Critical Survey of Mythology & Folklore: Creation Myths

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ALA Dartmouth Honorable Mention for Outstanding Reference Title 2023

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Even as modern societies have moved away from literal belief, creation myths still illuminate profound cultural truths. The influence of shared mythological belief systems, whether conscious or not, is still a deep current running through civilization that can unite or divide. These primal stories have been the inspiration for countless works of art, drama, music, and literature throughout the ages and are still studied by scholars and in the classroom as a way to examine modern life and cultural history.

More recently, scholars have begun to revisit the place of narrative and drama in myths. Though traditionally associated with ritual or other sacred activities, myths are modes of creative thought that have an integrity of their own. They represent cultural storehouses of meaning and value. They can awe an audience, and exhibit qualities of beauty and truth that critical analyses of myth often overlook. Every myth, after all, has something to say, and often it is something significant and is communicated dramatically, aesthetically. In the case of creation myths, in particular, one is dealing with the first and last formulation of things, the ultimate conditions of human beings and the world in which life exists. Myth brings out a continuity between primal events of an archaic past and the immediate here-and-now of lived experience.

Articles focus on archetypal creation myths that reflect the profound wrestling of civilizations around the world with the most important facets of human existence. Mythological subjects covered in this two-volume set include:

• African Mandé creation myth, Serer creation myth, and stories of Olódúmaré and Unkulunkulu
• Greek cosmological myths from the Theogony and the Roman creation legend of the twins Romulus and Remus
• Mayan legend of Kukulkán and Tepeu and the Incan legend of Viracocha
• Finnish creation myth of Väinämöinen
• Norse & Celtic legends of the Vǫluspá and the Lebor Gabála Érenn
• Near East legend of Enūma Eliš and the Atra-Hasis Epic
• Far East Chinese myth of Pangu and the Ainu creation myth of Japan
• Native American Raven Tales and the creation myths of the Cherokee corn mother Selu, Ha-wen-ni-yu of the Iroquois, the Hopi sun spirit Tawa, and Awonawilona of the Zuni
• Egyptian writings on the Ogdoad, Atum, Ptah, and Amun
• Indian stories of Brahma and Purusha
• Pacific legends of the Kumulipo of the Hawaiian region and the Māori Rangi and Papa

The content is arranged by region and myth cycle. The 10 Regions covered include:

• Africa
• The Pacific & Oceania 
• Mesoamerica and South America
• North America
• The Far East
• Europe
• Egypt
• Greece and Rome
• India
• The Near East

The 400+ entries in this set cover Myths and Stories, Gods and Goddesses, and Selected Sources and Authors. Each regional section begins with a number of Overview essays that discuss the literature, mythology, and art of the region. All articles also include a section that surveys films, novels, and comic books that feature the mythical warriors and battles discussed in the write-up. Maps, illustrations, and poetry round out this two-volume set.

As with most mythology and folklore, common themes run throughout the legends of vastly different cultures and time periods, connecting people throughout the ages in their often-universal explanations of the beginnings of life. Topics such as gender, cross-cultural meaning, and religion are explored through the lens of the how the world and humanity came into existence, from ancient tales through modern music and even video games.

Supplemental features include: 

• Separate indexes of selected sources and authors and gods and goddesses help in locating specific subjects.
• A chronological index of creation myths and stories places different cultures within specific time frames and offers supplemental information on the overall coverage of the volume.
• An extensive bibliography of secondary sources arranged by region rounds out the volume, and lists for Further Reading follow each article.

The Critical Survey of Mythology and Folklore series offers analytical articles and plot summaries of the major myths, tales, and other traditional literature for studies in advanced high school and undergraduate classrooms.

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