#Also the book is Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

[what-even-is-thiss]

Hey do you have any literature recommendations for people who want to broaden their knowledge on the classics and Greek/Roman myths without taking university courses?

So like for people (such as myself) who have read Bullfinch's Myths of Greece and Rome and Edith Hamilton's Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes but want to deepen their knowledge and maybe go to intermediate level type stuff. Or whatever the level above the mentioned literature is.

Well those two books are quite old and skip over quite a few things. Both are very important to our culture, historically, but I'd recommend reading through some more modern popular retellings like Stephen Fry's Mythos series if you're looking for pure entertainment and a dummy's guide to Greek myths.

The Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology is a useful reference book if you have difficulty keeping track of all these names and whatnot. It's just a reference book but you know. Having a reference book handy is quite useful. I personally prefer reference books when it comes to checking stuff when I'm doing mythology things anyways. They're generally more organized than the internet.

If you're looking for entertaining retellings of less popular myths, I'd actually recommend going to videos and podcasts for that. YouTubers like MonarchsFactory, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Jake Doubleyoo, and Mythology & Fiction Explained are all people who do a lot of research themselves on the myths they retell and I would recommend all of them to basically anybody. As far as podcasts go, Mythology & Fiction Explained has a podcast version and Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! is a very informative podcast that talks about sources for the myths and has interviews with experts on the subjects. It's also a podcast that is specifically Greco-Roman based.

As far as doing slightly more in-depth research, I cannot recommend theoi.com enough. I really can't. It has overviews of the most common myths, it has pages about god and hero cults, it cites it's sources and has an online library of translated texts. It's just really good. Go clicking around it for a while. It's a lot of fun if you're into that sort of thing.

As far as primary sources for myths go, there's a few places you could start. The Iliad, perhaps. The most recent English translation is by Caroline Alexander but I personally prefer Stanley Lombardo's translation. The Odyssey is a more accessible read in my opinion if you're not used to reading epic poetry. Emily Wilson's translation is especially accessible, written in iambic pentameter and generally replicating Homer's simple conversational language.

The third traditional entrance into the epic cycle of the surviving literature is the Aeneid. The newest translation of that is by Shadi Bartsch, which is pretty good, but it reads more like prose than poetry. Would still highly recommend it though. Robert Fitzgerald's translation is also good.

If you wanna get fancy you can read the Post-Homerica which attempts to bridge the gap between the Iliad and the Odyssey. It's not often read but it's one of the latest pagan sources we have from people who still practiced ancient Greek religion.

If you want a collection of short stories from ancient times, Ovid's your guy. Metamorphosis is specifically Roman and specifically Ovid's fanfiction, but it's also a valid primary resource and Ovid generally views women as people. What a concept!

Though I think the absolute best overview from ancient times itself is The Library aka Biblioteca by pseudo-apollodorus. Doesn't matter what translation you get. The prose is simple to the point where it's difficult to screw it up. Not artistic at all. It is, quite simply, a guy from ancient times trying to write down the mythological history of the world as he knew it. It has a bunch of summaries of myths in it, and most modern printings also have a table of contents so you can essentially use it as a reference book or a cheat sheet. I love it.

The Homeric Hymns weren't actually written by Homer but that's what they're called anyways. They're a lovely bit of poetry because, well, they were originally hymns. They've got some of the earliest full tellings of the Hades and Persephone story and the birth of Hermes in them. They also provide an insight into how ancient people who were most devoted to these gods viewed them. Go read the Homeric Hymns. They're lovely. You can buy the Michael Crudden translation or you can read a public domain translation online. I don't care. Just read them.

If you're into tedious lists, the next place I'd recommend you go after you read all the fun stuff is Hesiod's Theogony. Hesiod, the red pill douchebag of the ancient world, decided he was gonna write down the genealogy of all the Greek gods. That means lists. I'm not exaggerating. Be prepared for a lot of lists. But this work also has the earliest and one of the most complete versions of the story of Pandora, the creation of humans, and the most popular version of the Greek creation myth. So, it's very useful. If you can take all the lists.

The Argonautica aka the voyage of the argo by Apollonius of Rhodes, is also here. That is also a thing you can read. About the golden fleece and whatnot. And Jason. You know Jason. We all hate Jason.

Greek theatre also provides a good overview of specific myths. The three theben plays, Medea, the Bacche, etc. We've only got thirty-something surviving plays in their entirety so like... look up the list. Find one that looks interesting. Read it. Find a performance of it online, maybe. They're good.

If you want to dive into the mythology as a religion that was practiced, Greek Religion by Walter Burkurt and Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide by Jennifer Larson are pretty good books on the topic and often used as textbooks in college courses.

If you wanna get meta and get a feel for what the general public today thinks about Greek myths and what the average person that's sort of knowledgeable about Greek myths knows, the books you already mentioned are good. That's what people usually read. In addition to those, most people's intro to Greek myths generally involves The Complete World of Greek Mythology by Richard Buxton, D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire, or The Percy Jackson series.

I've been flipping through the big stacks of mythology books I keep on my table trying to remember if I've forgotten anything but I don't think I have so, yeah. Hope this helps. There's no correct starting point here. Once you get started there's a nearly endless void of complications and scholarship you can fall down that you'll never reach the bottom of. This post is basically just a guide to the tip of the iceberg.

[rockislandadultreads]

Mythology Picks to Check Out

Legendary Ladies: 50 Goddesses to Empower and Inspire You by Ann Shen

From the beloved author and artist behind Bad Girls Throughout History comes this lushly illustrated book of goddesses from around the world. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess whose love overcame mortality. Mazu, the Chinese deity who safely guides travelers home. Lakshmi, the Hindu provider of fortune and prosperity. These powerful deities and many more are celebrated in gorgeous artwork and enlightening essays that explore the feminine divine and encourage readers to empower themselves. Ann Shen's signature watercolors make Legendary Ladies a unique, gift-worthy homage to the mighty women within.

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company in 1942, Edith Hamilton's Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial bestseller. For more than seven decades readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the enchanting world of mythology -- from Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom. This deluxe, hardcover edition is fully-illustrated throughout with all-new, specially commissioned art, making it a true collector's item.

Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes

The tellers of Greek myths--historically men--have routinely sidelined the female characters. When they do take a larger role, women are often portrayed as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil--like Pandora, the woman of eternal scorn and damnation whose curiosity is tasked with causing all the world's suffering and wickedness when she opened that forbidden box. But, as Natalie Haynes reveals, in ancient Greek myths there was no box. It was a jar . . . which is far more likely to tip over. In Pandora's Jar, the broadcaster, writer, stand-up comedian, and passionate classicist turns the tables, putting the women of the Greek myths on an equal footing with the men. With wit, humor, and savvy, Haynes revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays, resurrecting them from a woman's perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters.

The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore by Michael Dylan Foster, Shinonome Kijin (Illustrator)

Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to shape-shifting foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories. Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages. In this delightful and accessible narrative, readers will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries, some with original illustrations, on more than fifty individual creatures. The Book of Yokai provides a lively excursion into Japanese folklore and its ever-expanding influence on global popular culture. It also invites readers to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them. By exploring yokai as a concept, we can better understand broader processes of tradition, innovation, storytelling, and individual and communal creativity.

[onlyswan]

hi art!! i hope this ask finds you well 🤍 i have a tiny question. i would love to start reading books about greek mythology bc i don’t know much about it but it is really interesting and i wanted to ask you if you have any recommendations :)

also in the drabble “in which jungkook loves much harder than orpheus“ they were reading a book and i wanted to ask if you could tell me the title, if it is a real book, bc ever since i read the drabble it never left my mind and that was months ago 🤍

i hope you have a fantastic time of your day and good luck on coming out of your reading slump, i hope you find the time for reading again 🤍 much much love to you!!

i bought the book ‘mythology: timeless tales of gods and heroes�� by edith hamilton years ago because i wanted to learn about greek myth as well! it summarizes everything nicely from the very beggining and also mentions other authors you can read the works of if you want to take a deeper dive back to the earliest versions of the stories so i think it’s a great place to start :D + i read the iliad and the odyssey by homer shortly after!

i research heavily in the internet as well when i find myself really fascinated with particular characters because there are manyyyy versions and interpretations of certain events and i just kind of fall into the rabbit hole of forming my own interpretations while analyzing the differences between them hehe.

that drabble is my most precious baby it warms my heart to see it often mentioned by y’all 🥹 anyway hope it helps!! <333 perhaps reading a greek myth related book will get me out of my reading slump so thank you for the idea hehe have a nice day my beloved ^3^

[i-made-line]

Hi! Sooo I’ve been reading this old book on mythology (specifically Greek and Roman mythology for the most part) and even though I’ve just started I’ve already found 2 gems:

Also I just want to say even though I pretty much just started reading this book a couple days ago (it’s called mythology: timeless tales of gods and heroes by Edith Hamilton and it also talks a bit about Norse mythology as well though it is very heavily focused on Greek and Roman mythology) I’m already really invested in Greek mythology. I’ve always been curious about it and after playing Hades and looking into some of the myths one of my family members got me this book for Christmas and honestly I’ve really been liking it so far (though admittedly I’ve only barely started going through the book )

So yeah Greek mythology is pretty neat and this has been a fun book so far

[butterfly-apocalypse]

Tagged by @pansexualcaptainkirk 😊

Star Sign: Aries!! Though I don’t really think I’m like an Aries at all…

Put your playlist on shuffle and list the first four songs that pop up:

Madness - Muse You Can’t Take Me - Bryan Adams thank u, next - Ariana Grande  Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy

Grab the nearest book to you and turn to page 23. What is line 17?

