Dictionary of Mythology

by Fernand Comte and Wordsworth Reference

Book Overview

This guide includes gods from ancient civilizations such as Aphrosire, Quetzacoatl and Vishnu and legendary heroes from Achilles to Visvamitra. It provides information on the genaeologies and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1853263370
• ISBN13: 9781853263378
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Superior Multicultural Mythology Reference

"The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology" is a lot of book in an inexpensive paperback format. What you get is a reference for mythology that goes beyond the Greek / Roman gods and includes background on the pantheons of many culture's mythologies. This isn't just uncommon, but rare. Most people when they hear the word mythology think of the Greek and Roman gods without realizing that almost every cultural group in the world has its own mythology. While I want to emphasize that this is a reference book and doesn't have huge comprehensive entries on each mythology, it's a great starting point for study of mythology. The excellent index and appendices makes it easy to find a name and look it up. There are also family trees, lists of gods and consorts, lists of areas of influence, and other useful information. I also want to mention that while the focus of mythology is on gods and goddesses, fantastic monsters, heroes, and others worthy of inclusion into a mythology are included.Specifically, entries come from the following cultures: universal myths, pantheons, Greece and Rome, Mesopotamia (Babylon, Sumer, Akkad, etc.), Egypt, India, Gaul, the Celts, the Nordics (usually called the Norse Gods), the Slavs, pre-Columbian America (Aztec, Toltec, etc.), China, Japan, Pacific Islands (Polynesia), Africa and Madagascar, the Judeo-Christian World, and mythological creatures from different civilizations. While I would certainly recommend Bullfinch or Edith Hamilton for larger volumes, as a small reference, this book has no equal. It is extremely handy and no other mythology reference I've found so far can cover so many cultures so well. Even the introduction is well written. While I like it very much, the level of writing is very academic and at a university level so that it might not make a good gift for a young teen unless they were a very strong reader. For younger readers, I would recommend the D'aulaire's books about Greek and Roman or Norse mythology as more appropriate gifts. I highly recommend this fine book. It is a superior mythology reference.Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan