Mythologies of the World - The Illustrated Guide to Mythological Beliefs and Customs (Hardcover)

An exploration of beliefs, traditions and customs from around theglobe and throughout history. An extensive introduction highlightskey themes of myths across cultures, including the origins andsignificance of prehistoric wonders, creation myths andcosmologies, the Earth mother, gods and goddesses, heroes andvillains, warrior leaders, the interrelationship between animalsand deities, and the underworld and afterlife. Subsequent chapters,each written by an expert in the field, examine specificmythologies of different cultures, including Sumerian, Babylonianand Assyrian; Egyptian; Greek and Roman; Norse, Celtic, Teutonicand Slavic; African; Indian; Chinese and Japanese; North, Centraland South American; and Australasian and Oceanic cultures. Coverageincludes: living one's life in the context of a mythology;establishment of the pantheons, or collections of deities;interactions between gods and goddesses; gods of war and conquest,the elements, death and the underworld, and animal and householdgods; a historical background to each period; works of artdepicting the deities, heroes and legends; epic stories; andlocation maps.