“He was commonly called “Earth-shaker” and was always shown carrying his trident, a three-pronged spear, with which he would shake and shatter whatever he pleased.”

Ever had a poem written about you?

Eheh, yep, a few....I was a heart-breaker....

When was the last time you played air guitar?

A few hours ago while Tainted Love blasted through my brain and drowned out my thoughts,

One sound you hate and one you love:

Nails on a chalkboard are the WORST EVER and the sound of @spadeyhearty​ playing the piano is a sound I adore. 

Do you believe in ghosts?

Nope! #shaniac

Do you believe in aliens?

hECK YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you drive and if so have you gotten in a crash?

I DO drive!! I have never gotten into a crash!! (Knock on wood)

Do you like the smell of gasoline?

From a distance, I think it’s a neat smell. Mostly it reminds me of when we got hit by a hurricane and the power was out for a week and we kept having to go get gas to run the portable generator. Up close, it’s Bad. 

Last movie you’ve seen?

Avengers: Endgame

Worst injury you’ve ever had?

Worst actual injury? I fell out of bed and snapped my collarbone in half and displaced it. For “injury,” when I was first diagnosed with Lyme, I was bedridden for a week. 

Do you have any obsessions rn?

Star Trek, Marvel, Børns, fading out of my late-teen Dan and Phil obsession, Star Wars, but mostly I’m focused on finishing school. 

Do you hold grudges?

Nope!! Never ever!! Sometimes I stay salty about situations for a while, but it’s very rare that I’m actually angry at specific people, much less hold grudges.  

In a relationship?

Hahahhahahahhaha no.  I tag: @spadeyhearty @wolfabwip @andiwascrashingintoyou @roztherobin @the-ace-space-race @taelala (if y’all wanna do it!!) 

[voidstilesplease]

Oohh, I don't know if someone asked you already, but TOP 5 books! 💖

ohh, thank you for asking!

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

(i cannot not put tsoa because you know why. also, i had half a mind to troll you Laura and put Kissing the Coronavirus in no. 1 lmfao)

put "top 5" anything in my ask and i will answer ok go

[jungshookz]

speaking of books cee, what kinda books are you into? and any recs? 👀

i’m more into non-fiction novels and also short stories?? and also like the history of ____ kinda books! i could never really get into the hunger games or divergent or like biG ol series mainly because i have the attention span of a fruit fly EXCEPT FOR a series of unfortunate events which was 100% my favourite series to read when i was younger >:D stan sunny baudelaire 

i actually have two book recs posts up already but i’m always happy to give some more :D

mythology: timeless tales of gods and heroes (edith hamilton) was a book that i picked up for a greek myth class in first year but i ended up really enjoying it because the whole book is literally just digestible stories introducing u to the different gods and goddesses so you can learn anD be entertained at the same time and BONUS it looks great on my coffee table because of how elegant and sleek the front cover is 

the witch: a history of fear, from ancient times to the present (ronald hutton) is also one that i quite liked because it was a little sp00ky-ooky and like i said i will literally pick up any book that’s about the history of ____ lolz like if a book was titled the history of bread i would definitely buy it 

witch-hunting in seventeeth century new england: a documentary history 1638-1693, second edition was also a super interesting read!!

through the woods (emily carroll) is actually a graphic novel but i still liked it because a) scary stories and b) SCARY ILLUSTRATIONS i would not suggest reading this book at night 

also i can’t believe i’ve made three posts and i haven’t talked about neil gaiman’s coraline!!!!!! obviously u have to read coraline because it’s.,,. it’s coraline. it’s coraline!!!!!

[koraki-pharmakis]

athena (for the asks game)

Athena: Top 5 favourite books?

