Read Don’t Know Much About® Mythology Online
Authors: Kenneth C. Davis
milestones, 356–60
virtue in, 374
Chiron (Greek), 227, 228
Christianity.
See
Judeo-Christian religion
Christmas
African Kwanzaa and, 396
Celtic and Norse mistletoe and, 279, 302
Persian magi and, 169–70
Roman Saturnalia and, 5, 259–60
Chuang-tzu, 383
Chuku (African), 420
Cinteotl (Aztec), 470
cities
Greek, 185–86
Indian, 324–5
Mayan, 458
Mesopotamian, 123, 132
civilizations
Greece and birth of Western, 179
Harappan, 324–25
Mesoamerican, 457–59
and, 12–15, 26
Mesopotamia as cradle of, 129–31
classes
Aztec, 466
Egyptian, 62, 65
Indian caste system, 328–30, 346–47
Norse, 297–98
Classic of Mountains and Sea, The
, 362, 370, 374–75
clay tablets, Mesopotamian, 132–34
Closed Man (North American), 491
Coatlicue (Aztec), 470–71
Code of Hammurabi, 142–44
Coffin Texts, Egyptian, 72–73
coins in springs, 274
collective unconscious, 48
Columbus, Christopher, 393–94, 445
Communist Party, Chinese, 363, 382
Conchobar, 287
Confucius and Confucianism, 45, 353, 362–63, 368, 379–83, 386
Cortés, Hernando, 464, 467–69
cosmic egg creation stories
African, 417
Chinese, 371, 377, 386
Indian, 332
Coyolxauhqui (Aztec), 471
Coyote (North American), 27, 488–89
cradle of civilization, 129–31
creation myths.
See also
explanatory myths
African, 409–10, 415–18
American, 449–50
Aztec, 454–57
Chinese, 362, 369–73, 386
Egyptian, 74–78
explanatory myths, 10–12, 23, 33–34
Greek, 194–98
Incan, 478–79
Indian, 331–33, 337
Judeo-Christian Genesis, 11, 46, 74–75, 122, 137–38, 156, 163, 168
Mesopotamian, 115, 125, 131–33, 136–40
world, 395
Norse, 299–300
North American, 482
Pacific Island, 503–4
Creator Gods (African), 418–22
Cretan bull, 224
Cronus (Greek), 196, 213, 237–38
cross symbol, 113
Cuauhtémoc (Aztec), 468
Cuchulainn (Celtic), 1, 263, 276, 284–88
Culan (Celtic), 286
Culhwhc and Olwen story (Celtic), 293
cuneiform, Mesopotamian, 132–34
Cupid.
See
Eros (Greek)
currency, pyramids on U. S., 104–5
Cuzco or Cusco (Incan), 475–76
Cybele (Mesopotamian), 148, 207, 260
Cyclopes (Greek), 195, 197, 250
Daedulus (Greek), 234–36
Daghda (Celtic), 283, 293
Daksha (Indian), 343
Dalits, 328–29
Damkina (Mesopotamian), 138, 146
Danaë (Greek), 221
Dana or Danu (Celtic), 275, 283
dancing (North American), 484–86
Daphne (Greek), 202
Day of the Dead, 291, 469–70
Da Yu (Chinese), 379
death.
See also
afterlife
African myths, 411, 418, 420, 421–22
Aztec myths, 469–70, 471–72
Egyptian myths, 64, 71–74, 80, 85–87
Greek myths, 205–6, 209–11
immortality, 155, 157, 303
Japanese myths, 389
Mayan myths, 463
Pacific Island myths, 503–4
suicide, 9, 385
deer, Ceryneian, 223
Deganawida, 497
Deianira (Greek), 226
Deimos (Greek), 203
deities.
See
gods
Delphic Oracle (Greek), 19, 189, 202, 237–41
deluge stories.
See
flood stories
Demeter (Greek), 88, 185, 205–6
democracy
Greek, 179–80, 187–90, 236–37
Iroquois Confederacy, 497–98
Mesopotamian, 132
desert, Egyptian, 63–70
destruction theme, 395–96
Deucalion (Greek), 220
Devi (Indian), 333, 339, 341, 342
Devil’s Tower controversy, 498–99
dharma (Indian), 327–28, 346–47
Día de los Muertos, El, 5, 291, 469–70
Diana (Roman), 203–4
Diarmuid, 289
Dido, 256
Diomede, horse of, 224
Dionysus (Greek), 187, 206–9
divination.
See also
oracles
Celtic, 278
Chinese, 365–69
Greek, 189
Mesopotamian, 127–28
Roman, 253
divinities.
See
gods
Djehuty (Egyptian), 76, 96–97
Dodona oracle (Greek), 189
Donar (Norse), 305
Don’t Know Much About series, 13–14, 111
dragons
dragon bones as oracles, 365
Egyptian, 81
Incan, 480
Indian, 335
Japanese, 388, 391
Mesopotamian, 149–50, 166
and, 30–31
Norse, 1
St. George and, 30
drama, Greek, 181, 186, 208
dreams, myths and, 47
Dreamtime, Aborigines and, 504–6
Druids, 269–80.
