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| List of Myths by Theme | |
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| List of Figures | |
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| List of Perspectives | |
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| Maps | |
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| Charts | |
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| Preface | |
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| Introduction | |
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| The Nature of Myth | |
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| What is a Myth? | |
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| The "Myth of Atlantis" | |
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| Types of Myth | |
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| Divine myth | |
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| Legend | |
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| Folktale | |
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| The Study of Myth | |
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| Myths of the Ancient World | |
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| Mesopotamian Myth | |
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| Sumerians and Cuneiform Writing | |
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| MYTH: The Akkadian Epic of Creation | |
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| The Primordial Separation | |
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| First Conflict between Older and Younger Gods | |
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| The Birth of Marduk | |
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| Marduk and Tiamat | |
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| Observations: Separation and Succession in Mesopotamian Creation Stories | |
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| The Biblical Creation Story | |
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| MYTH: Inanna Prefers the Farmer | |
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| MYTH: The Wedding of Inanna and Dumuzi | |
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| MYTH: The Descent of Ishtar | |
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| Observations: The Cycle of Life | |
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| MYTH: The Great Flood | |
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| A Race of Slaves | |
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| Lessening the Population | |
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| The Universal Flood | |
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| Observations: Divine Myth in Mesopotamia | |
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| MYTH: Gilgamesh | |
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| Gilgamesh, Son of Lugalbanda | |
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| Enkidu | |
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| Humbaba | |
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| The Lust of Ishtar | |
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| The Bull of Heaven | |
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| The Death of Enkidu | |
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| The Quest for Eternal Life | |
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| The Man Who Never Died | |
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| The Seven Loaves | |
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| The Plant of Rejuvenation | |
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| Observations: Gilgamesh, Archetypal Hero | |
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| Conclusion: The Myths of Mesopotamia | |
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| Egyptian Myth | |
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| The Black Land | |
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| Egyptian History | |
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| Egyptian Writing | |
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| The forms of Egyptian Writing | |
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| The Decipherment of Jean-Francois Champollion | |
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| MYTH: The Creation by Atum | |
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| MYTH: Creation in Memphis | |
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| MYTH: The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor | |
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| MYTH: The Destruction of Humankind | |
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| MYTH: The Story of the Two Brothers | |
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| Conclusion: Egyptian Myth | |
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| The Myths of Canaan | |
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| The Discovery of Ugarit | |
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| Ugaritic Writing | |
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| MYTH: The Myth of Aqhat | |
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| Observations: The legend of Danel | |
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| MYTH: The Myth of Baal | |
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| El Surrenders Baal | |
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| Baal Defeats Sea | |
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| A Banquet for Baal | |
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| The Anger of Anat | |
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| Baal and Anat Bribe Asherah to Support the Building of a Palace | |
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| Kothar-wa-Hasis Builds a Palace for Baal | |
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| Death Kills Baal | |
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| Athtar, Son of Asherah, Is Made King | |
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| Anat Kills Death | |
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| The Resurrection of Baal and Death | |
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| The Hittite Myth of Kingship in Heaven | |
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| Observations: The Triumph of Baal | |
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| Greek Myth | |
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| Greek Landscape | |
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| Indo-European Origins | |
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| The Alphabetic Revolution | |
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| Greek Polytheism | |
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| Homer and Hesiod | |
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| MYTH: The Creation of the World | |
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| The Children of Chaos | |
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| The Children of Gaea: The Titans | |
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| Cyclopes, Hecatonchires | |
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| MYTH: Cronus against Uranus | |
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| The Birth of Aphrodite, Monsters, and Sea Deities | |
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| MYTH: The War against the Titans | |
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| Goya's Saturn Devouring His Children | |
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| MYTH: The War against Typhoeus | |
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| Observations: Prominent Themes in Hesiod's Stories of the Early Days | |
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| MYTH: Odysseus in the Cave of Polyphemus | |
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| Observations: The Man Who Came Home | |
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| Roman Myth | |
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| Roman Geography and Culture | |
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| Roman Government and History | |
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| Roman Gods Equated with Greek | |
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| Gods of the Family and State | |
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| MYTH: The Legend of Aeneas | |
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| Arrival at Carthage | |
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| Suicide of Dido | |
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| Descent to the Underworld | |
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| Latium | |
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| Observations: The Aeneid, a Myth of Rebirth | |
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| Aeneas, Augustus, and Mussolini | |
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| MYTH: Romulus and Remus | |
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| MYTH: The Rape of the Sabine Women and the Death of Romulus | |
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| MYTH: The Etruscan Dynasty and the Wicked Tullia | |
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| MYTH: Lucretia and the End of Monarchy | |
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| Observations: An Imaginary Past Preserves the Present | |
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| Myth in India | |
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| Historical Background | |
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| The Sources for Indian Myth | |
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| MYTH: Brahma Creates the World | |
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| MYTH: Vishnu's Incarnation as a Dwarf | |
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| MYTH: The Myth of What Was in Krishna's Mouth | |
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| The Bhagavad Gita | |
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| Mughal Miniatures | |
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| Shiva, Lord of the Dance | |
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| MYTH: Gods and Demons Churn the Ocean to Obtain Ambrosia | |
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| MYTH: Devi Kills the Buffalo Demon | |
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| MYTH: The Abduction of Sita | |
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| MYTH: How Rama Rejected Sita | |
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| Observations: Queen Maya, Lord of All | |
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| Myths of the Medieval Period | |
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| Persian Myth | |
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| History of Iran | |
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| Frank Miller's 300 | |
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| Writing Down the Persian Language | |
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| The Religion of Zoroaster | |
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| The Cult of Mithras | |
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| Ferdowsi's Shahnameh | |
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| MYTH: Rostam and Sohrab | |
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| Observations: Ferdowsi's Shahnameh | |
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| Japanese Myth | |
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| Background: Chinese Myth | |
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| Japan in History | |
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| Japanese Writing | |
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| Japanese Religions | |
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| MYTH: Japanese Creation of the World | |
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| MYTH: Origin of the Japanese Islands | |
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| MYTH: The Triumph of Amaterasu | |
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| MYTH: Amaterasu and Susanoo | |
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| MYTH: The Tale of the Bamboo-Cutter | |
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| The Suitors | |
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| The Stone Begging Bowl of the Buddha | |
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| Japanese Woodblock Prints | |
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| The Jeweled Branch from Paradise | |
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| The Robe of Fire-Rat Skins | |
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| The Jewel in the Dragon's Head | |
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| The Easy-Delivery Charm of the Swallows | |
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| The Imperial Hunt | |
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| The Celestial Robe of Feathers | |
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| Observations: The Tale of the Bamboo-Cutter | |
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| Celtic Myth | |
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| Celtic Records | |
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| MYTH: Cuchulain of Ireland | |
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| The Birth of Cuchulain | |
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| Youthful Deeds of Cuchulain | |
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| The Druids | |
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| More Youthful Deeds of Cuchulain | |
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| The Cattle Raid at Cooley | |
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| The Loves of Cuchulain | |
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| The Death of Cuchulain | |
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| Observations: Cuchulain and History | |
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| Wales | |
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| MYTH: Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed | |
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| Pwyll and Arawen Change Places | |
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| The Lady on Horseback | |
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| The Stranger at the Feast | |
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| The Invention of "Badger in the Bag" | |
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| The Happiness of Pwyll and Rhiannon | |
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| The Penance of Rhiannon | |
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| Observations: Folktale Motifs in the Mabinogion | |
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| Scandinavian Myth | |
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| Writing among the Norsemen | |
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| The Poetic Edda | |
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| "The Giantess's Prophecy" | |
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| The Creation of the World | |
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| The World-Tree and the War in Heaven | |
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| Heimdall's Horn | |
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| The Death of Balder | |
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| Giantland and the Land of Hel | |
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| The Fenris Wolf | |
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| Ragnarok Begins | |
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| The Death of Odin | |
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| Thor and the Serpent | |
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| The World Renewed | |
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| Observations: The Norse Picture of the Cosmos | |
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| The Volsungs | |
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| Sigurd and Fafnir | |
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| Sigurd and Brynhild | |
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| The Ring Cycle of Richard Wagner | |