It's hard to put them in an order, and also I'm aware the genre shift is DRASTIC but

- Circe by Madeline Miller (It obviously has fantasy added and is a modern interpretation of the mythos, but in my opinion very accurate to true pharmakeia and to the mythology--not the gods IRL but the myth? 100%. I fully consider Miller's work modern myth. After reading it digitally I bought a physical copy solely to devote to Kirke)

- Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Similar deal)

- The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes (I think--it's definitely a book of Hughes's poetry, but I took the dust jacket off years ago and it just says "HUGHES" on the cover. Before I packed it, it lived on my altar to Apollon)

- Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton (I read the 75th Anniversary Illustrated Edition)

- Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin (Haven't read in a couple years, but was very important and, to me, accurate when first embracing/acknowledging that I was trans & in the time I identified as genderfluid)

[ganymedecatamitus]

hey, so i read pjo as a kid and that started me om being interested in studying mythology outside of those books, do you have any reading recommedations that aren’t written in like.. elaborate academia speak or if its something translated, isn’t written all... old-timey? if that makes sense? i find those things super difficult to read, like i tried to read the illiad and it sounds like gibberish to me, i can’t understand anything :( sorry if this makes absolutely no sense, and thank you sm

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton Happily! Note though that my area of focus is actually Sumerian/Akkadian mythology and that my actual credentials are in linguistics, so hopefully someone will add more resources in the notes. These are just ones I like from a linguistic perspective! 

First and foremost being angry at translators is my specialty, so here’s some good translations (and a caveat that the penguin translations will never be easy to read). Getting into this you may have noticed that the translator matters a lot. I’ll do a better breakdown of why exactly eventually (because I’ve spent this entire year so far digging a hole into Gilgamesh and yelling about it to anyone who’ll listen to me) but the gist is that the time period and bias they come from influences how they write things. Some translations suck because they’re inaccurate, and the rhythm/line number translators choose is very important to some people. Me included.: 

Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey (her forward is also worth reading, she really throws down)

Nicholas Rudal’s translations of greek plays use modern language and I appreciated them a lot as a student with ADHD

If you wanna give the Iliad another try, I’ve also used Caroline Alexander’s translation in my work. It’s very good! Richmond Lattimore’s translation is also supposed to be good but I can’t testify personally. 

Richmond Lattimore also did a translation of Theogony, another important poem, although I’d shop around a bit more before settling on this one. 

My personal copy of The Metamorphosis is translated by David R. Slavitt. 

So on to collections I like. With the caviet that while the old joke of “the Romans said our OC do not steal” is a cool simple way to explain it to younger kids, that’s not exactly what happened. The Romans had a cool way of getting the locals on their side called “This is your god? No, No, this is OUR god, you just call it that. It’s actually named THIS” and that worked a couple dozen times and they conquered their way through the Mediterranean, which is why Aphrodite became Venus Genetrix (being equated with a war goddess and a mother of rome type persona) ect ect. Keeping that on mind will help when you come across irritated people. I don’t know shit else about Rome tho. 

FIRST OF ALL if you want some of that good ass gay shit, here’s a collection of myths breaking down masculine love in ancient Greece 

I’m contractually obligated to mention  Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton even though it was published in 1942. It’s just a good introduction, although she doesn’t linger on stories for that long. 

Also this is gonna get me slapped, but if you want a simple example of how myths change over time and why there’s six different versions of everything, just watch this video which breaks down the evolution of Dionysus. Yes it’s osp. The name of the game is accessibility! 

The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus (otherwise known as the Bibliotheca) is the only mostly complete contemporary attempt we have of people trying to codify all these oral histories into one place. You’ll wanna shop around for a translation, but Robin Hard uses modern language and you might enjoy that version just fine. 

And my last bit, Theoi.com, which is basically wikipedia just for world mythologies. 

This is just an intro! The best myths and discourses aren’t usually in the big collections, so I encourage you to chase after your areas of interest instead of trying to find the one big comprehensive Book, because that Book with the capital B doesn’t exist. Patheons this old are huge, expansive, and contradictory, so it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. Start small! Hyperfixate! Have fun!! Please read some historical context. 

[sam-vimes-boots-theory]

