Mythology (Bookshelf)

The word mythology (from the Greek μυϑολογία mythología, from μυϑολογείν mythologein to relate myths, from μύϑος mythos, meaning a narrative, and λόγος logos, meaning speech or argument) literally means the (oral) retelling of myths – stories that a particular culture believes to be true and that use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity. In modern usage, "mythology" is either the body of myths from a particular culture or religion (as in Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology or Norse mythology) or the branch of knowledge dealing with the collection, study and interpretation of myths.

—Excerpted from Mythology on Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

Editor's Note: Project Gutenberg contains hundreds of books on mythology, both scholarly and popular works that introduce readers to the wealth of myths, legends, tales, and folk stories among ancient and modern cultures from around the world. In compiling the Mythology Bookshelf, the aim has been to select books that focus on or at least deal with some aspect of creation myths - stories that specific cultures believe to explain the origins of the universe and of their place in the world. For additional books on folk tales and legends, please see the Folklore Bookshelf.

General

• Bulfinch's Mythology: the Age of Fable  by Thomas Bulfinch (1796-1867)

• The Golden Bough  by Sir James George Frazer (1854-1941)

• Custom and Myth  by Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

• Myth, Ritual and Religion, Vol. 1  by Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

Area Studies

• Legends of the Gods. The Egyptian Texts  by E.A. Wallis Budge (1857-1934)

• Legends of Babylon and Egypt in relation to Hebrew tradition  by L.W. (Leonard William) King (1869-1919)

• Legends of the Jews. Vol. 1 From the creation to Jacob  by Louis Ginzberg (1873-1953)

• Myths and Legends of China  by E.T.C. Werner (1864-1954)

• The Edda, Vol. 1. The Divine Mythology of the North  by Winifred Faraday

• The Edda, Vol. 2. The Divine Mythology of the North  by Winifred Faraday

• The Babylonian Legends of the Creation  by E.A. Wallis Budge (1857-1934)

• Myths of Babylonia and Assyria  by Donald A. MacKenzie (1873-1936)

• American Hero-Myths. A Study in the Native Religions of the Western Continent  by Daniel Garrison Brinton (1837-1899)

• The Myths of the New World. A Treatise on the Symbolism and Mythology of the Red Race of America  by Daniel Garrison Brinton (1837-1899)

• The Unwritten Literature of the Hopi  by Hattie Greene Lockett

• Representation of Deities of the Maya Manuscripts  by Paul Schellhas (1859-1945)