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| Observations: The Saga of the Volsungs | |
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| Myths of the Modern World | |
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| The Myths of Mexico | |
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| Maya Civilization | |
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| Maya Writing | |
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| MYTH: Popol Vuh | |
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| The Maya Creation of the World | |
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| The Creation of Humans | |
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| The Death of Vucub Caquix | |
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| Zipacna Kills the Four-Hundred Boys | |
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| The Twins Overcome Zipacna, Son of Vucub Caquix | |
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| The Twins Overcome Cabracan, Son of Vucub Caquix | |
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| The Birth of Hunahpu and Xbalanque | |
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| Xquic Tricks the Lords of Xibalba | |
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| The Rest of the Story | |
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| Observations: The Popol Vuh | |
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| The Aztecs | |
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| Diego Rivera | |
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| MYTH: The Birth of Huitzilopochtli | |
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| MYTH: The Plot of Tezcatlipoca against Quetzalcoatl | |
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| The Plumed Serpent of D. H. Lawrence | |
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| MYTH: The Journey to Tlapallan | |
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| Observations: The Myths of Mexico | |
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| Oceanic Myth | |
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| European Contact | |
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| The Study of Oceanic Myth | |
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| The Myths of Polynesia | |
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| The Statues of Easter Island | |
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| MYTH: Polynesian Creation Myths | |
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| MYTH: The Polynesian Creation of Humans | |
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| MYTH: Legends of Wlaui | |
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| MYTH: Maui Fishes Up the Land | |
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| MYTH: Maui Snares the Sun | |
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| MYTH: Maui Goes in Quest of Fire | |
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| MYTH: Maui Raises the Sky | |
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| MYTH: The Death of Maui | |
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| Paul Gauguin in Tahiti | |
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| The Myths of Melanesia | |
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| MYTH: The Origin of Man | |
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| MYTH: The Origin of Races | |
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| MYTH: The Melanesian Origin of Fire | |
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| MYTH: The Wise and the Foolish Brothers | |
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| MYTH: Melanesian Myths of Cannibalism | |
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| The Myths of Micronesia | |
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| MYTH: The Exploits of Olofat | |
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| The Myths of Australia | |
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| MYTH: The Australian Origin of Humankind | |
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| MYTH: The Origin of the Moon | |
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| MYTH: The Australasian Origin of Fire | |
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| MYTH: How the Curlew Got Red Legs | |
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| MYTH: Australasian Myths of Cannibalism | |
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| Observations: The Myths of Oceania | |
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| Myths of the North American Indians | |
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| American Indian Culture | |
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| MYTH: Hopi Creation | |
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| MYTH: Raven, Bringer of Abundance | |
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| MYTH: Sedna, Mistress of the Underworld | |
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| MYTH: The Release of the Wild Animals | |
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| MYTH: Lodge-Boy and Thrown-Away | |
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| MYTH: The Bear-Woman | |
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| MYTH: The Trickster's Great fall and His Revenge | |
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| Longfellow's Hiawatha | |
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| MYTH: The Girls Enticed to the Sky | |
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| MYTH: The Man-Eating Wife | |
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| MYTH: The Fatal Swing | |
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| MYTH: Cherokee Origin of Fire | |
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| Observations: The Stories of the North American Indians | |
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| African Myth | |
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| African History | |
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| Conditions of Performance | |
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| MYTH: Creation in Uganda | |
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| MYTH: The Tale of Abunawas | |
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| MYTH: Hare | |
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| Joel Chandler Harris and Uncle Remus | |
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| MYTH: The Story of the Cannibal Mother and Her Children | |
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| MYTH: The Disobedient Daughter Who Married a Skull | |
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| MYTH: The Magic Drum | |
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| MYTH: Nyikang and the Sun | |
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| Observations: African Myth | |
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| Theory | |
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| Theories of Myth Interpretation | |
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| Greek Theories | |
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| Physical Allegory | |
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| Historical Allegory: Euhemerism | |
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| Moral Allegory | |
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| Apuleius' Allegory of Cupid and Psyche | |
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| Medieval and Renaissance Theories | |
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| Theories of the Enlightenment | |
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| Theories of the 19th and 20th Centuries | |
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| Romantic Theories | |
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| Anthropological Theories | |
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| Linguistic Theories | |
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| Psychological Theories | |
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| Structuralist Theories | |
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| Contextual Approaches | |
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| Conclusion: The Study of Myth | |