Norse fatalism vs Loki

In the introduction to Kevin Crossley-Holland’s translation of the Norse Myths, there’s a really interesting paragraph describing the mindset of the ancient Norsemen. Crossley-Holland quotes a stanza from Hávamál, a poem from the Codex Regius (basically the Norse version of the Biblical book of Proverbs, a list of wisdom and advice for how to live life). It says, in this stanza, ‘Cattle die, kinsmen die, I myself shall die; but there is one thing I know that never dies: the reputation we leave behind at our death.’ Crossley-Holland goes on to explain how the Norse believed that, though their fates were woven by the Norns and could not be changed, they could decide how they lived their lives, and that this was of great importance to them. Striving for heroism and fame that would live on after their death was their only chance at some form of immortality. Crossley-Holland points out how there is this kind of fatalism and inevitability in many of the myths, including and especially in the idea of Ragnarok, the inescapable shadow that looms over even the happier endings. In “Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes”, Edith Hamilton reiterates this point: “The only sustaining support possible for the human spirit...is heroism; and heroism depends on lost causes. The hero can prove what he is only by dying. The power of good is shown not by triumphantly conquering evil, but by continuing to resist evil while facing certain defeat.” She goes on to say that heroic death was “not a defeat, but a triumph”.  So, we have a fatalistic culture that values resisting the inevitable, even while knowing resistance is futile. And then we have Loki.  Loki is a trickster and a schemer and, eventually, a symbol of evil. He’s not meant to be sympathetic: back when these myths were first told, Loki’s gender-fluidity and sexual exploits would have been regarded with “distaste, rather than amusement” by listeners. He’s described as being good-looking but evil, cunning and capricious. He’s a slippery fellow: he’s a shapeshifter who doesn’t obey the confines of gender or even of species; he is the son of a giant but brother of a god. Sometimes he is simply mischievous, like when he cuts Sif’s hair; other times, like when he helps cause Balder’s death and prevents him from returning from Hel, he’s a lot darker and edging towards evil. (I personally think he’s fascinating and complex and there’s plenty of good stuff to analyze there, but I also think at the end of the day he was not really meant to be a sympathetic character). Loki doesn’t face things head on. Loki’s main schtick is getting out of stuff: he talks the dwarves out of taking his head and gets away with his mouth being sewn shut; he gets the other gods out of sticky situations multiple times, such as when he turns into a mare to distract Svadilfari; at the end of the world, he will escape his bonds to join in the chaos and destruction of Ragnarok. He literally turns into a fish to try to evade consequences by physically wriggling out of Thor’s grip. I don’t have a revelation here, really, it’s just interesting, on deeper reflection, to see how Loki’s very character is set in juxtaposition to the fatalistic, heroic Norse ideal: Loki evades rather than resists. It could be argued that evasion is a type of resistance, I suppose, but I don’t think that really holds up in this context.  (Disclaimer: My musings are just that, musings, and I’m not making any claim that they’re true or correct or what the original writers and storytellers intended. I’m also speaking of the myths as literature; I know there are pagans and Loki is sometimes an important figure to them. I’m just talking about his representation as a character in the myths). 

[ahalal-uralma]

Who is Lucifer?

History of the Star God Archetype

Part One

Titles / Translations / Counterparts

Greek

Εωσφορος / Eôsphoros /Eosphorus/ Hesperos

Roman (Counterpart)

Vesperus, Vesper / Evening Dusk

Latin Translation

Lucifer / Luciferus

English Translation

Dawn Bringer / Light Bringer

Other known titles: Phosphorus/ Phôsphoros

Other Counterparts: Aphrodite

“If Luna [Selene the moon] is a goddess, then Lucifer (the Morning Star) also and the rest of the Wandering Stars will have to be counted Gods as well.” – Cicero, De Natura Deorum (Roman C1st B.C.)

Origins:

Identification / Symbolism

PHOSPHORUS (Phôsphoros),or Heôsphoros (Latin. Lucifer) is the bringer of light; in which has often been attributed to the planet Venus, in reference, to the morning before sunrise (or when the planet could be seen following sunset).

Personification

Phosphorus as a personification is called the son of Astraeus and Eos (or the son of Cephalus and Eos alternatively). He is the father of Ceyx, Daedalion, Leuconoe and the Hesperides. Romans assigned him by the names Lucifer and Hesperus, to identity him with the morning and/or evening star. Lucifer has also been attributed as the Roman Counterpart of Aphrodite.

Quotes about Relations of Eosphorus:

“Erigeneia [i.e. Eos the Dawn] bare [to Astraios the Starry] the star Eosphorus (Dawn-bringer), and the other gleaming Astra (Stars) with which heaven is crowned.” (Hesiod Theogony)

– Reference to Parentage

“Ceyx [his ship destroyed in a violent storm] in his hand, that once had held the sceptre, clutched a plank, and prayed to his wife’s father [Aiolos] and his own [Eosphoros] for help in vain [and drowned] … That dawn Lucifer[Eosphoros, the morning star] shone faint and strange; the heavens he might not leave, but veiled his grief in a dense canopy of weeping clouds.” (Ovid, Metamorphoses)

-Reference to Eosphorus and Son Ceyx

`His name Daedalion. We two were brothers, children of the Star that wakes the dawn [Eosphoros] and leaves the heavens last [Hesperos]. My path was peace and peace was my pursuit, and care for my dear wife. My brother’s choice was cruel war.’“ (Ovid, Metamorphoses)