See also
Celtic myths
Duat (Egyptian), 80, 81
Dumuzi (Mesopotamian), 41–42, 89, 145–46, 148, 150–51, 206
Durga (Indian), 339–40
Dxui (African), 419
dying and reborn god theme.
See
resurrection theme
Ea (Mesopotamian), 126, 138, 144–45, 146–47, 157–58
Earth Diver (American), 450, 484
earth gods (Norse), 300
Earth Mother (American), 449–50, 484.
See also
Great Mother
Earth Woman (North American), 491
Easter Island, 501
Eastern vs. Western mythologies, 14–15, 309–11
Eastre (Anglo-Saxon), 6
Eddas, Norse, 298
Egypt, name of, 75–76
Egyptian Book of the Dead, The, 51, 73–74, 90–91
Egyptian myths, 51–113
Egypt and, 12, 60–61
in, 97–98
myths, 74–78
gods, 42, 78–82, 93–97
evidence, 70–74
of, 111–13
Isis, 87–90
Judeo-Christian religion and, 13–14, 89–90
milestones, 54–59
monotheism, 107–11
Nile River and, 63–70
Osiris, 27, 85–87
pyramids and, 99–105
Re, 82–85
weighing of hearts, 90–93
Rosetta Stone and, 36
theocracy, 61–63, 105–6
Eileithyia (Greek), 212
El (Mesopotamian), 165–67
Elder Edda, 264, 298, 306
Electra complex, 240
Elgin Marbles, 205
Ellil (Mesopotamian), 147, 158
emperors.
See also
Japanese, 384–87
Roman, 254
English language, 6–7
Enki (Mesopotamian), 126, 138, 144–45, 146–47, 157–58
Enkidu monster, 154–55
enlightenment, 348–51
Enlil (Mesopotamian), 147, 158
Enuma Elish
, 115, 136–40, 158
Epimetheus (Greek), 218
Epona (Celtic), 281, 293
Erasmus, Desiderius, 219
Erebus (Greek), 195, 210
Eridu, 131
Eris (Greek), 246
Eros (Greek), 179, 195, 200–201
Erymanthian boar, 223
Eshu (African), 410–11, 424–25
Etana of Kish, 132
ethics, Greek, 190.
See also
morals
ethnic religions, 408
Eucharist, 11
euhemerism, 34–37, 156–57
Euphrates River, 123, 131
Euripides, 186, 199, 208, 226, 228
Europe, 10, 280–82, 443–48
Eurydice, 211
Eve (Judeo-Christian), 10, 168
evidence, historical.
See
history
evolution, human, 405
explanatory myths, 10–12, 23–27, 33–34, 40–41.
See also
creation myths
Fa (African), 425
fables, myths vs., 31–32
Fafnir dragon (Norse), 1, 307
fairy tales, myths vs., 32
Falun Gong, 364
Faunus (Roman), 213, 253
Feather Woman (North American), 10
females.
See
women
Fenian Cycle (Celtic), 275–76, 288–92
Fenrir (Norse), 303, 304
Feralia (Roman), 291
Fergus (Celtic), 287
fertility rites, 41–42
fetishes (African), 412
fiction, myth as, 24–25
films
Chinese, 364
and, 3–5
world myths and, 396
Fionn Cycle (Celtic), 275–76, 288–92
Five Classics (Chinese), 362–63, 367, 370, 381–82
flooding, Nile River, 63–70
flood stories
Aztec, 472
Chinese, 362, 372–73
Greek, 219–20
Indian, 333
Incan, 480
Mayan, 456–57
Mesopotamian and Judeo-Christian, 38–40, 123, 147, 156–60
Norse, 299
folktales, myths vs., 26, 32
food, African myths and, 413–14
fortune-telling.
See
divination
foundation myths, 12.
See also
creation myths
four Ao (Chinese), 375
Four Books (Chinese), 382
Frazer, Sir James George, 16, 20, 41–42
Frea (Norse), 301–2
freshwater, Mesopotamian, 131–33, 145–47
Freud, Sigmund, 16, 47–48, 108, 151, 239–40
Freyja (Norse), 301, 304, 305
Freyr or Frey (Norse), 301–2
Frigg (Norse), 301–2
Fu Hsi or Fu Xi (Chinese), 368, 372–73, 374
funerary literature, 71–74
fusion religions.
See also
religions
Santeria and Voodoo, 6, 396, 410, 425, 427–30, 445, 500
Shinto, 386–87
Gaia movement, 141
Gaia or Ge or Gaea (Greek), 195–96
Ganesha or Ganesh (Indian), 323, 340
Ganga (Indian), 329, 333, 340–41
Ganges River, 45, 326, 329–30, 340–41
Ganymede (Greek), 216
Gautama, Siddhartha, 348–51
Geb (Egyptian), 79–82
Genesis creation myth, 11, 46, 74–75, 122, 137–38, 156, 163, 168.
See also
Bible
Geoffrey of Monmouth, 29, 279, 294–95
geographic perspectives, 11
Germanic myths.
See
Norses myths
Geryon, cattle of, 225
ghost dance (North American), 485–86
Gia-Fu Feng, 382
Gilgamesh, 38–40, 153–60
Gilgamesh
(poem), 13, 38–40, 134, 152–60
girdle of Hippolyta, 224–25
Glooskap or Gluskap (North American), 487–88