This is an excellent source for those interested in all the variant mythologies surrounding Siva. The information is well organized and told with an even objective viewpoint, which is perfect since Siva is fascinating in his own right, so there is no need to flower things up. The multple tellings of the same core myth really drives home the core points and character traits of Siva. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Siva or Hindu Mysticism.

This wonderful review of the literature of Siva, by far one of the most interesting and misunderstood of the Indic gods, is already a classic. The contrasts between asceticism and eroticism are carefully and precisely laid out, without the quackery of popular psychological babble. The stories are well translated, with full notes, in such a way as to leave the ambiguities of the original intact. Absolutely lovely.

I could attempt to write a review of this work, but
it is so rich, satisfying, informative, and inspiring
a volume that I would rather quote from the back
cover, which seems to me to sum up the perfections of
this compilation.
"GREEK AND EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGIES features seventy-two
articles, reproduced in full [in English translation]
with illustrations, from the acclaimed two-volume
MYTHOLOGIES. Written by distinguished scholars, the
articles explore a fascinating variety of themes and
topics. The section on Greek myth surveys mythologies
of creation, power, war, death, and sexuality; articles
on gods, goddesses and their cults bring fresh perspectives
to our understanding of religion in Greek societies. The
discussions of myth in Egypt are equally wide ranging --
from cosmology, anthropology, ritual, and religion to the
cults of Isis and the fate of the Egyptian gods from the
Middle Ages to the eighteenth century.
"The articles offer illuminating examples of the working
of myth in cultures past and present -- how we create, use,
and are guided by systems of myth to answer fundamental
questions about ourselves and our world: Where do we come
from? Who are we? How shall we live? What happens when we
die?
"Building on perspectives developed by such scholars as
Claude Levi-Strauss and Georges Dumezil, and drawing on
such diverse sources as the history of religions,
anthropology, archaeology, literature, and linguistics,
the contributors define a new approach to the study of
myth in society. Rather than simply cataloging gods
and symbols, the articles in MYTHOLOGIES explore the
complex working of myth in past societies and in our lives
today."
-- Back Cover.
---------
The "Introduction: The Interpretation of Mythology"
is incredibly rich and informative. It includes the
essays (never dry or dull! -- always extremely interesting
and inspiring) on: Toward a Definition of Myth. The

Interpretation of Mythos: Nineteenth and Twentieth-
Century Theories. Myth and Writing: The Mythographers.
Prehistoric Religion. "Nomadic Thought" and Religious
Action.
The essays in the rich Part 2 section on Greek mythology
contain such topics (which really interested me) as:
Myth in the Greek City: The Athenian Politics of Myth.
Philosophy and Mythology, from Hesiod to Proclus. Plato's
Mythology and Philosophy. The Neoplatonists and Greek
Myths. Greek Cosmogonic Myths. And these are only some
of the many.
The Part 3 section on Egypt contains such topics as:
Egyptian Cosmogony. Egyptian Anthropology. The Divine
and the Gods in Ancient Egypt. Egyptian Rituals. Death
in Egyptian Religion. Meroitic Religion. The Cults of
Isis among the Greeks and in the Roman Empire. Isis
the Magician, in Greek and Coptic Papyruses. The Fate
of the Egyptian Gods from the Middle Ages to the
Eighteenth Century. And that is the full list of
titles in that section.
All in all, this work is even more stimlating and
insightful than Robert Graves, and I would even put
it far ahead of THE LAROUSSE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MYTHOLOGY,
which I also own and use.

David White's "Myths of the Dog Men" is a fascinating read. It is a non-fiction work about past Eurasian fictional notions, specifically about the way dogs and dog-headed men appear in myths in China, India, and Europe. Our oldest companion, dogs naturally play important roles in human culture and were/are a source of fertile imaginings, but White is interested in a specific myth-complex that he sees as having common origins and mutually influencing relationships.

White's collection of dog-man myths, motifs, and images are not collected in a scattered, Frazerian way; he translates his rather unusual topic into a fascinating, insightful, and satisfyingly comprehensive book that does not fall prey to "patchwork" problems so often encountered in works that analyse recurrent myths in different societies. White covers issues of Orientalism and other ethnocentric bigotries about liminal ethnic groups from the earliest times as well as covering religious and romantic/entertainment motivations for constructing and repeating these myths. He also suggests a possible origin of these myths in that cauldron of ethnic crossways, Central Asia (what is sometimes called Serindia or the Silk Road region).

All in all, Myths of the Dog Men is a valuable and interesting work. It is a valuable scholarly book that provides the reader with information, theory, AND entertainment, and for that reason I highly recommend it for both specialist and interested layperson. Talk about a great resource for the fiction writer ...

In OTHER PEOPLE'S MYTHS, Wendy O'Flaherty says "God created people because he loves stories." O'Flaherty teaches History of Religion at the University of Chicago. She says not everyone will approach her book with the same level of interest. The orthodox religious may find it sacriligious while hard-core secular humanists may find it too "religious." However, she believes some secular humanists may be ready to rethink the premise that rational thought is the only way to gain a handle on reality, and it is to them she dedicates this book.

MYTHS will prove illuminating to those who study the history of religion (non-theologians), fascinating to anthropologists who study other cultures, and provocative to theologians looking for inspiration. O'Flaherty's book is a synthesis of many strands from many disciplines--she likes the metaphor of weaving to describe her work.

O'Flaherty says myths can provide alternative answers to the fundamental questions of life and death. Juxtaposed, these answers can be deciphered like a secret code. She says myths are not lies they are fragments of the truth. Myths are the clothes archetypes wear--or structures if you're a structuralist, or parables if you're God.

O'Flaherty, a Jew, is a specialist in Christian and Hindu mythology. She compares and contrasts the various stories of these two cultures with the earlier Greek myths--which she says weren't myths at all by the time they were discussed by Plato, but mere shadows of their former selves--zombies. Myths are alive, they resonate.

She says Allan Bloom (author of THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND) says we have lost our classics (stories) and to a certain extent she agrees with him. But, she says, the classics to which Bloom refers never belonged to all the people whereas myths do. She tells of the Mahabharata which the most illiterate peasant in India knows. In the U.S., it's equivalent is the Bible. Most Westerners can recite some sections of the Bible.

As far as the classics go, they don't survive unless they are mythologized. To mythologize a story is to tell it over and over. Not all stories can become myths. Myths bear repeating. There are many different kinds of myths, from those involving Western heros to those about characters in children's tales like Cinderella. (I discovered Cinderella is a Chinese tale--hence the small feet as an aspect of female beauty, and those slippers were fur, not glass--the tale was mistranslated!!).

In the information age, the theater plays a large role in the transmission of cultural myths. Movies are big in the U.S. and big in India. O'Flaherty says her favorite mythical tale is "Through the Looking Glass." She mentions other tales--both written and on film that are mythical including "Star Wars", "The Red Shoes", and "The Wizard of Oz." She says in a pluralistic society, many new tales will be mythologized, and new heros will materialize -- The Lion King, Harry Potter, and James Bond??

O'Flaherty wrote her book in the late 1980s before the "English Patient" was released as a book and film. She says Herodotus was the first person to record the existence of a myth as an aspect of a culture. I kept thinking as I read the book and she cited Herodotus over and over, I must watch "The English Patient" again.

A fine volume featuring extensive articles on many religious practices, artifacts, art, beliefs, and theologians. Notable are the extended articles for major religions ranging from African religions to Taoism. The text is richly illustrated.

It makes, however, the mistake of defining religions by their official doctrine only. Though there are numerous photos of people worshipping, some of the articles take only the work of theologians seriously. Living institutions are often treated as mere relics of the past rather than as contemporary expressions of belief.

I was also disappointed by the section on Mythology, which only treats dead religions and these not very well, preferring to discuss the way Myth is studied rather than providing specific details and cross-references. Where it covers these old traditions in depth, (and only the ones which are prominent in Western intellectual thought, alas!) it fails to flesh out the tales of the gods and goddesses or to provide a handy reference to different pantheons.

It often fails on the side of "neutrality" by failing to present skeptical perspectives on religion. (There isn't even an article on Skepticism, which is, in this century, as important a movement as Iconoclasm was in the 8th and 9th centuries). Secular humanism also receives short shrift.

The owner of this volume who bears these failures in mind will nonetheless find it useful. There's a fascinating section on New Religions, an extensive bibliography, and many fine, brief articles on the many facets of religion. It is worth having this among your general reference books.

I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN RELIGION!

Articles pack this important encyclopedia which includes illustrations, maps, and color art. All religions, cultures and regions are included in a reference which will prove essential to both specialty libraries and general public library collections.

The Oresteia is the only extant Greek trilogy. Made up of Agememnon, The Libation Bearers, and the Eumenides the trilogy presents man's progress from blood feud to the beginnings of democracy.

Agememnon is the traditional and essential Greek tragedy. This play show mankind at its most savage. (...) It is the second generation of the curse on the house of Atreus. (...) Clytaemnestra is one of literature's great creations and a memorable character known for her cunning and ruthlessness.

The Libation Bearers continues the story. Agememnon's son Orestes plots revenge with his sister, Electra. The message here seems to be that blood begets blood. (...)

The Eumenides is the first courtroom drama. Here we witness the birth of the democratic process. (...) Man has moved from the age of the blood feud to the dawn of democracy in less than 300 pages.

On the whole the trilogy is not light reading. The Fagles translation attempts to preserve the poetry of the work to a large extent. However Aeschylus was never easy to relate to even in the 5th Century B.C. he was considered archaic. The trilogy deserves a read just on the strength of its importance to western civilazation. The reader needs a good bit of patience but will find himself rewarded if he sticks with this work.

If reading the Fagles translation it may be helpful to read the lengthy introduction "The Serpent and the Eagle" for a good guide to the work. The intro is long and somewhat tedius but it places the work in an historical perspective that is helpful as one gets deeper and deeper into the text. The textual notes are inconvieniently placed at the end of the work which make them a chore to read except for the most interested scholars.

Try this one you won't regret it.

The Oresteia (the only extant complete Greek trilogy) consists of three plays: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and the Eumenides. It begins with Agamemnon returning home triumphant from the Trojan war only to be struck down (together with the tragic Cassandra) by his wife Clytaemnestra. Her motives while just (he sacrificed their daughter Iphigeneia to calm the winds) are impure because of her adultery with Aegisthus.

The second play is the vehicle for Clytaemnestra's punishment, as her son Orestes returns to kill both her and Aegisthus with the help of his sister Electra.

Finally, the Eumenides has the trial of Orestes by Athena, as she stops the furies from taking him in return for the blood-guilt he incurred for killing his mother. The Eumenides provides the way to end the cycle of revenge by banishing the furies from active participation in the world of men.

The cycle can be read in any number of ways. The introduction to the Penguin/Fagles translation contains a summary of the various readings. I kept wondering what Proteus, the missing fourth satyr-play would have provided. We read it so clearly as a trilogy and the Eumenides has such a harmonious ending that I can't help but wonder if the circle closed in the third play reopens in the fourth or if it was something else entirely.

My only complaint about the book is that in the Fagles translation the notes are at the back of the book rather than assigned per page, and I find that a cumbersome style to read.

This is the finest work of translation from an ancient Greek text that I have ever read. Aeschylus' poetry is among the most abstract and arcane in any language, and yet Fagles shows us its power, austerity, vitality, and, best of all, life. All of the most important themes and ideas of the Greeks are here: public and private, emotion and rationality, justice and revenge, man and god; and Fagles shows us that it doesn't have to be impenetrable or dull. Since Aeschylus' death there has been no one to match him, but now there is at least a way to enjoy him.

An astonishing and disquieting little fairy tale, Une tetede chien was first published in Paris in 1951. It is the story of ahuman boy born with the head of a spaniel dog. One would think the story would have to be either satirically funny or sadly pathetic. I found it to be more a fable of acceptance. How young Edmond, the dog-headed boy, grows to manhood and encounters (and endures) various prejudices and cruel jokes is a moral unto itself. Although a fantasy, this is not a book for children. It is a rather disturbing and thought-provoking story about being different in a world where conformity prevails.

First read this book in 1954 when I was 13. Read it again in college in 1958 for a thesis. Since the story remained in my subconscious all these years, in 1993,I decided to reread it. The wonders of the internet were not readily available so I wrote real letters to a bunch of book sellers in the lower tier of New York State. E voila - one responded and I was able to order and enjoy it once again. Certain scenes were etched in my mind and I wanted to see if they were still as affecting now that I am a seasoned grown-up. Guess what? they still are! The story has a universal appeal - most of us have endured unpleasant encounters or have felt unaccepted or "different" at least once in our lives - M. Dutourd details the "feeling" with "feeling."

A wonderful novel for teaching adults (young or old) about the pain of being different. Certainly a good book for those working with disabled adults or just those individuals who have a tough time fitting in. The hero of the book suffers much for his "disability" having the head of a spaniel. He faces daily rejection and though the pain is sometimes hard to bear for both the hero and the reader it provides a great base for discussion. Its short length and easy style makes it very accessible.

This book, based on interviews Levi-Strauss conducted with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in the late '70s, is extremely clear and easy to understand for non-anthropologists like myself. He explains his views about how rational science and mythology branched off from each other in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, leading us to a situation where today we experience life differently that do 'primitive' tribes who use myths to explain the world around them. Levi-Strauss notes, however, that, while these peoples may not be as accurate in describing the world as we are with our modern science, they do possess a great deal of knowledge which we have lost on an individual level, i.e., knowledge about plants and stars. Mythology, he claims, functions like history and science for these people; for an example Levi-Strauss focuses his attention on the meaning of American myths about twins, hare(lips) and babies born feet first.