-Reference to Eosphorus, Ceyx and Daedalion

🌹Source(s):

Theoi.com, Hesiod ‘Theogony’ (Greek C8th or C7th B.C.), Homer ‘The Iliad’ (Greek C8th B.C.), Ovid, Metamorphoses (Latin C1st B.C. – C1st A.D.), Ovid, Fasti (Latin C1st B.C. – C1st A.D.), Ovid, Heroides (Latin C1st B.C. – C1st A.D.), Bulfinch ‘Greek and Roman Mythology: Age of Fable’, Sears ‘Mythology 101′, Evans ‘Dictionary of Mythology’, Zimmerman ‘Dictionary of Classical Mythology’, Aesop Fables (Greek C6th B.C.), Homeric Hymns (Greek C8th-4th B.C.), Hamilton ‘Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes’, Nonnus ‘Dionysiaca’ and Cicero ‘De Natura Deorum’.

Preferred Mythographers/Researchers: Thomas Bulfinch, Edith Hamilton, Claud Levi-Strauss, James Frazer, Joseph Campbell, William Doty, John Zimmerman

Places to find the books:

ThriftBooks, Amazon, Local Library

[satan-the-avatar-of-wrath]

I do love a good mystery book. But recently I've been gravitating towards fantasy, specifically that of fantasy centered with in Japanese or Chinese mythos. I also just finished a book around Nordic religion as well, so I do enjoy my non-fiction topics.

Well that leaves a good range in spectrum, do you enjoy greek mythology?

Couple months ago I read, Timeless tales of gods and heroes. Written by Edith Hamilton, it mainly brings to life Norse, Greek and Roman myths.

If you're interested in a mystery/crime, try How To Get Away With Murder: Evil Masterminds who evaded capture. Or even the tea cup series, I'm still reading this series, muns schedule lacks time to sit and read it with me.

If you have read these books let me know I can always suggest more.

🐱 Satan

[xyko]

moreRules: Tag 10 people you want to get to know better

Tagged by: @more--then--friends

Name: Chantelle

Sign: Virgo

Gender: Female

Height: 4'11😂

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In my bungalow house in the middle of the forest away from the human race(lol) but maybe and hopefully living in Ireland peacefully in my own house with my family.

If you could be anywhere right now,where?

I just really need to get away from people so probably in moon.

Favourite 90's show: none😂

Your last kiss: last week..?(just in the forehead tho by my father)

Have you ever been stood up? Nope.

Ever been to Vegas? Nope.I wish.

Your favourite shoes: SNEAKERS

Your favourite fruit: 🍌🍌🍌 and green mangoes

Your favourite book: MYTHOLOGY timeless tales of Gods & Heroes by Edith Hamilton

Stupidest thing you've ever done:

When I went to bank to deposit but because I am too tired to looked at the name of the bank,I went to the wrong bank. And the guard was like 'Miss,I think this isn't the right bank you should deposit.' and when I looked at the bank's name I'm just like 'shit.Youre right.Sorry'. In my defense,I just finished my exams and I also blame the lack of sleep and caffeine and I also just got off in my OJT,ALSO I am not that familiar in the place where I am taking my internship. After that incident,I always looked at the store's name before I go in. I fcking face palmed myself after I got out of that bank,that is just so embarrassing.

Your lock screen:

Lmao.I know.But what can I say?I am a sucker for Barbarena/Juliantina.Can you blame me?

Your favourite GIF:

I CAN'T JUST CHOOSE ONLY ONE.😂

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[amphitritie]

MYTHOLOGY MASTERPOST

In response to an ask, I’ve compiled this masterpost of mythology resources. It’s by no means comprehensive, as myth is an extremely broad subject, and I’ve mainly focused on Greco-Roman mythology. I’ve tried to include a range of websites alongside books and original sources, so you can get by without spending anything. The upside to Classics being a kinda dusty subject is you can find so many texts online for free!

THE ESSENTIALS

If you’re just starting to get interested in mythology then it can be pretty daunting & it’s hard to know where to start. So, to help, here’s some recommendations for websites/texts that lay out the information without assuming any previous knowledge

theoi.com is an absolutely brilliant resource for anyone interested in mythology. It is stunningly comprehensive, with information on every god, goddess, nymph, monster and hero appearing in Greek mythology! Every entry has so much well researched information about the god and stories they appear in, and even includes excerpts from the original sources.

There are, of course, countless books dedicated to telling, or retelling, myths, and everyone seems to have their favourite. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton is a popular one, and is really good at telling the stories without dumbing them down, and I really like the way Hamilton writes too. It also has some bonus Norse mythology at the end! 

