Books on Mythology

[ruthkeith]

I have always been extremely interested in the similarities between many of the mythological characters coming from the four different ancient civilizations. Though I have read different books on each civilizations and their mythological figures, is there any study/books/resources where I can find a discussion or research on this exact topic - the similarities between ancient mythological figures? Let me know if anyone has read anything on this topic. Thanks in advance.

[ihavefivehat]

You should check out the works of Joseph Campbell as he's probably the best-known writer on that subject. He was writing in the mid-20th century so I'm not sure all of his ideas still hold up in the face of newer archaeological evidence. His books are still worth reading, though.. Look for The Hero with A Thousand Faces or one of the books from The Masks of God series. The Masks of God books seem more academically sound, but The Hero With A Thousand Faces is a better read.

 

And if you want to look into it more on your own, the field is called comparative mythology.

[juv3nal]

Fraser's The Golden Bough

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough

is probably the seminal book on the topic, but it naturally comes with the prejudices and biases of its time.

[tberton]

I have always been extremely interested in the similarities between many of the mythological characters coming from the four different ancient civilizations. Though I have read different books on each civilizations and their mythological figures, is there any study/books/resources where I can find a discussion or research on this exact topic - the similarities between ancient mythological figures? Let me know if anyone has read anything on this topic. Thanks in advance.

 

I don't have much more than a popular culture knowledge of ancient mythology, but I'm curious as to what "the four different ancient civilizations" are. I've never heard that term - the specific number - used before.