The World of Myth

Introduction: The Dimensions of Myth

PART I: COSMIC MYTHS

THE CREATION

EGYPT: Ex Nihilo Beginnings
POLYNESIA (MAORI): The Separation of the World Parents
MESOPOTAMIA: Enuma Elish and the World Parent
ISRAEL: Genesis and the Talmudic Lilith
INDIA: The Sacred Words
IRAN (PERSIA): Aryan and Zoroastrian
CHINA: Cosmic Egg and Yin and Yang
AFRICA (MALI): The Dogon Nummo Twins
GREECE: Hesiod's Theogony
ICELAND (NORSE): The World Parent of the Eddas
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (ONONDAGAN): Star Woman and Earth Divers
MESO-AMERICA (AZTEC-MEXICA): Coatlicue, the World Mother
AFRICA (BOSHONGO-BANTU): Bumba's Creation
AUSTRALIA (ABORIGINE): The Djanggawuls
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (ACOMA): Goddesses and the Emergence
DARWIN: Origins
MODERN PHYSICS: The Big Bang

THE FLOOD

MESOPOTAMIA (SUMER-BABYLON): Utnapishtim's Flood
ISRAEL: Noah's Flood
IRAN (ZOROASTRIAN): Yima's Flood
EGYPT: Hathor and the Blood and Beer Flood
CHINA: Yue and the Flood
INDIA: Manu and the Flood
GREECE-ROME: Deucalion and Pyrrha and the Flood
MESO-AMERICA (MAYAN): The Popol-Vuh Flood
SOUTH AMERICA (INCAN): Viracocha and the Giants and the Flood
MODERN SCIENCE: Climate Change and Rising Waters

THE END OF THE WORLD: THE APOCALYPSE

ASIA MINOR (CHRISTIAN): The Book of Revelation
IRAN (ZOROASTRIAN): The Savior Saoshyant
ARABIA (MUSLIM): End of the World
INDIA: The End of the Kali Age
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (HOPI): Emergence to the Fifth World
ICELAND (NORSE): Ragnaroek
MODERN PHYSICS: Entropy and Heat Death

PART II: MYTHS OF THE GODS

THE PANTHEONS

MESOPOTAMIA (SUMER): Gods of the Elements
EGYPT: Death and Resurrection
INDIA: The Trimurti
GREECE: Originators and Olympians
ROME: The Renamed Olympians
ICELAND (NORSE): The Aesir and the Vanir
IRELAND AND WALES: The Family of Don and the Tuatha de Danann
JAPAN: The Kami
AFRICA (YORUBA): The Orishas
NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN (HOPI): The Kachinas

THE GOD AS ARCHETYPE

The Supreme Being
INDIA: Krishna-Vishnu as Brahman
ISRAEL: Yahweh
NATIVE SOUTH AMERICA (UITOTO): Nainema
AFRICA (BUSHMAN): Mantis
CARIBBEAN VOODOO: Bondye
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (CHEROKEE): Sun Goddess
JAPAN: Amaterasu
CENTRAL ASIA: Tengri and Others
MODERN SCIENCE: Immanent Mind

The Great Goddess
IRELAND AND WALES: Danu-Don
AUSTRALIA (ABORIGINE): Kunapipi
AFRICA (YORUBA): Oshun
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (INUIT): Sedna
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (LAKOTA SIOUX): White Buffalo Woman
MEXICO: Our Lady of Guadaloupe
NATIVE SOUTH AMERICA (INCA): Pachamama
INDIA: Devi
MODERN SCIENCE: Gaia as Earth

The Dying God
MESOPOTAMIA (SUMER): Inanna (Ishtar)
EGYPT: Osiris and Isis
GREECE AND ROME: Adonis and Aphrodite
ASIA MINOR (PHRYGIA): Attis
GREECE: Dionysos
ICELAND (NORSE): Odin
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (PENOBSCOT): Corn Mother
AFRICA (MALOZI): Nyambe

The Trickster
MESOPOTAMIA (SUMER): Enki and the Me
GREECE: Hermes Steals the Cattle
GREECE: Prometheus
INDIA: Krishna and the Gopis
ICELAND (NORSE): Loki
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (MAIDA): Coyote
CENTRAL ASIA: Erlik
POLYNESIA (MAORI): Maui
AFRICA (FON): Legba

The Gods as Sexual Beings
MESOPOTAMIA: Inanna and Dumuzi
EGYPT: Horus and Set
GREECE: Zeus and Company
Zeus, Hera, and Tiresias
Narcissus and Echo
Hyacinth and Apollo, Zeus and Ganymede
Zeus and Europa
Zeus and Callisto
JAPAN: Izanami and Izanagi

PART III: HERO MYTHS

NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (TEWA): Water Jar Boy
GREECE: Theseus
GREECE: Herakles (Hercules) and the Twelve Labors
GREECE: Perseus and Medusa
INDIA: The Buddha
IRELAND: Cuchulainn
IRELAND: Fionn
GREECE: Antigone
EUROPE: King Arthur
EUROPE: Parcival and the Holy Grail
GREECE: Jason and the Golden Fleece
ROME: Aeneas
ARABIA: Muhammad and the Night Journey
AFRICA (KIKUYU): Wanjiru
AFRICA (NYANGA): Mwindo
INDONESIA (CERAM): Hainuwele
INDIA: Rama and Sita
INDIA: Draupadi
MESOPOTAMIA: Gilgamesh
GREECE AND ROME: Orpheus and Eurydice
GREECE: Odysseus
ISRAEL: Jesus
IRAN: Zoroaster
MESO-AMERICA (TOLTEC/AZTEC): Quetzalcoatl
EUROPE: Mary
GREECE: Alcestis
ENGLAND: Beowulf
CHINA AND JAPAN: Guanyin (Kannon)

PART IV: PLACE AND OBJECT MYTHS

The World of Afterlife
EGYPT: Osiris
GREECE AND ROME: Lands of the Dead

The Mountain
INDIA: Mount Meru
ISRAEL: Mount Sinai

The City
GREECE AND ROME: Troy
ISRAEL-PALESTINE: Jerusalem
GREECE: Delphi

The Genitals
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (APACHE): The Vagina Girls

The Stone
ASIA MINOR (PHRYGIA): The Agdos Rock
AUSTRALIA (ABORIGINE): Erathipa
IRELAND: The Giant's Causeway

The Tree
INDIA: The Cosmic Tree
CHINA: Fusang
ICELAND (NORSE): Yggdrasil

The Garden, the Grove, and the Cave
MESOPOTAMIA: Inanna's Garden
ARABIA: Muhammad's Cave

The Labyrinth
GREECE: Daedalus and Icarus
FRANCE: The Labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral