Myths—stories of the gods, of heroes, and of great cosmic events—are told in all of the world’s many cultures. They deal with the deepest, most fundamental issues: the creation of the universe and of the human race, the nature of the gods and spirits, what happens to us when we die, and how the world will end. They examine love and jealousy, war and peace, good and evil. Myths explore these crucial issues with intriguing plots, vivid characters, memorable scenes, and concepts that touch our deepest emotions; and so they have become eternally fascinating. Myths began as tales told around the fire by successive generations, and in places they are still passed on orally. Later, with the invention of writing, people began to write their myths down and adapt them in new ways—turning them into plays, poems, or novels, for example. Some of the world’s greatest literature, from the Greek epics of Homer to the sagas of the early Icelandic writers, are based on much older myths that were originally told orally. myriad myths
Because of their oral roots, myths are not set in stone. Each one, endlessly retold, has spawned variations. Often, there is no single “correct” version of a myth. The name of a god will change from one tribe to the next; a twist in a tale will be explained in different ways by neighboring groups. Written versions of a myth multiply the retellings still further.
This book can only tell a fraction of the world’s myths, and usually only gives one version of each story. But it does contain a generous selection of myths from around the globe, including many from the cultures of Europe that, because they have been written down and widely circulated, have had an enormous influence across the world.