The origins of the world's mythologies /

This remarkable book is the most ambitious work on mythology since that of the renowned Mircea Eliade, who all but single-handedly invented the modern study of myth and religion. Focusing on the oldest available texts, buttressed by data from archeology, comparative linguistics and human population...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Witzel, Michael, 1943-
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, [2012]
Subjects:
Table of Contents:
  • 1. Introduction : What is myth, and how do we study and compare it? ; Definition of myth and its study in the past ; Comparative myth ; Laurasian mythology ; Earlier explanations of myth ; Ur-forms, history, and archaeology ; Summary
  • 2. Comparison and theory
  • 3. Creation myths: the Laurasian story line, our first novel
  • 4. The contributions of other sciences: comparison of language, physical anthropology, genetics, and archaeology
  • 5. The countercheck: Australia, Melanesia, and Sub-Saharan Africa
  • 6. First tales: Pan-Gaean mythology
  • 7. Laurasian mythology in historical development
  • 8. Outlook.