The Greek Myths that Shape the Way We Think PDF Download
Are you looking for read ebook online? Search for your book and save it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Download The Greek Myths that Shape the Way We Think PDF full book. Access full book title The Greek Myths that Shape the Way We Think by Richard Buxton. Download full books in PDF and EPUB format.
Author: Richard Buxton Publisher: National Geographic Books ISBN: 0500518807 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
A fresh and revealing look at the stories at the heart of Greek mythology, exploring their cultural impact throughout history up to the present day. How do ancient Greek myths find themselves retold and reinterpreted in cultures across the world, several millennia later? In this volume, bestselling author Richard Buxton explores the power that eight iconic Greek myths hold in the modern world. Buxton traces these stories and archetypes from their ancient forms through their transformations over time in literature, art, cinema, psychology, and politics. Over their long lives, Greek myths have expressed a myriad of meanings: from aesthetic refinement to erotic fantasy to political power. Greek myths are an integral part of a broader cultural history, their changes in meaning signifying major shifts in art and society; myths that strike a resonant cultural chord in one period may fall out of fashion the next. This erudite yet accessible exploration examines how the world’s most influential myths have survived to the present, and how they have shaped our ideas on everything from family and society to sexuality and culture. As Buxton explains, each of the eight featured myths is fundamental to the way we think about ourselves and the world. The figure of Prometheus has inspired science fiction icons from Mary Shelley to Ridley Scott. The tragedy of Medea has had a profound impact on theater, feminism, and even criminology. Oedipus’s influence stretches far beyond Freud. The rich visual tradition inspired by Greek myths—from pottery to paintings to popular culture —illustrates this wide-ranging, sometimes surprising study, making this book a beautiful object to own as well as a thought-provoking read.
Author: Richard Buxton Publisher: National Geographic Books ISBN: 0500518807 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
A fresh and revealing look at the stories at the heart of Greek mythology, exploring their cultural impact throughout history up to the present day. How do ancient Greek myths find themselves retold and reinterpreted in cultures across the world, several millennia later? In this volume, bestselling author Richard Buxton explores the power that eight iconic Greek myths hold in the modern world. Buxton traces these stories and archetypes from their ancient forms through their transformations over time in literature, art, cinema, psychology, and politics. Over their long lives, Greek myths have expressed a myriad of meanings: from aesthetic refinement to erotic fantasy to political power. Greek myths are an integral part of a broader cultural history, their changes in meaning signifying major shifts in art and society; myths that strike a resonant cultural chord in one period may fall out of fashion the next. This erudite yet accessible exploration examines how the world’s most influential myths have survived to the present, and how they have shaped our ideas on everything from family and society to sexuality and culture. As Buxton explains, each of the eight featured myths is fundamental to the way we think about ourselves and the world. The figure of Prometheus has inspired science fiction icons from Mary Shelley to Ridley Scott. The tragedy of Medea has had a profound impact on theater, feminism, and even criminology. Oedipus’s influence stretches far beyond Freud. The rich visual tradition inspired by Greek myths—from pottery to paintings to popular culture —illustrates this wide-ranging, sometimes surprising study, making this book a beautiful object to own as well as a thought-provoking read.
Author: Mark Williams Publisher: Thames & Hudson ISBN: 050077255X Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 226
Book Description
A fresh and revealing look at the stories at the heart of Celtic mythology, exploring their cultural impact throughout history up to the present day. The Celtic Myths That Shape the Way We Think explores a fascinating question: how do myths that were deeply embedded in the customs and beliefs of their original culture find themselves retold and reinterpreted across the world, centuries or even millennia later? Focusing on the myths that have had the greatest cultural impact, Mark Williams reveals the lasting influence of Celtic mythology, from medieval literature to the modern fantasy genre. An elegantly written retelling, Williams captures the splendor of the original myths while also delving deeper into the history of their meanings, offering readers an intelligent and engaging take on these powerful stories. Beautiful illustrations of the artworks these myths have inspired over the centuries are presented in a color plates section and in black and white within the text. Ten chapters recount the myths and explore the lasting influence of legendary figures, including King Arthur, the Celtic figure who paradoxically became the archetypal English national hero; the Irish and Scottish hero Finn MacCool, who as “Fingal” caught the imagination of Napoleon Bonaparte, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Felix Mendelssohn; and the Welsh mythical figure Blodeuwedd, magically created from flowers of the oak, who inspired W. B. Yeats. Williams’s mythological expertise and captivating writing style make this volume essential reading for anyone seeking a greater appreciation of the myths that have shaped our artistic and literary canons and continue to inspire today.
Author: Richard Buxton Publisher: Thames & Hudson ISBN: 0500776407 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 601
Book Description
A full, authoritative, and wholly engaging account of these endlessly fascinating tales and of the ancient society in which they were created. Greek myths are among the most complex and influential stories ever told. From the first millennium BC until today, the myths have been repeated in an inexhaustible series of variations and reinterpretations. They can be found in the latest movies and television shows and in software for interactive computer games. This book combines a retelling of Greek myths with a comprehensive account of the world in which they developed—their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape. "Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts, such as ritual and theater. "Myths of Origin" includes stories about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the first humans, and the founding of communities. "The Olympians: Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main divinities. "Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes. "Family sagas" explores the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines. "A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld. "Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance, to the twenty-first century. Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks.
Author: R. G. A. Buxton Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 9780521338653 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 272
Book Description
This is a study of Greek mythology in relation to its original contexts. Part one deals with the contexts in which myths were narrated: the home, public festivals, the lesche. Part two, the heart of the book, examines the relation between the realities of Greek life and the fantasies of mythology: the landscape, the family and religion are taken as case-studies. Part three focuses on the function of myth-telling, both as seen by the Greeks themselves and as perceived by later observers. The author sees his role as that of a cultural historian trying to recover the contexts and horizons of expectation which simultaneously make possible and limit meaning. He seeks to demonstrate how the seemingly endless variations of Greek mythology are a product of a particular community, situated in a particular landscape, and with these particular institutions.
Author: Mary R. Lefkowitz Publisher: Yale University Press ISBN: 9780300107692 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 306
Book Description
Insightful and fun, this new guide to an ancient mythology explains why the Greek gods and goddesses are still so captivating to us, revisiting the work of Homer, Ovid, Virgil, and Shakespeare in search of the essence of these stories. (Mythology & Folklore)
Author: Mercedes Aguirre Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0192524429 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 455
Book Description
A Cyclops is popularly assumed to be nothing more than a flesh-eating, one-eyed monster. In an accessible, stylish, and academically authoritative investigation, this book seeks to demonstrate that there is far more to it than that - quite apart from the fact that in myths the Cyclopes are not always one-eyed! This book provides a detailed, innovative, and richly illustrated study of the myths relating to the Cyclopes from classical antiquity until the present day. The first part is organised thematically: after discussing various competing scholarly approaches to the myths, the authors analyse ancient accounts and images of the Cyclopes in relation to landscape, physique (especially eyes, monstrosity, and hairiness), lifestyle, gods, names, love, and song. While the man-eating Cyclops Polyphemus, famous already in the Odyssey, plays a major part, so also do the Cyclopes who did monumental building work, as well as those who toiled as blacksmiths. The second part of the book concentrates on the post-classical reception of the myths, including medieval allegory, Renaissance grottoes, poetry, drama, the visual arts, contemporary painting and sculpture, film, and even a circus performance. This book aims to explore not just the perennial appeal of the Cyclopes as fearsome monsters, but the depth and subtlety of their mythology which raises complex issues of thought and emotion.
Author: Carolyne Larrington Publisher: Thames & Hudson ISBN: 0500778469 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 346
Book Description
The heroes and villains of Norse mythology have endured for centuries, infiltrating art, opera, film, television and books, shape-shifting like the trickster Loki to suit the cultures that encountered them. Through careful analysis of the literature and archaeology of the Norse world, Carolyne Larrington takes us deep into the realm described in the Icelandic sagas, from the gloomy halls of Hel to the dazzling heights of Asgard. She expertly examines the myths many modern-day reimaginings, revealing the guises that have been worn by the figures of Norse myth, including Marvels muscled, golden-haired Thor and George R.R Martins White Walkers, who march inexorably southwards, bringing their eternal winter with them. This sophisticated yet accessible guide explores how these powerful stories have inspired our cultural landscape, from fuelling the creative genius of Wagner to the construction of the Nazis nationalist ideology. Larringtons elegantly written retellings capture the essence of the original myths while also delving into the history of their meanings. The myths continue to speak to such modern concerns as masculinity and environmental disaster after the inevitable, apocalyptic ragna rök, renewal comes from the roots of Yggdrasill, the World Tree.
