Don't Know Much About Mythology: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never LearnedHarper Collins, 1. nov. 2005 - 560 sider The latest installment in the New York Times bestselling Don't Know Much About® series -- a magical journey into the timeless world of mythology It has been fifteen years since Kenneth C. Davis first dazzled audiences with his instant classic Don't Know Much About® History, vividly bringing the past to life and proving that Americans don't hate history, they just hate the dull, textbook version they were fed in school. With humor, wit, and a knack for storytelling, Davis has been bringing readers of all ages up to speed on history, geography, and science ever since. Now, in the classic traditions of Edith Hamilton and Joseph Campbell, he turns his talents to the world of myth. Where do we come from? Why do stars shine and the seasons change? What is evil? Since the beginning of time, people have answered such questions by crafting imaginative stories that have served as religion, science, philosophy, and popular literature. In his irreverent and popular question-and-answer style, Davis introduces and explains the great myths of the world, as well as the works of literature that have made them famous. In a single volume, he tackles Mesopotamia's Gilgamesh, the first hero in world mythology; Achilles and the Trojan War; Stonehenge and the Druids; Thor, the Nordic god of thunder; Chinese oracle bones; the use of peyote in ancient Native American rites; and the dramatic life and times of the man who would be Buddha. Ever familiar and instructive, Davis shows why the ancient tales of gods and heroes -- from Mount Olympus to Machu Picchu, from ancient Rome to the icy land of the Norse -- continue to speak to us today, in our movies, art, language, and music. For mythology novices and buffs alike, and for anyone who loves a good story, Don't Know Much About® Mythology is a lively and insightful look into the greatest stories ever told. |
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... ancient myths and tales of legendary heroes and epic quests. In the spring of 2004, the enduring appeal of myth got a fresh wind with Troy. Although moviegoers saw more of Brad Pitt's butt than Achilles' heel,* the success of the movie ...
... ancient tales of a mythic African Hare, a trickster god who crossed the Atlantic in the terrible Middle Passage and found new life in the American South. Tricksters, one of the most popular types of gods found in many societies, were ...
... ancient Celtic Ireland, Mexico, and Central America, and in the Caribbean and American South, where Christianity and myth fused in voodoo and Sante- ria—so-called “primitive,” African-influenced religions still widely practiced today—is ...
... ancient myths. And sometimes myths are part of the news. In Mexico, the planned construction of a Wal-Mart-owned supermarket was met with fierce resistance, because it was so close to the Pyramid of the Sun in the ancient ruins of ...
... ancient past—not at all exclusive to India—when human sacrifice was viewed as a necessary means to please or propitiate the gods. Recent discoveries of Peruvian and Celtic mummies, Egyptian sacrifices, and Mesopotamian mass graves are ...
Indhold
1 | |
51 | |
By the Rivers of Babylon | 115 |
The Greek Miracle | 171 |
Bridge to the East | 309 |
Everywhere Under Heaven | 353 |
Ancient People New Worlds | 393 |
Sacred Hoops | 431 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 507 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 521 |
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Don't Know Much About Mythology: Everything You Need to Know About the ... Kenneth C. Davis Ingen forhåndsvisning - 2005 |