Dictionary of Creation Myths, A

Leeming, David and Margaret

ISBN 10: 0195102754 / ISBN 13: 9780195102758

Edité par Oxford University Press, New York, 1994

A propos de cet article

330 pages. Softcover with light edgewear to paper wrappers. Black and white illustrations. Record # 2233232.

N° de réf. du vendeur 2233232

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Dictionary of Creation Myths, A
• Éditeur: Oxford University Press, New York
• Date de parution: 1994
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN à 10 chiffres: 0195102754
• ISBN à 13 chiffres: 9780195102758
• Reliure: Couverture souple
• Édition: Edition originale
• État de l'article: Very Good
• État de la jaquette: None

A propos de ce titre

Synopsis

"God made Heaven, and then, after measuring the space underneath with a ball of thread, he began to form the earth. A mole asked to help, and God gave him the thread to hold while he wove the patterns of the earth. Sometimes the mole would let out too much thread, and finally the earth grew too large for the space under heaven. The mole was so upset that he hid under the earth. God sent the bee to look for him; he wanted the mole's advice on what to do about the mistake. The bee found the mole and he just laughed at the idea of advising God. The bee, however, hid in a flower and overheard the mole mumbling to himself about what he would do if he were God. 'Iwould squeeze the earth,' he said. 'That would make mountains and valleys and make it smaller at the same time.' When the bee heard this, he went directly to God and told him. God did what the mole had said, and everything fit fine." The myth of Rumanian Creation in which God weaves the earth from a ball of thread is just one the many stories that make up the wonderous world of creation myths. In virtually every culture throughout the ages, creation myths have played a vital role in providing not only explanations of the origins of societies but also specific cultural identities--serving as a "projection of an aspect of a culture's soul."

Covering thousands of years of intricate creation tales, A Dictionary of Creation Myths is the first and most comprehensive work devoted to creation myths from cultures throughout the world.

À propos de l?auteur

David Adams Leeming is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He is the author of many books, including The World of Myth. Margaret Adams Leeming is in a doctoral program in religious studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara.