James George Frazer attempted to define the shared elements of religious belief and scientific thought, discussing fertility rites, human sacrifice, the dying god, the scapegoat, and many other symbols and practices whose influences had extended into 20th-century culture. His thesis is that old religions were fertility cults that revolved around the worship and periodic sacrifice of a sacred king. Frazer proposed that mankind progresses from magic...

Tales of the Punjab (1894) is a collection of stories translated and collected by Flora Annie Steel. Collected while Steel lived with her husband in the north of the Indian subcontinent, Tales of the Punjab was a successful introduction to legends and stories from the Punjab region for children and adults back home in England. Published while India remained under the control of the British Empire, Steel's collection puts a decidedly Western twist...

This survey of ancient Greece introduces students to the myths of Icarus and Oedipus, as well as historical figures like Socrates and Alexander the Great. In The Story of the Greeks, historian and mythologist H. A. Guerber presents an engaging overview of ancient Greek life, from the earliest inhabitants of the Greek peninsula to its eventual conquest by Rome. Written specifically for students, Guerber focuses her narrative on significant individuals...

I NEVER saw that land before, And now can never see it again Yet, as if by acquaintance hoar Endeared, by gladness and by pain, Great was the affection that I bore To the valley and the river small, The cattle, the grass, the bare ash trees, The chickens from the farmsteads, all Elm-hidden, and the tributaries Descending at equal interval The blackthorns down along the brook With wounds yellow as crocuses Where yesterday the labourers hook Had sliced...

"Winner of the 2016 Sarasvati Award for Best Nonfiction Book in Women and Mythology, Association for the Study of Women & Mythology" "2015 Silver Medal Winner in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, World History category" "Selected for The New York Times Book Review's "The Year in Reading" 2016" "Shortlisted for the 2014 London Hellenic Prize" "One of Foreign Affairs' Best Military, Scientific, and Technological Books of 2015" "Selected for American...

Originally published in 1853, author Nathaniel Hawthorne delivers a vibrant selection of mythological tales inspired by some of the most popular figures in Greek lore. Tanglewood Tales is filled with whimsical characters and their fantastical stories. Nathaniel Hawthorne brings Ancient Greek mythology to life in this collection of Tanglewood Tales. The author reinterprets the stories for a younger audience with a broad appeal. The book contains heroes...

Old Indian Legends (1901) is a collection of traditional stories from Yankton Dakota writer Zitkála-Šá. Published while Zitkála-Šá was just beginning her career as an artist and activist, Old Indian Legends collects fourteen traditional legends and stories passed down through Sioux oral tradition. Intending to keep the stories or her people alive, Zitkála-Šá popularized and protected these cultural treasures for generations to come. In "Iktomi...

A banking clerk by day, Bulfinch spent his nights skillfully weaving often disparate versions of classical and medieval mythology into a coherent whole. The thoroughness with which he combed through his sources made his mythological books standard reference guides for many years. Written to teach mythology not as a study but as a relaxation from study, these timeless volumes span the ages: The Age Of Fable describes the gods and goddesses of Greece...

"Take a step into the fascinating realm of gods and goddesses, mythical warriors, and legendary kings and queens. Explore the creation stories of world's great cultures, let yourself be gripped by the classic hero narratives like the legend of King Arthur or the adventures of the Monkey King, or shed a tear over heart-rending tragedies such as the devastating tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. The Mythology Book retells and explains more than 80 classic...

"The Book of Hallowe'en" by Ruth Edna Kelley is a timeless exploration into the history, customs, and traditions surrounding one of the most beloved and mysterious holidays of the year. Originally published in 1919, Kelley's seminal work offers readers a fascinating journey through the origins of Halloween, tracing its roots back to ancient Celtic rituals and the evolution of customs across centuries and continents. Delving into the folklore and...