The Encyclopedia of Mythology: Classical Celtic Norse [Hardcover]

Arthur Cotterell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

This volume features the ancient tales of three compelling cultures: the mythology of Classical Greece and Rome; the fairytale myths of the Celtic world; and, from Northern Europe, tales of Germanic gods, Nordic warriors, and fearsome giants. Arthur Cotterell, an internationally renowned expert on mythology across cultures, describes central mythical figures with wit and authority, retelling ancient legends as spellbinding, intriguing accounts of past ages.

The ancient tales in this volume are brought to life through a wealth of imagery that spans fifteen centuries of fine art; illustrations also include specially-commissioned photographs and drawings that focus on important and recurring mythological themes, including Oracles and Prophecies, Magic and Enchantment, Voyagers, Heroes, Giants, and Sorcery and Spells.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This work covers three great traditions of European mythology: classical (Greco-Roman), Celtic (including Welsh), and Norse (including Slavic). Each section has a brief introduction giving a broad overview of the historical setting of the tradition, including a map of the territories where the myths were believed. The sections are in dictionary format with extensive cross-references. There are also two-page spreads on such special topics as "Voyagers" and "Heroes" in the classical section, "Sagas and Seers" and "Single Combat" in the Celtic, and "Treasures and Talismans" and "Tragic Lovers" in the Norse.

The text is lavishly illustrated with everything from photographs of ancient artifacts to contemporary watercolors, most in full color. The Pre-Raphaelites, Aubrey Beardsley, and Arthur Rackham are heavily represented. The book is designed so that the illustrations enhance rather than obstruct the text. The caption for the illustration of Lif and Lifthrasir in the Norse section does not agree with the entry as to who is male and who is female. A pronunciation guide for Gaelic, Welsh, and Slavic names would have been helpful. Librarians and students who are not sure to which tradition a mythological character belongs will find a detailed name index at the end.

School and public libraries with limited budgets that need to add a European mythology reference will do well to consider this one.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Smithmark Pub (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0831773243
• ISBN-13: 978-0831773243
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,338,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and beautiful!, October 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Mythology: Classical Celtic Norse (Hardcover)

This handsomely bound work is sure to be
invaluable to anyone interested in European
mythologies. Written by Arthur Cotterell, a
well-respected scholar of mythologies and
ancient civilizations, the degree of detail
is remarkably complete. Entries vary from a
few sentences to over a page, depending upon
the subject. In addition, special feature
spreads provide more detailed examination of
specific mythological themes.

The reference is also a work of beauty. Every
page is copiously illustrated and the heavy-
stock paper is well suited to high-quality
color reproductions. The magnificent artwork,
almost entirely by well-known and respected
artists, is thoroughly cited.

Best of all, this wealth of information is
easily accessible. A thorough index refers
readers to all pages in which a subject name
appears, with main entry pages designated by
bold-face type. The entries themselves offer
effective, yet non-obtrusive, references to
related entries or themes.

This reference is highly recommended for
anyone interested in Classical, Celtic, or
Norse mythologies. Undoubtedly helpful to
scholars, it should also prove fascinating to
casual readers and to all who appreciate fine art.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not excellent, and not comprehensive, November 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Mythology: Classical, Celtic, Norse (Hardcover)

This is mostly a picture book. It is in dictionary form, with three dictionaries, one each for Classical, Celtic, and Norse myths. Many of the illustrations are lavish and excellent, including oil paintings, museum pieces, and story-book illistrations circa 1900. Other illustrations (about a third) are meritless; evidently drawn to fill up space in the book.

The text covers major entries that could be found in any dictionary of mythology, but falls severely short on minor characters and places. It is also missing several obvious entries: for example 'dwarf' and 'giant' and 'troll' are missing from the Norse dictionary.

The Norse dictionary includes a smattering of characters from Baltic and Finnish (Kallevalla) mythology but it is even more incomplete than the Scandenavian entries.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow. It doesn't get better than this!!, May 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Mythology: Classical Celtic Norse (Hardcover)

This is the most amazing reference book I have ever seen. The book itself is a work of art, not mentioning the BEAUTIFUL illustrations and descriptions of the gods, goddesses, heros, legends, monsters, giants, ect. inside! I recomend this book to anyone who is interested in a good book to cuddle with, learn from, or just read in general! This is such a interesting way to learn, and the artwork is magnificent. I, myself, am making a mozaic dedicated to this book. I love it so much. If you just leafed through it you would be caught by it too.