All this is quite well laid out and easy to read. However, the last chapter deals with music and mythology, and here Levi-Strauss badly missteps. He postulates that the decline in mythology that accompanied the rise of modern science coincided with the creation of great music by the likes of Bach, Haydn and Mozart that drew upon the same sources of inspiration as mythology. He spends several pages in a structural critique of Wagner's Ring which, albeit fascinating, is highly questionable. Furthermore, at the end of the book he suggests, quite wildly, that serial music is now poised to overtake the modern novel, which arose at the same time as modern science, in importance.

This weak section at the end notwithstanding, however, this is a good book for anyone interested in Levi-Strauss's groundbreaking work.

If you trying to understand what drives Levi-Srauss to write, then this is the book you've been looking for...

This is an excellent and very short intro to the work the of famed anthropologist Levi-Strauss. It breaks down to a large extent his basic ideas about the structural analysis of myth and provides an opportunity into the thoughts and opinions of the father of structural anthropology. It's mostly taken as a transcript from a series of lectures he gave outlining major themes he's covered in his work.

If you like this book and wish to read more by him I'd recommend The Raw and the Cooked and his classic work, Structural Anthropology.

Somewhat disappointed with this version of the Kama Sutra. The beautiful erotic Indian artwork that I've seen included in so many other versions was very much lacking in this one.

this book is excellent. most think the kamasutra is a sex manual. o.k., so it can be used as one - but if taken at face value, could create some pulled muscles and ligamentus issues...

this translation of the kamasutra has more "meat" to it than the burton translation a 100 years ago. also..it is more accurate.

furthermore, it is easy to understand. this book is about how to live life and how to approach human relations in a rational way. sometimes that is sex. sometimes it is marriage. sometimes it is just group interactions.

if you apply to proper context to this book (whatever is important to you, basically), the book is a great way to introspect and understand your own life using a 400 AD context.

The problem with most translations of ancient religious books, is that they are usually translated by devotees, who give their own "spiritual spin" to things, and who definitely have an "agenda".

The author not only avoids this, but she explains what she did and why. Most translators never explain this or any of the problems of translating. And since things like the Rig Veda are huge, she expalins her slections quite well.

The translation is plain not flowery religious language. Some examples are like: "mom's a doctor..." and " Oh Wondferful Agni..." and I believe this preserves the flavor of the Rig Veda. That can be appreciated by someone who feels that accuracy in translation is useful.

If you are looking for a flowery "spirtitual" translation this is not it. However if you want a translation that is good in inspired moments, and also good with pizza and beer this is for you.

Don't pay any attention to the person below who thinks O'Flaherty should have translated the Rig Veda according to its "spiritual" meaning. As the oldest Hindu scripture, and as a book that contains a lot of symbol and mystery, people have been inclined for millenia to read things into this set of poems . . . caste, reincarnation, later ideas about God. O'Flaherty seems to be doing her best to offer an honest selection of what the authors really intended, to "get out" what they put in -- though of course following her own interests to some extent.

In this selection, you find creation poems, a fair but managable set of poems on sacrifice (which I believe is the dominant theme of the larger work), poems to Agni, Soma, Inda, Veruna, and other gods, and some thematic choices, on death and women, for examples. The text is readable, though some of the footnoting seems a bit pedantic.

As a Christian interested in comparative religion, I find the Rig Veda very interesting. J. N. Farqurhar argues, in The Crown of Hinduism, that the Veda is actually closer to Christianity than to modern Hinduism in some ways, in that 1) The early idea of Varuna, as Creator, Sustainer, Ruler, and identified with the Law, is more like Yahweh than the conception of Brahman that appears in the Upanishads. 2) The theme of sacrifice. 3) The Vedic idea of heaven. 4) The unambiguous assumption that the world is a good place. 5) More social and family freedom than was allowed in the more rigid caste system that followed. Some modern Indian Christians have said that the Vedic sacrificial ceremonies bare an uncanny resemblance to the death of Jesus on the cross. I found partial confirmation of some of these ideas here, though of course O'Flaherty did not select her poems to illustrate them!

As for the person who gives the book low marks because it contains no Sanskrit, that seems rather selfish to me. It is not fair to condemn a writer who wants to reach a general audience and keep the price down, who has lavished so much loving scholarship on her work, on that score.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

d.marshall@sun.ac.jp

Comprises 108 out of the 1,000 hymns of the Rig Veda, selected by the author. At about 300 pages no more are required. The book is presented in a way that allows you to read any hymn independenly, so the introduction does not attempt to summarize deities or their relations to each other except within the footnotes (which I saw as a problem). Since the footnotes appear at the end of each hymn, some page flipping is required (another problem). The hymns praise the gods of the Aryans who invaded Inda in 2,000 BC (Agni, Indra and their favorite alchoholic drink, Soma) along with others. A classic that brings the thoughts of ancient people to light, whose meanings may not always be clear, but are often candid. People wide-read in mythology may see similarities to other mythological traditions.