in German and intellectual history, is the author of The Frog King and The Parliament of Animals, among other books.
Download or read book Thematic Guide to World Mythology written by Lorena Laura Stookey and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2004-03-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All around the world, myths address questions that humans have always posed about their origins, their environments, their ultimate destinies, and the meanings of their lives. This book examines 30 common motifs that thread their way through mythological tales across history and around the globe. The themes are presented in alphabetical order, moving from The Afterlife and Animals in Myth to The Underworld, World Tree, and Ymir Motif. Each thematic section defines and discusses a single recognizable motif, compares a number of different mythological traditions, and traces the repeated occurrences of one of these patterns through several different categories of narratives. The discussion of The Afterlife, for example, examines the theme's earliest known occurrences in ancient Mesopotamia and compares them with those in Greek, Aztec, Norse, and other ancient cultures, as well as with contemporary views from Innuit and Polynesian cultures. A glossary provides concise definitions of recurring terms. A list of suggested readings on these topics will further aid students who desire to deepen their knowledge of world mythology.
Download or read book Nectar and Ambrosia written by Tamra Andrews and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2000-10-26 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A publishing first, Nectar and Ambrosia presents an encyclopedic treatment of the magic properties and uses of food by mortals and immortals alike, from the pages of myth and legend. Now, for the first time, the magic properties and uses of food by both mortals and immortals as represented in the world's myths and legends are brought together and explained in Nectar and Ambrosia. This A–Z volume is filled with an abundance of exotic lore and legend.
Download or read book Shadow of the Bear written by Brian Payton and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2008-12-11 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We've been meeting bears in the wilderness, and in our dreams, since the dawn of human history. Celebrated in art and myth since we began drawing on the walls of caves, they cast a long shadow over our collective subconscious. Wherever bears endure, they are an indicator of the health of their ecosystem. Their decline-some to the edge of extinction-foretells a bigger story: that of our planet's peril. In a series of remarkable journeys, Brian Payton travels the world in search of the eight remaining bear species. Along the way, he confronts poachers in the jungles of Cambodia, witnesses the cruelty of the bear bile trade in China, and delves into the politics of panda sex. From the reclusive spectacled bears of Peru to the man-eating sloth bears of India, Payton captures the power and beauty of these fascinating creatures while exploring their unique place within very different cultures. Vivid characters, exotic landscapes, and deft storytelling make for an unforgettable trek down the braided path of bear and human history.
Download or read book Mythical and Fabulous Creatures written by Malcolm South and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 1987-03-12 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This serious, scholarly treatment of 20 imaginary beings, from dragon and phoenix to giants and fairies, discusses the origin of each as an idea, its symbolism and lore, and its appearances in art, literature, or film. . . . Extensive bibliographies follow the generally ambitious and erudite essays while a final catch-all article and selective bibliography cover still more ground, at a gallop. . . . [There] are a number of thoughtful and well-written interpretive investigations into the nature and history of some persistent types. Entries on the Basilisk, Harpies, Medusa, and the Sphinx are particularly fine: here one feels that the mystery and power of these imaginative creatures is not vitiated by scholarly taxidermy. Library Journal [This] book provides thorough documentation of the best-known creatures of fantasy with a breadth of coverage that is both impressive and delightful. Recommended for all libraries supporting research in mythology, fantasy, folklore, or popular culture. Choice
Download or read book Who s who in Egyptian Mythology written by Anthony S. Mercatante and published by Barnes & Noble Publishing. This book was released on 1998 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Return of the Osprey written by David Gessner and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2001-01-01 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of A Wild, Rank Place focuses on the osprey, capturing their magnificent beauty while chronicling their return on the east coast after a two decades absence. BOMC.
Download or read book The Mythical Zoo written by Boria Sax and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2013-11-29 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A beautifully illustrated alternate taxonomy of the animal kingdom, based on mythology, literature, art, and other cultural realms: “Charming.” —ForeWord Sacred cows, wily serpents, fearsome lions, elegant swans, busy bees, and sly foxes—all are caricatures of the creatures themselves, yet they reflect not only how different cultures see the natural world around them but also how such cultures make use of their native animals. In this fun and thought-provoking book, historian and animal enthusiast Boria Sax argues for a classification of animals that goes beyond the biological to encompass a more meaningful distinction: tradition. From ants and elephants to tigers and tortoises, The Mythical Zoo weaves together a cross-cultural tapestry encompassing mythology, history, art, science, philosophy, and literature. The result is a beautifully illustrated, masterfully composed love letter to the animal kingdom.
Download or read book Hidden Treasures written by Molly Breckling and published by Liverpool University Press. This book was released on 2023-04-16 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gustav Mahler once said, “With song you can express so much more in the music than the words directly say. The text is actually a mere indication of the... hidden treasure within.” Over fourteen years, from 1887-1901, he devoted his compositional output almost exclusively to texts and ideas drawn from a collection of German folk poetry entitled Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Alte deutsche Lieder, resulting in twenty-four songs which heavily inspired his first four symphonies. This study explores Mahler’s songs based on this poetry and identifies the connections the composer found between these products of Germany’s folk past and his own contemporary environment. The songs he created comment on and engage with Vienna’s musical life, Freudian theory, Mahler’s religious life, his family relationships, his views on women and romance, economic inequality, and wartime violence. As remnants of a folk tradition, the poems contained in Des Knaben Wunderhorn served the purpose of instructing young people on ways of conducting themselves, just as fairy tales do today. Mahler’s adaptation of these stories and his updating of them to serve audiences of his own time demonstrate the universality of the lessons these poems provide, both to audiences of Mahler’s day, and also to our own.
Download or read book Poetry in the Song of Songs written by Patrick Hunt and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2008 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This ground-breaking study explores the structure and literary figures in the biblical Hebrew poetry of the Song of Songs. These figures include simile, metaphor, paronomasia, parallelism, sensory cluster, fertility language - flowers, spices, and plants as well as animals and images of wealth - and many other literary devices, delineated but not limited to how they also appear in classical literature as defined by Aristotle, Quintilian, and others. This biblical poetry is also compared to the Greek poetry of Sappho and Egyptian love poetry as well as to the Ramayana and the Kamasutra. The Song of Songs is discreetly yet firmly interpreted as erotic literature.
Download or read book Avian Illuminations written by Boria Sax and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2021-10-13 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exquisitely illustrated journey through the complex and crucial relationship between humans and birds. Avian Illuminations examines the many roles birds have played in human society, from food, messengers, deities, and pets, to omens, muses, timekeepers, custodians, hunting companions, decorative motifs, and, most importantly, embodiments of our aspirations. Boria Sax narrates the history of our relationships with a host of bird species, including crows, owls, parrots, falcons, eagles, nightingales, hummingbirds, and many more. Along the way, Sax describes how birds’ nesting has symbolized human romance, how their flight has inspired inventors throughout history, and he concludes by showing that the interconnections between birds and humans are so manifold that a world without birds would effectively mean an end to human culture itself. Beautifully illustrated, Avian Illuminations is a superb overview of humanity’s long and rich association with our avian companions.
Download or read book Books for the Teen Age written by New York Public Library and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Gods goddesses and mythology written by and published by Marshall Cavendish. This book was released on 2005 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains alphabetized entries on deities, concepts, practices, places, and objects related to the mythologies of cultures throughout history, and features color photos and sidebars. This volume covers Ach-Ara.
