The Mythology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

Contents
	10 INTRODUCTION
	ANCIENT GREECE
		18 Gaia first gave birth to her equal, Ouranos
		24 Rhea swaddled up a stone and passed it to Kronos to swallow
		32 Zeus in his first youth battered the earthborn Titans
		34 No wind beats roughly here, no snow nor rain
		36 He bound cunning Prometheus in inescapable fetters
		40 Her impluse introduced sorrow and mischief to the lives of men
		42 Zeus had many women, both mortal and immortal
		48 Mighty Hades who dwells in houses beneath the earth
		50 He slipped a pomegranate, sweet as honey, into her hand
		52 The raving ladies streamed out of their homes
		53 Turning ’round, he caught a glimpse of his wife and she had to return below
		54 A bringer of dreams
		56 Athena presents the olive tree, Poseidon the wave
		58 I will give infallible counsel to all who seek it
		60 One loved; the other fled the name of love
		62 Life and death are balanced on the edge of a razor
		64 This pair of tyrants. They murdered my father
		66 Tell me oh muse, the hero’s story
		72 After the labors had been accomplished, he would be immortal
		76 He had the face of a bull, but the rest of him was human
		78 Disdaining his father’s warnings, the exhilarated Icarus soared ever higher
		82 Watching the Gorgon’s head in the polished shield, he beheaded her
		84 Hate is a bottomless cup, I will pour and pour
		86 Unfortunate Oedipus— of all men, least to be envied!
		88 She wants Adonis more than she does heaven itself
		90 Whatever I touch, may it be transformed into tawny gold
		91 In a single day and night the island of Atlantis disappeared beneath the waves
	ANCIENT ROME
		96 I sing of arms and the man
		102 A desire seized Romulus and Remus to build a city
		106 The father of gods spurts red flames through the clouds
		108 Conceive of Vesta as naught but the living flame
		110 The fates will leave me my voice, and by my voice I shall be known
		112 I love you as I love my own soul
		114 I am on fire with love for my own self
		115 She yet spins her thread, as a spider
		116 I pay the due penalty in blood
		118 Mithras is the Lord of generation
		120 He carved a statue out of snow-white ivory
		121 For lying with me, take control of the hinge
		122 No wood nymph could tend a garden more skilfuly than she
		124 Even death shall not part us
		125 Those whom the gods care for are gods
	NORTHERN EUROPE
		130 From Ymir’s flesh the earth was made
		134 The ash of Yggdrasil is the noblest of trees
		140 The first war in the world
		142 They mixed honey with the blood and it turned into mead
		144 Thor might smite as hard as he desired and the hammer would not fail
		146 Am I wrong in thinking that this little fellow is Thor?
		148 The unluckiest deed ever done among gods and men
		150 Brother will fight brother and be his slayer
		158 When the worm comes to the water, smite him in the heart
		160 Wonderful the magic sampo, plenty does it bring to northland
		164 The Dagda was eighty years in the kingship of Ireland
		165 As soon as he touched the earth, he was a heap of ashes
		166 One will be long forgetting Cúchulainn
		168 He has the name of being the strongest and bravest man in Ireland
		170 So they took the blossoms and produced from them a maiden
		172 Who so pulleth out this sword is the rightwise king born of all England
	ASIA
		182 From the great heaven the goddess set her mind on the great below
		188 Command and bring about annihilation and re-creation
		190 Who can rival his kingly standing?
		198 Two spirits, one good, the other evil, in thought, word, and deed
		200 Brahma opened his eyes and realized he was alone
		201 Siva placed the elephant’s head on the torso and revived the boy
		202 O king, it is wrong to gamble oneself!
		204 Rama is virtuous and the foremost among all righteous men
		210 I am the lady, ruler of the worlds
		211 O! Meenakshi! Fish-eyed goddess! Grant me bliss!
		212 You are to be the king over all the world
		214 Yang became the heavens, Yin became the earth
		216 The 10 suns all rose at once, scorching the sheaves of grain
		218 I’ll roam the corners of the oceans and go to the edge of the sky
		220 Having finished making the lands, they went on to make its spirits
		222 All manner of calamities arose everywhere
		226 Your rice of the Skyworld is good Fire and rice
		228 There was a man called Dan’gun Wanggeom who created a city and founded a nation
		230 Hae Mosu made the sun shine and its rays caressed Yuwha’s body
	THE AMERICAS
		236 The Earth is a giant island floating in a sea of water
		238 It will not be well if they omit it
		240 Begin a Deerskin Dance for it because everything will come out well from that
		242 She was the shade of the whale
		244 And the sun belongs to one and the moon to the other
		248 So then the sun went into the sky
		256 In the beginning, and before this world was created, there was a being called Viracocha
		258 The canoe was a wonder
		260 The creator of the world has always existed
	ANCIENT EGYPT AND AFRICA
		266 I was alone with the Primeval Ocean
		272 Hail to you, Ra, perfect each day!
		274 Isis lived in the form of a woman, who had the knowledge of words of power
		276 He will not die! Osiris will live a life forever
		284 If they built fires, evil would come
		285 I will give you something called cattle
		286 Tie the calabash behind you and then you will be able to climb the tree
		288 The life-force of the earth is water
		294 The queen wants to kill you
	OCEANIA
		302 Come and hear our stories, see our land
		308 Spear me slowly. I still have more to teach you
		310 The world of myth is never far off
		316 Master of everything that is
		318 Death obtained power over mankind
		320 But the redoubtable Maui was not to be discouraged
		324 What would you say to our driving the birds to Easter Island?
		326 When I utter his name, he hears in the heavens
		332 I do not forget the guiding stars
	334 DIRECTORY
	344 INDEX
	351 QUOTE ATTRIBUTIONS
	352 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS