Myth a Biography of Belief

Leeming, David & Page, Jake

ISBN 10: 0195142888 / ISBN 13: 9780195142884

Published by Oxford University Press, New York, 2002

About this Item

". David Leeming shows that myths are still a fitting way to capture 'the soul's high adventure'." 182 pages; 5 1/2 x 7 1/4 " Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket.

Seller Inventory # 16785

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Myth a Biography of Belief
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, New York
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195142888
• ISBN 13: 9780195142884
• Binding: Hardcover
• Seller catalogs:
  • Folklore

About this title

Synopsis

Joseph Campbell wrote that mythology is "the wonderful song of the soul's high adventure." In Myth, David Leeming considers the role this "wonderful song" has to play in a world increasingly dependent on scientific and technical information. Exploring classic works such as the Song of Songs, the Tao Te Ching, the Rg Veda, the New Testament, and the Indonesian myth of Hainuwele, Myth reveals the cultural energies that ancient "mythmakers" sought to corral in their creations. Leeming argues that myths are, by definition, evolving creations that live on in the work of modern-day "mythmakers" such as W.B. Yeats, Virginia Woolf, and Albert Einstein. Leeming provides an engaging new outlook on the role of myth in the works of these and other contemporary artists and scientists. The similarities between modern concepts like the "Big Bang" and ancient myths of creation illustrate our continuing need to confront the mysteries of existence by way of metaphor and narrative. Leeming suggests that myth and factual knowledge do not negate, but complement each other. Whether it is the "American Dream," alien abduction, or belief in virgin birth and resurrection, these "living myths" play a very therapeutic role in the development of a healthy society. In Myth: A Biography of Belief, David Leeming shows that myths are still a fitting way to capture "the soul's high adventure."

About the Author

David Leeming is Emeritus Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Connecticut and author ofA Dictionary of Asian Mythology (OUP 2000). He currently resides in Riverdale, New York.