Preface

Throughout history, myths and legends have served a variety of functions. Some cultures have relied on these stories to preserve their history, traditions, and identity. Some have used myths to teach values and beliefs to the members of a community and to explain natural and social phenomena. At the same time, myths have often served as a form of entertainment.

Myths and legends are still so much a part of our lives that we tend to take them for granted. Over the years, they have been incorporated in works of literature, art, and music and even in movies and television programs. Learning about the world's myths and legends—and the messages they often convey—can enrich our understanding of great cultures of the past and how they are woven into the present.

Filled with heroism, conflict, joy, and sorrow, myths explore the human condition or explain the world around us. Passed down from generation to generation, they often feature deities, animals, or supernatural creatures. Legends tend to be concerned with brave or clever individuals who actually existed. However, the facts of their lives and their role in events are usually exaggerated or embellished to create larger-than-life characters who accomplish extraordinary, even impossible, feats.

Myths and Legends of the World is a four-volume reference work that offers middle- and high-school students a comprehensive collection of myths from ancient, medieval, and modern cultures. Cultures from around the world are represented, with large bodies of myths from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. In addition to entries recounting specific legends, overview articles such as African Mythology and Greek Mythology introduce students to the traditions of a particular culture. A distinguished editorial board—scholars in the fields of classics, history, anthropology, and literature—helped compile the entry list and reviewed each article.

Myths and Legends of the World also includes articles on major themes that run through many of these stories—themes as diverse as devils and demons, floods, giants, trees, twins, and the underworld. Many myths deal with fundamental questions such as how the world began, where people came from, and what happens after death. Similar stories from different parts of the world suggest a common set of fears and concerns and a universal desire for understanding.

The entries in Myths and Legends of the World are arranged alphabetically Sidebars highlighting additional information related to the topics appear in the margin, along with definitions of difficult or unfamiliar terms. Names and places that appear frequently in the work are marked with a dagger in the text and identified in a list at the end of each volume. Charts listing the major deities of particular cultures and cross-references at the end of the articles make the material more accessible for students. Colorful maps and illustrations of paintings, sculptures, prints, and mosaics bring distant times and places to life. Volume 4 includes a cultures index listing all the entries related to each culture and a bibliography to guide students who are interested in learning more about the subject.

Our knowledge of the past, our perception of the universe, and our sense of a community's identity go beyond the explanations of historians, scientists, and sociologists. Likewise, the nature of the human soul extends beyond the scope of psychology. The power of myth lies in its ability to shed light on these essential areas of human experience. In the words of Gregory Nagy, "Myth is a society's way of encoding its values in narrative or dramatic form."