First published in German in 1977, it has now been translated into English with the assistance of the author himself. A clearly structured and readable survey for students and scholars, it will be welcomed as the best modern account of any polytheistic religious system.Burkert draws on archaeological discoveries, insights from other disciplines, and inscriptions in Linear B to reconstruct the practices and beliefs of the Minoan–Mycenaean age. The major part of his book is devoted to the archaic and classical epochs. He describes the various rituals of sacrifice and libation and explains Greek beliefs about purification. He investigates the inspiration behind the great temples at Olympia, Delphi, Delos, and the Acropolis—discussing the priesthood, sanctuary, and oracles. Considerable attention is given to the individual gods, the position of the heroes, and beliefs about the afterlife. The different festivals are used to illuminate the place of religion in the society of the city-state. The mystery cults, at Eleusis and among the followers of Bacchus and Orpheus, are also set in that context. The book concludes with an assessment of the great classical philosophers’ attitudes to religion.Insofar as possible, Burkert lets the evidence—from literature and legend, vase paintings and archaeology—speak for itself; he elucidates the controversies surrounding its interpretation without glossing over the enigmas that remain. Throughout, the notes (updated for the English-language edition) afford a wealth of further references as the text builds up its coherent picture of what is known of the religion of ancient Greece.

    They are best known as the "Four Branches of the Mabinogi," and comprise the tales of Pwyll, Branwen, Manawydan, and Math. The remaining stories also spring from the same tree, and together they form a collection that comprises the core of the ancient Welsh mythological cycle. They are also among the best the medieval Celtic literature has to offer.In the first thoroughly revised edition and translation of this world classic since Lady Charlotte Guest's famous Mabinogion went out of print, Mr. Ford has endeavored to present a scholarly document in readable, modern English. Basing his criteria on the latest scholarship in myth, he includes only those stories that have remained unadulterated by the influence of the French Arthurian romances. These are, in addition to the "Four Branches," the tale of "Kulhwch and Olwen," which is rooted in the mythological origins of Arthur, seen here in his role of divine hunter in pursuit of the swine-god; "Lludd and Lleuelis," which reaches beyond its immediate Celtic sources into ancient Indo-European ideologies; and the long unavailable "Tale of Taliesin," which offers insights into Celtic concepts of the archetypal poet-seer and the acquisition of Divine Wisdom.

    Twenty-six stories from Greek mythology, derived from Hesiod, Homer and Ovid recount heroic deeds, divine machinations and natural etiologies in a metamorphic narrative punctuated with sumptuous illustrations.

    Born to wealth and power, this hero of the Ramayana was remarkably unspoiled by his good fortune. This is because finely distilled in him were the exceptional qualities of his forefathers - Dilipa's single-minded devotion, the warrior skills of Raghu, and the courage and righteousness of the handsome Aja.

    Born to wealth and power, this hero of the Ramayana was remarkably unspoiled by his good fortune. This is because finely distilled in him were the exceptional qualities of his forefathers - Dilipa's single-minded devotion, the warrior skills of Raghu, and the courage and righteousness of the handsome Aja.

    

    The Life-story And Teaching Of The Greatest Poet-Saint Ever To Appear In The History Of Buddhism.

    -- Explore the frontiers that lie between belief and fact-- Illustrated with lots of diagrams and pictures

    The classical story of Cupid and Psyche, as presented in Walter Pater's novel, Marius the Epicurean.

    The Life-story And Teaching Of The Greatest Poet-Saint Ever To Appear In The History Of Buddhism.

    Mouse Woman's role, as Christie Harris's carefully researched and respectfully told legends tell, was to keep order between other narnauks and humans. Both a teacher and a nurturer, the ever-watchful Mouse Woman keeps a particularly close eye on young people. When they are tricked into trouble (often by other narnauks), she uses tact and her own brand of trickery to set things right. A unique and wonderful character, the ingenious Mouse Woman convinces the young people to change their ways themselves with only a little bit of direction from her. This reissue of the original text features the striking original black-and-white line drawings of Douglas Tait. With a new and more contemporary look, these compelling stories hold appeal for fans of the legendary Harris and all readers drawn to legends and folktales.

    These are the stuff of sagas, already celebrated in story and song. Of the Nogs themselves, of how these people spent their days, little has been set down. To this aspect of Nogiology this book is a small contribution, an in-depth study of their simple, happy, ridiculous way of life.

    government to eliminate tribal societies. Treating continuity and change as two aspects of the same phenomenon, it focuses on the nature of the uniquely Oglala values that persist, their modes of cultural expression, and the processes by which they are replicated.

    In addition, Atchity pays particular atten­tion to the poem’s presentation of the art of words, thus making clear the relationship of memory, cognition, and action in the epic tradition.

    This work analyzes Tolkien's fiction within the context of its medieval antecedents.

    This classic anthology offers ancient and modern perspectives on Job's question: 'If a man die, shall he live again?' Spanning over 5,000 years of world thought, the selections invite consideration of an idea that has found hospitality in the greatest minds of history.