Myths and Ancient Stories : Narrative, Meaning and Influence in the West / Kevin Mills.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mills, Kevin, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Folklore and history.

Literature and folklore.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (216 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Distribution:

London : Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), 2024.

Place of Publication:

London : Bloomsbury Academic, 2024.

System Details:

text file HTML

Summary:

An introduction to ancient myths and the critical discussions that surround them, this book dives into the stories of pre-modern culture, taking a comparative look at how they have shaped the West and modern storytelling as we have come to understand it today. It makes texts and scholarship from near Eastern, Classical and Celtic disciplines engaging and accessible, and traces narrative meaning through stories from ancient Mesopotamia to the BritishMedieval Period, offering compelling pathways into such writings as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Genesis and Job, The Odyssey, The Mabinogi, The Life of St Cadoc and Sir Orfeo. Looking at each in detail, Myths and Ancient Stories also explores myth through a modern lens, probing at how, in this scientific age, it continues to inspire contemporary film, games and literary works such as those by, Margaret Atwood, Colm Tóibín, Madeleine Miller and Pat Barker. Impressive in breadth and bringing together a wide range of foundational texts from diverse traditions for the first time, this work is the ideal orientation to the ancient works central to English literary culture, shedding light on the mythological roots of storytelling and narrative.

Contents:

Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Part one: myth decoded 1. Defining and interpreting myth 2. Myth and science Part two: myth narrated Introduction to part two 3. The Epic of Gilgamesh 4. The Book of Genesis 5. The Book of Job 6. The Odyssey Part three: myth rewritten 7. From myth to romance: The Life of St Cadoc and Sir Orfeo 8. The Four Branches of The Mabinogi 9. Myth today Glossary References

ISBN:

9781350346888

1350346888

OCLC:

1419871772