Universal Myths

Joseph Campbell was interested in mythology since his childhood in New York, when he read books about American Indians, frequently visited the American Museum of Natural History, and was fascinated by the museum's collection of totem poles. He earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees at Columbia in 1925 and 1927 and went on to study medieval French and Sanskrit at the universities of Paris and Munich. After a period in California, where he encountered John Steinbeck and the biologist Ed Ricketts, he taught at the Canterbury School, then, in 1934, joined the literature department at Sarah Lawrence College, a post he retained for many years. During the 1940s and '50s, he helped Swami Nikhilananda to translate the Upanishads and The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The many books by Professor Campbell include The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Myths to Live By, The Flight of the Wild Gander, and The Mythic Image. He edited The Portable Arabian Nights, The Portable Jung, and other works. He died in 1987.

• Introduction: The MythosphereCreators of Nature and MankindCreator GodsAnimals and CreationThe First CoupleThe Great MotherThe Greek Gods from Chaos to ZeusCosmologyThe Structure of the UniverseMythic CosmogramsCreation MythsThe Birth of ManWorlds Above Below and WithinThe LightThe SunThe Way of the Great LightSun Worship and Sun DanceThe World and StarsHeaven and EarthThe Bridge of HeavenThunder and LightningDemons and SpiritsYggdrasilWorld Tree, Tree of Life, and Tree of KnowledgeThe World MountainTowers to HeavenParadiseThe Reaches of Heaven and the Depths of HellBringers of Magic and the ArtsBringers of WisdomFire - a Gift of the GodsThe Divine BlacksmithThe HealersHermesShamans: Magicians and PriestsWitches: Disciples of the DevilTeachers and LeadersProtectors of the HerdThe RainmakersThe Fertile EarthGods of the HuntFisher GodsMauiAnimals Monsters and Mythic BeastsMythic and Legendary AnimalsCreators and Protectors of AnimalsDeities of the NileBull CultsHoly SteedsAnimals in the SkyFabulous Creatures, Magic and DemonicEmblems and Attributes of the GodsAnimals, Deities, and PeopleThe SerpentSymbols of the SeasonsThe DragonLovers and Bearers of Divine SeedThe Great MotherThe Goddess of Love, Aphrodite/VenusTragic LoveOrpheus and EurydiceThe White CowMiraculous ConceptionsDivine BirthMysterious Births of Gods and HeroesThe Goddess of FertilityHeavenly and Earthly CouplesThe God of LoveKrishna and the Marriage of Heaven and EarthThe Loves of ZeusCompassionate LoveTantraCombat in Heaven and on EarthHeroic Battles Against MonstersThe Labors of HeraclesShen I, the Cosmic ArcherThe Twilight of the GodsNordic Warrior GodsGuardians of the EastThe Battle of the Greek GodsThor and the Wild HuntSigurd, the Nordic HeroThe RamayanaGood and EvilGods of WarThe Trojan WarMythic Struggles in Defense of Divine OrderDistant Quests and Mortal TestsQuests and QuestersOdysseus and His JourneyHeroes and AnimalsThe Round TableThe Holy GrailEternal YouthTheseus, the Hero of AthensThe Benevolent QuestThe Feathered SerpentThe Dragon SlayerBuddha and the Search for EnlightenmentThe Persian Hero RustamThe Nine Heroines and the Nine HeroesDeath and RebirthRealms of the DeadThe Journey to the UnderworldMessengers of DeathThe BeyondHades, the Greek UnderworldThe Tortures of HellDwellers in the Paradise of HeavenThe Triumph of DeathThe Last JudgmentThe Journey to ParadiseResurrection and RebirthReturn from the UnderworldNirvanaThe Rebirth of Light and LifeSelect BibliographyIndex