World mythology: an anthology of the great myths and epics

Purpose of myths

Matriarchal society

Academic perspectives on myths

Greece and Rome: Greece: Creation of the Titans and the gods

Ages of man

Demeter and Persephone

Flood cycle: Lycaon: Cause

Flood: Punishment

Deucalion and Pyrrha: Rebirth

Labors and death of Heracles

Iliad

Odyssey

Rome: Romulus and Remus

Aeneid

Middle East: Babylonia: Enuma elish

Egypt: Osiris, Isis, and Horus

Hittite: Telepinu

Sumer/Babylonia: Gilgamesh

Northern Europe: Creation, death, and rebirth of the Universe

Theft of Idun's apples

Death of Balder

Theft of Thor's hammer

Sigurd the Volsung

British Isles: Ireland/Scotland: Ages of the world (Celtic)

Dagda the good (Celtic)

England/Scandinavia: Beowulf

England/France: King Arthur

Far East and the Pacific Islands: India: Creation, death, and rebirth of the Universe

Indra and the dragon

Ramayana

China: Creation of the Universe

Yi the archer and the ten suns

Quest for the sun

Japan: Creation of the Universe and Japan

Amaterasu

Kotan Utunnai (Ainu)

New Zealand: Creation cycle (Polynesia/Maori): Creation of the Universe and the gods

Creation of human beings

Creation of New Zealand

Hawaii: Taming of the Sun (Polynesia/Hawaii)

Africa: Nigeria: Creation of the Universe and Ife (Yoruba)

Benin: Quarrel between Sagbata and Sogbo (Fon)

Faraka: Gassire's Lute (Soninke)

Mali: Sunjata (Mande/Keita)

Zaire: Mwindo (Nyanga)

Americas: Bolivia: Creation (Tishuanaco/Aymara)

Peru: House of Origin (Inca)

Bolivia/Peru: Children of the Sun (Tiahuanaco/Aymara/Inca)

Surinam/Brazil: Paraparawa and Waraku (Trio)

Guatemala: Creation (Maya)

Mexico: Creation cycle (Toltec/Aztec)

Five worlds and their suns

Creation of the Earth

Creation of human beings

Creator of music

Quetzalcoatl (Toltec/Aztec)

United States: Emergence (Navajo)

Ahaiyuta and the Cloud-eater (Zuni)

Lodge-boy and Thrown-Away (Crow)

United States/Canada: Woman who fell from the sky (Iroquois/Huron)

Raven and the sources of light (Haida/Tsimshian/Tlingit)

Sedna (Inuit)

Canada: Caught by a Hair-string (Micmac).

THE MIDDLE EAST

Babylonia: The Enuma elish

Egypt: Osiris, Iris, and Horus

Hittite: Telepinu

Sumer/Babylonia: Gilgamesh

Persia: Esfandyar, the Prince Who Would Be King

GREECE AND ROME

Greece: The Creation of the Titans and the Gods,

The Ages of Man, Demeter and Persephone, The Labors and Death of Heracles,

The Iliad,

Jason and the Golden Fleece,

Medea

Rome: Pyramus and Thisbe, The Aeneid

THE FAR EAST AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

India: The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe, The Ramayana

China: The Creation of the Universe and Human Beings, Chi Li Slays the Serpent

Japan: Amaterasu, Kotan Utunnai (Ainu)

New Zealand: The Creation Cycle (Polynesia/Maori)

Hawaii: The Taming of the Sun (Polynesia/Hawaii)

THE BRITISH ISLES

Ireland/Scotland: The Ages of the World, Dagda the Good

England/Scandinavia: Beowulf

England/France: King Arthur

NORTHERN EUROPE

The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe

The Death of Balder

The Theft of Thor's Hammer

Sigurd the Volsung

AFRICA

Nigeria: The Creation o the Universe and Ife (Yoruba)

Zaire: The Origin of Life and Fire (Boshongo/Bakuba)

Benin: The Quarrel Between Sagbata and Sogbo (Fon)

Ghana: Gassire's Lute (Soninke)

Mali: Bakaridjan Kone (Segu)

THE AMERICAS

Bolivia: The Creation (Tiahuanaco/Aymara)

Peru: The Children of the Sun (Inca)

Venezuela: Wanadi the Creator (Yekuhana)

Guatemala: The Creation (Maya)

Mexico: The Creation Cycle (Toltec/Aztec), Quetzalcoatl (Toltec/Aztec)

United States:

The Emergence (Navajo), Lodge-Boy andThrown-Away (Crow)

United States/Canada: The Woman Who Fell from the Sky (Iroquois/Huron), Raven and the Sources of Light (Haida/Tsimshian/Tlingit), Sedna (Inuit)

Canada: Caught by a Hair-String (Micmac)

Index of Characters with Pronunciation Guide.