Myth and Knowing: An Introduction to World Mythology

Chapter One: Purposes and Definitions

The Study of Mythology

What is Myth Historically?

The Rise of Mythology

Mythology During the Enlightenment

Mythology in the 20th Century

Mythology Today

Reading Mythology

Works Cited and Suggestions for Further ReadingChapter Two: Creation Myths

The Birth of Order

Classifying Cosmogonic Myths

Types of Creation Myths

Reading Creation Myths

"Amma and Nummo Create the World" (Dogon/Nigeria)

"The Creation, from The Eddas" (Norse/Iceland)

"From Chaos to King Zeus" (from the Theogony/Greek)

"Out of the Blue" (Modern retelling from Iroquois sources)

"The Creation of Ulligara and Zalgarra" (Sumerian/Iraq)

"Creation Myth from the Vishnu Purana" (Hindu/India)

"Genesis: The Creation Account" (Hebrew Scriptures)

"The Popul Vu" (Maya/Yucatan and Guatemala)

Works Cited and Suggestions for Further ReadingChapter Three: The Female Divine

The Great Goddess

Archetypal Psychology

Goddess as Literary Character Types

Reading the Female Divine

"The Fire" Goddess (Hawaiian/Hawaii)

"White Buffalo Calf Woman" (Brule Sioux/North American Great Plains)

"The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi" (Sumerian/Iraq)

"A Taste of Earth" (modern retelling of Vietnamese materials/Vietnam)

"Kali Beheaded" (modern retelling of Hindu materials/India)

"Calisto and Arcas" (from Ovid's Metamorphosis; Roman/Italy)

"On the Origin of the World" (Gnostic/Egypt)

Works Cited and Suggestions for Further ReadingChapter Four: The Male Divine

The Prehistory of God

The "Sorcerer" of Trois Freres

The "Shaman" of Trois Freres

Images of the Masculine

Reading the Male Divine

"Bhagavad Gita" (Teachings 1, 2, 6, and 11; Hindu/India)

"Enki and Ninhursanga" (Sumerian/Iraq)

"Orunmila Gives the Orishas Their Powers and His Friendship with Eshu" (Yoruba/Nigeria)

"Thor's Dual with Hrungnir" (Norse/Iceland)

"Quetzalcoatl Rescues the Precious Bones and Discovers Corn" (Aztec/Mexico)

Works Cited and Suggestions for Further ReadingChapter Five: Trickster Myths

The Embodiment of Ambiguities

Reading Trickster Myths

"Why We Tell Stories about Spider" (Ga/West Africa)

"Ajapa, Aja the Dog, and the Yams" (Yoruba/Nigeria)

"How Coyote Placed the Stars" (Wasco/Oregon)

"Coyote Man and Saucy Duckfeather" (modern myth; Peter Blue Cloud)

"The Trouble with Rose Hips" (Lipan Apache/American Southwest)

"Old Man Coyote Meets Coyote Woman" (Blackfoot/South-Central Canada, North-Central U.S.)

"The Treasures of the Gods" (Norse/Iceland)

"The Seven Great Deeds of Ma-ui" (Oceania)

"Prometheus" (from the Theogony/Greek)

"Pa Pandir, or Daddy Moron" (Malaysian)

Bibliography

Works Cited and Suggestions for Further ReadingChapter Six: Sacred Places

The Grounding of Mythology

Gulliford's Nine Categories of Sacred Places

Deloria's Four Categories of Sacred Sites

Sites of Longing and Fear

Combining Interpretive Strategies

"The Zuni and the Grand Canyon" (modern Zuni account/Arizona)

"The Emergence" (ancient Zuni account/Arizona)

"Bighorn Medicine Wheel" (modern account/Wyoming)

"The Medicine Wheel" (medicine man Hyemeyohsts Storm/Wyoming)

"Sacred Landforms in Japan (Japan)

"The Mountain of the Lotus and the Fan" (Japan)

"Yoshoji and the Goddess Fuji" (Japan)

"Ten Thousand Treasure Mountain" (Yao/China)

"Kobo Stories" (Buddhist/Japan)

"The Waters of Eternal Life" (Jewish/Italy, 11th c.)

"The Castle in the Lake" (Bon/Tibet)

"The Cormorants of Utrost" (Norway)

"The Areca Tree" (modern retelling of ancient Vietnamese materials)

"Biriwilg Becomes a Painting" (Aboriginal Australia)

Works Cited and Suggestions for Further ReadingIndex

Myth and Knowing is by far the most comprehensive world mythology textbook. The text/reader format provides both jargon-free discussions of current themes and thinkers in the ongoing scholarly conversation about myth and a broad selection of complete myths chosen for literary merit and the cultural sensitivity of their translations. Rather than being genre-driven, the book emphasizes the psychological, religious, and cultural meanings of myth, presenting these with the intent of fostering in students a love of literature.