Myths are the timeless expression of the imagination – a continuous creative process of making sense of the universe. They express in dramatic and compelling form the forces that have shaped our experience, from the clash of the elements to the cycles of the calendar and the pattern of birth, procreation, and death. Speaking to us movingly across the centuries, myth resonate with our deepest feelings about the fragility and grandeur of existence.

Mythology is a comprehensive, richly illustrated anthology that spans the odysseys, quests, and battles of ancient Greece and Rome to the living beliefs of indigenous cultures in the Americas, Africa, and Oceania.

Looking at each major myth-making culture in turn, the book retells some of its most significant and captivating stories in a lively, contemporary style. Read how the ancient Egyptians believed the daily cycle of the sun was determined, steep yourself in the bloody wars of the Celtic heroes and the Viking gods, and meet the worldwide menagerie of mythical animals, from Raven, Hare, and Coyote in Native North America to Lady Silkworm and the Monkey King in ancient China.

Illustrated with more than 700 color photographs and artworks, Mythology has been put together by a team of top historians and anthropologists and is an indispensable source book.