In a relaxed and humorous tone, these splendid artists bring to life the myths that have inspired great European literature and art through the ages, creating a book readers of all ages will cherish."For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book...the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation."--The Horn  Book"The drawings, particularly the full-page ones in this oversized volume, are excellent  and excitingly evocative."--The New  York Times"Parents, uncles, and aunts who have been searching for a big picture book that has good reading-aloud value for the younger ones and fine read-it-yourself value on up, have it in this volume...a children's classic."--Christian Science Monitor

    The author believes that understanding the structure and function of myths in these traditional societies serves to clarify a stage in the history of human thought: "myths reveal that the World, man, and life have a supernatural origin and history, and that this history is significant, precious, and exemplary."

    A collection of tales from around the world:- The Boy and the Wolves- The Son of the Wolf Chief- The Blacksmith and the Devil- The Prince and teh Fairy- Zoulvisia- The Bunyip- The Nyamatsanes- The Story of Yara- The Fairy Wife- The Young Man and the Sea Maid- Long, Stout, and Sharpeyes- Hans, the Mermaid's Son- The Magic Book- The Treasure Thief- Jack and the Beanstalk- Coat of Rushes- The Three Bears- The Six Sillies- Sedna and the Hunter- The Dragon of the North- The Hungry Beasts- The Twelve Dancing Princesses - Johnny Nut and the Golden Goose- The Sleeping Beauty- Puss in Boots- Cinderella- Little Snow White- The Singing, Soaring Lark- The Three Treasures- The Fisherman and his Wife- The Hungry Prince- The Princess Atalanta- Yannikas and Marika- The Boy and the Dragon- The Grateful Animals- The Witch in the Stone Boat- The Lucky Adventurer- The Black Thief- The Leprechaun- The Frog Princess- The Cat Lovers- The Foolish Giant- The Three Princes- The Wonderful Twins- The Cunning Tortoise- Why the Sea is Salt- Soria Moria Castle- The Magic Bird- The Prince and the Maiden- The Glass Mountain- The Bones of Djulung- The Prince and the Dove- The Magic Mirror- The Two Kings- The Voice of Death- Koschei the Undying- The Witch in the Wood- Childe Roland- The Brown Bull of Norrows- The Three Beggars- The Cunning Shoemaker- The Half-Chick- The Water of Life- The Coward- The Prince and teh Fox- The Griffin- Abu Nowas and his Wife- Madschun- The Fairy of the Lake

    It marked the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season, and on that day the first meal of the year's new food crop was eaten. The chief custom was the resorting of the rural communities to certain heights or water-sides to spend the day in festivity, sports and bilberry-picking. The custom existed also in the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Wales and in the north of England. Formerly it must have been general in all Celtic lands for there is no doubt that it is a survival of Lughnasa (Lugnasad), the Celtic festival held on the first of August. In the description of the celebration much emerges of the old life of the countryside, and so the study is, in part, a contribution to social history. Moreover, as the people preserved legends of the origin of the festival and of the assembly-sites, it has been possible to show a correspondence with ancient mythology, as expressed in Irish literature and in the cult-figures of Roman Gaul. The dominant myth of the festival is brought to light. A panorama, both extensive and detailed, is unfolded in the study, which reveals, inter alia, the nature of Crom Dubh, shows that legends of Cu Chulainn, Saint Patrick, and Cornwall's Jack the Tinkard originate in tales of Lugh, suggests why Jephthah's daughter was connected with the festival in the Isle of Man, glances at the medieval cult of Saint James, and interprets anew the battle of Moytura and the Etain saga. It shows a relationship between the old assembly of Tailtiu an the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage. It discusses Puck Fair. It ranges from Lugudunum in first-century Gaul to Dun Lughaidh at the foot of Errigal. Figures from Irish mythology, hagiography and history throng its pages.

    The stories of the wrath of Achilles and its consequences, and of the wanderings of Odysseus, have been admired from ancient times to the present day. The two great epics can be read and enjoyed, unreflectingly, as tales of adventure; or they can be studied as literature, yielding, as insight and understanding grow, a deeper and more permanent pleasure. Professor Kirk’s book is the means to this pleasure. It is a vivid and comprehensive account of the background and development of the Homeric poems and of their quality as literature. The epics are seen primarily as oral poetry, sung for centuries by illiterate singers; and from this view rises discussion of the problems of authorship and transmission. The historical, archaeological and linguistic evidence is also examined; and the possible contributions of the Mycenaean period and of the subsequent Dark Age are shown in a fresh light.ContentsPart I: The historicalbackground of the homeric poemsPart II: The oral poet and his methodsPart III: The growth of the oral epic in GreecePart IV: Plurality and unity in HomerPart V: The development and transmission of the great poemsPart VI: The songs and their qualities

    Contains many black & white photographs throughout.