THE BEGINNING: Creation Myths Around the World

by Maria Leach ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 20, 1956

By the author of The Soup Stone, a collection of folktales for the teen ages and the editor of Funk & Wagnalls' Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend, this anthology of creation stories shows a deft choice from wide variety, with sensitive retelling and scholarly reference to the connections between their basic themes and science itself. An introductory chapter familiarizes us with theories of creation from Greek philosophy to Einstein. Then, going on to the myths one realizes what a short distance there is between the core of science and the core of mythology where each seeks to know how things began and to explain reality. The myths, many of them taken from recent cultural anthropology collections, also show how differently they function. As translations and selections have been careful, they make interesting reading.

Pub Date: April 20, 1956

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Funk & Wagnalls

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1956

Categories: NONFICTION