Introduction to Mythology: A Folkloric Perspective

Mythology has entranced generations. Heroes, gods, and fantastic creatures, woven together into vibrant tales, this is the stuff of magic that gives stories immortality. Myths have attracted experts from many fields, but this book offers an alternative view, employing the perspective of a folklorist. Presented for casual readers and beginning students, it also presents insights for scholars from diverse fields. With Introduction to Mythology, Ronald M. James considers these timeless stories, drawing on two centuries of folkloric scholarship. For the past dozen years, James has written on the respected subreddit AskHistorians, with over two million subscribers. The questions there provide hints about what drives the popular desire to understand the wonderful world of myth.