Though nearly everyone is familiar with such great mythological figures as Hercules, Icarus, and Medusa, one may wonder what relevance these ancient characters, and their stories, hold for modern readers. This unique reference book brings mythology to life for students by exploring the connections between ancient myths and contemporary culture. An introductory essay sets the tone with its overview of the myriad areas of human endeavors—including the arts, science, psychology, language and literature, consumer products, and other aspects of popular culture—that mythology has influenced. The user-friendly volume is comprised of 50 narrative essays that trace the cultural connections and offer a lively retelling of each myth. For example, readers will discover the derivation of Freudian psychoanalysis from the myth of Oedipus, and fans of popular film and fiction may be surprised to learn the mythological inspirations for works like Beauty and the Beast, The Matrix, or Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead.
This engrossing book is enhanced with 25 original illustrations. Five fact-filled appendices offer glossaries and interesting mythological etymologies of commonplace words in nature, science, and everyday consumer products like Nike shoes and Olympus cameras. Whether for research or pure enjoyment, this accessible and informative book reveals the many unrecognized references to mythology that impact our lives.
- 256 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
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Table of contents
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Introduction
- Adam and Eve
- Aphrodite
- Artemis and Actaeon
- Balder's Death
- Bellerophon
- Beowulf
- The Birth of Hercules
- The Creation of the World
- Cronus and His Offspring
- Cuchulain
- Cupid and Psyche
- Deucalion
- Dionysus
- Echo and Narcissus
- Excalibur
- The Furies
- Galahad and the Holy Grail
- The Giants Trick Thor
- Gilgamesh and Enkidu
- The Greek Division of the World
- Hercules
- Icarus and Daedalus
- Jason and the Argonauts
- Lancelot
- Leprechauns
- Loki's Children
- Loki's Gift to Odin
- Man the Animal
- Medusa
- Merlin
- Midas
- Minotaur
- The Muses
- Odysseus
- Oedipus
- Orpheus
- Pan
- Pandora
- Persephone and Hades
- Prometheus
- Pygmalion
- Pyramus and Thisbe
- Ragnarok
- Romulus and Remus
- Sibling Rivalry
- Sisyphus
- Tantalus
- The Trickster
- The Trojan War
- The World Tree
- Appendix A: Mythology in Nature
- Appendix B: Mythology in Brand Names
- Appendix C: Mythology in the Solar System
- Appendix D: Mythology in the Calendar
- Appendix E: Mythology in Common Words
- Bibliography
- Index
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Yes, you can access Mythology in Our Midst by Amy T. Peterson,David J. Dunworth in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Literary Criticism. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.