Alternatively, Robert Graves’ The Greek Myths is also really good, and very comprehensive, although fairly hefty at about 800 pages. 

Stephen Fry recently released his own retelling of the myths, entitled Mythos, which I really need to get around to reading. It’s a bit of a random selection of myths, but includes quite a few of the LGBT ones from what I’ve seen. You can also pick up an audiobook of him reading it – if you grew up listening to him narrate the Harry Potter books, I would definitely recommend this.

INTERMEDIATE

If you enjoyed those, and want to learn more about ancient mythology, I would really recommend then starting to delve into the original source material.

Ovid’s Metamorphoses is a pretty good place to start. It’s a collection of over 250 stories from creation to Julius Caesar, all linked by the theme of transformation, but it’s fairly easy to dip in and out of – think of it kind of like a short story anthology. Here is the entire work online for free, and I also found another site here which is Dryden’s translation - a little more old fashioned but closer to the poetic style, so it just depends what you prefer. If you wanted to buy

Apollodorus’ Bibliotheca is another great ancient compendium of myths. It covers the gods taking over from the titans, Hercules’ labours, and finishes at the Trojan War. Which brings me to…

Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. With 24 books each, Homer’s epic poems can look pretty intimidating. But I would really, really recommend reading them. There are a myriad of different translations, which I will get into later, but to start off I would suggest either Fagles or Lattimore. I found full texts of both online, here and here although I'm not sure what translations they are.

EXTRA RECOMMENDATIONS

At this point I got a bit carried away. If you’re scrolling through this thinking you’ve already read a lot of these, here’s some extras.

I love the Homeric Hymns. Anddd I found a website here which has all the hymns – and displays with the original Ancient Greek and English translation side by side, which is really handy if you, like me, are attempting to learn Ancient Greece.

If you feel like you’re used to all the weirdness of Greek myths, boy have I got news for you. Ancient Egyptian myths make Pasiphae look tame. Try reading a very serious story about a god jizzing into a rival god’s salad in order to become king. If that sounds interesting: get help! Just kidding, read this book: The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Richard Wilkinson. It’s very comprehensive, and also has lots of fantastic illustrations.

If you want an original source to read for the Egyptian myths, I’d suggest The Egyptian Book of the Dead, translated by Raymond Faulkner and Ogden Goelet

Kevin Crossley-Holland’s The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings is another good introductory book to another set of myths, this time Norse. He’s a novelist in his own right (anyone else read The Seeing Stone?) and this comes across clearly in the ways he tells the stories.

TRANSLATIONS

Please bear in mind that there are lots of different translations of ancient texts. I am not an authority in which one is best, and there isn’t a simple answer in any case, but I made my above suggestions based on either what I’ve personally read, or a translation I’ve heard good things about. That said, if you are interested in translation theory pls send me a message and we can yell about it together then here’s a few more recommendations.

Above, I recommended Lattimore or Fagles as a good starting point for Homer. If you don’t know which to pick, as a very broad generalisation Lattimore’s is more like poetry, and Fagles’ reads more like prose. (I may get people who disagree. Everyone has an opinion on translations.) Lattimore stuck to the original daxylyctic hexameter of the Ancient Greek text and, perhaps most impressively, stuck to the same line count as Homer. Fagles is more readable, but perhaps loses something in this. I honestly haven’t decided which I prefer yet. But for a first read of Homer, I would definitelty recommend one of these two – it just depends whether you are reading more for the poetry or for the story.* Robert Fitzgerald’s translation of the Iliad is also very popular, although it’s far looser a translation than the above two. This makes it kind of easier to read, but I personally think it’s a bit too loose to be perfectly honest.

Alexander Pope’s translation is a much earlier translation, published in 1720, and the language shows. However his translation is brilliant at conveying the drama and grandeur of Homer’s work.

There was a lot of excitement on Tumblr at announcement of Emily Wilson becoming the first woman to translate Homer’s Odyssey into English. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet (and I want to so badd) but from the excerpts I’ve seen and all the interviews and articles I’ve read it looks absolutely stunning. Please read this.

There is a super handy Wikipedia page which shows the first few lines of the Iliad/Odyssey as translated by every English translator ever. It makes for super interesting reading, but can also help you choose one to read that appeals to you!