Author: R. G. A. Buxton Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0199557616 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 293
Book Description
This work brings together Richard Buxton's studies of Greek mythology and Greek tragedy, focusing especially on the interrelationship between the two. Situating and contextualising topics and themes within the world of ancient Greece, he traces the intricate variations and retellings which they underwent in Greek antiquity.
Author: Neil Matt Hamilton Publisher: ISBN: 9781699920169 Category : Languages : en Pages : 159
Book Description
Greek myths and legends have inspired men and women around the world for hundreds of years. The stories of Apollo, Perseus, Achilles, and others have sustained the imaginations of old and young alike, even into the present. In fact, characters of Greek myth and legend have found their way into mainstream culture in the form of popular television and film characters. Greek mythology was so influential that even formed the basis of Roman myth. In Greek Mythology: Fascinating Myths and Legends of Greek Gods, Heroes, and Monsters, you will be exposed to the exciting tales of gods and heroes that formed the canon of the Ancient Greek religion. Greek myth has become a part of us in ways that we do not fully appreciate. In fact, heroes like Achilles, Heracles, and Perseus have helped to form the image that we have today of the hero. The basis for much of the philosophy and dramatic arts that characterize Western society today has its root in Ancient Greek culture, which was closely tied to and spurred on by Greek myth and legend. The Ancient Greeks used the tales of their gods and heroes to help understand their world and their own place in it. In Greek Mythology: Fascinating Myths and Legends of Greek Gods, Heroes, and Monsters, you will learn about all the gods and heroes by reading the formative myths of the Greeks. Greek Mythology: Fascinating Myths and Legends of Greek Gods, Heroes, and Monsters explore the Greek gods and the Ancient Greek legends by delving into the tales told by Greek and Roman poets and historians, including Homer. They told tales about the creation of the universe, how the Titans were the first gods before the Olympians, and how the Titans and Olympians went to war with one another. Because the Ancient Greek religion was demonstrated in these tales about their gods and heroes, learning about these figures in the form of stories allows the reader to understand who the Ancient Greeks were and why they were. The world of Ancient Greek legend was very different from our own. The people at the heart of Ancient Greek civilization - living in modern-day Greece, Italy, Turkey, and other places - these people were part of a culture so far removed from the way that we think and perceive today as to be almost unrecognizable to us. Greek Mythology: Fascinating Myths and Legends of Greek Gods, Heroes and Monsters give you the lens you need to understand, even beginning with a description of the world they lived in and a summary of their history through the major historical periods. In Greek Mythology: Fascinating Myths and Legends of Greek Gods, Heroes, and Monsters, you will learn everything there is to learn about Greek myth and legend. You will learn about the Titans and Olympians, the monsters, who the major gods and goddesses were, who some of the important heroes were, and how Ancient Greek legend has a legacy that continues among us today. Poets and dramatists like Homer, Hesiod, Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus recorded Greek stories in a form that has allowed them to be read and appreciated today. In Greek Mythology: Fascinating Myths and Legends of Greek Gods, Heroes, and Monsters, you will learn some of these tales including: Pandora's Box Jason and the Argonauts The Courtship of Leda The Tale of Arachne The Sacrifice of Iphigenia at Aulis Heracles and His Twelve Labors The Judgment of Paris The Trojan War
Author: Richard Buxton
Author: Richard Buxton
Author: Mark Williams
Author: Richard Buxton
Author: R. G. A. Buxton
Author: Mary R. Lefkowitz
Author: Mercedes Aguirre
Author: Carolyne Larrington
Author: Liv Albert
Author: R. G. A. Buxton
Author: Neil Matt Hamilton