For other texts: I’m currently studying The Aeneid using David West’s translation, Medea and Hippolytus as translated by Edith Hall, and Bernard Knox’s translation of Oedipus the King and Antigone. I’ve been enjoying all of these. If you’ve been following me a while, you’ll know I’m a big fan of Anne Carson. She translated Sappho, and some tragedies as well. Her translations focus more on conveying the poetry or feelings behind the words rather than an exact translation of the words themselves, which makes for electrifying reading if you’re used to perhaps more staid translations. Antigonick was a particular favourite of mine, probably because I knew the play so well so I was able to really appreciate the changes and decisions she made, although it was more an intepretation than a translation. This difference, as brilliant as it is, is why I would, however, suggest you read other translations first before attempting Carson.

I hope this was helpful! A second masterpost focusing on more general Classics resources will be coming soon.

[nicxxx5]

List #1: Book Wish List

i’ve been kinda wanting to share some lists on here because i like to make them, so this is one i made of all the books i’d like to get. also on the original spread sheet i made this on i had all the prices mapped out of where they would be the cheapest and the total cost. if a book is bold that means i have bought it and if it is bold and crossed out that means i have read it. let me know your opinions on any of these books or if these are also books you want to read or if you want me to give my opinions on the ones i have read! 😊

The Love Interest; Cale Dietrich The Hate U Give; Angie Thomas I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter; Erika L. Sanchez You're Welcome Universe; Whitney Gardner Leah on The Offbeat; Becky Albertalli What if its Us?; Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera Picture us in the Light; Kelly Log Gilbert Five Feet Apart; Rachael Lippincott The Red Scrolls of Magic The Music of What Happens; Bill Konigsberg A boy worth knowing; Jennifer Cosgrove Cupid Painted Blind; Marcus Herzig The Dangerous Art of Blending In; Angelo Surmelis Mexican Whiteboy; Matt de la Pena Ball Don't Lie; Matt de la Pena Bloom; Kevin Panetta We Contain Multitudes; Sarah Henstra This is Kind of an Epic Love Story; Kheryn Callender Been Here All Along; Sandy Hall You Asked For Perfect; Laura Silverman The Music of Dolphins; Karen Hesse Not if I See You First; Eric Lindstorm Silence; Deborah Lytton Accidental Love; Gary Soto To All The Boys I've Loved Before; Jenny Han The Infinite Noise; Lauren Shippen Every Day; David Levithan Me Before You; Jojo Moyes Artemis Fowl; Eoin Colfer Unspoken; Sarah Rees Brennan The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell; Chris Colfer Snakehead: Alex Rider; Anthony Horowitz Fablehaven; Brandon Mull Virals; Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs His Dark Materials: Northern Lights (or the Golden Compass); Philip Pullman The Last Apprectice/The Spook's Secret; Joseph Delaney Disney After Dark: Kingdom Keepers; Ridley Pearson The Thing About Jellyfish; Ali Benjamin Pan's Labyrinth; Guillermo del Toro History is All You Left Me; Adam Silvera Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heros; Edith Hamilton Starfish; Akemi Dawn Bowman Mosquitoland; David Arnold Challenger Deep; Neal Shusterman The Ghosts we Keep; Mason Deaver The Passing Playbook; Isaac Fitzsimons The Tragedy of Heterosexuality; Jane Ward Holding up the Universe; Jennifer Niven All the Bright Places; Jennifer Niven Renegades; Marissa Meyer The Female of the Species; Mindy McGinnis A Good Girl's Guide to Murder; Holly Jackson Such a Fun Age; Kiley Reid She Gets the Girl; Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derric Kisses and Croissants; Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau Red, White and Royal Blue; Casey McQuiston The Librarian of Auschwitz; Antonio Iturbe The Rise of Kyoshi; F.C. Yee The Shadow of Kyoshi; F.C. Yee Love and Olives; Jenna Evans Welch The Midnight Library; Matt Haig The Spanish Love Deception; Elena Armas Every Word You Never Said; Jordon Greene When We Were Lost; Kevin Wignall The Gravity of Missing Things; Marisa Urgo We Are The Ants; Shaun David Hutchinson Iron Heart; Nina Varela Coming up for Air; Nicole B. Ryndall Unmasking Autism; Devon Price Planting a Seed; Kate Gaertner Period Power; Maisie Hill Disibility Visibility; Alice Wong Queerly Autistic; Erin Ekins We're Not Broken; Eric Garcia Divergent Mind; Jenara Nerenberg

[teamedward1983]

I finally bought these books off Amazon.com the first one is The Complete Graphic Novel of “Maus” by Art Spiegelman it’s in it’s original Two-Volume format and it came with an extra book so it’s like 3 books in one. I have been wanting to buy this Graphic Novel for a long time and I finally broke down and bought it. I also bought “Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Hero’s” by Edith Hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcyBua5LHhj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=