Customer Reviews

Flood Legends - Global Clues of a Common Event

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Flood Legends by Charles Martin

In a short 120 pages (and appendices with translations of flood legends), Charles Martin introduces his readers to interpreting mythology. Can myths be true? If they are, how would you know? Focusing on three accounts of a global flood taken from cultures around the world, Charles Martin compares the similarities and differences. Did the legends, and dozens like them, have a common origin? The comparable details indicate not only that the legends are derived from the same story, but that the tale is a common memory of an actual event. Which versions are most likely to be accurate, and why?

On page 119, the author states his reason for investing time in research, translation, and writing Flood Legends: "Contrary to what many may believe upon reading this work, this is not about `proving' a global flood. It reaches deeper, asking us to abandon preconceived ideas and to think. We should be willing to look for connections - not only those connections that dwell in metaphor, but also the kind that dwell in history." By taking the case of the flood legends, so universal in traditional lore across humanity, he demonstrates the prospects that come when we take stories at face value, first testing the possibility of truth before disregarding them as imaginative inventions.

I appreciate the immense effort and talent of the researcher, Charles Martin, whose passion led to this book. Though he was repetitive at times, he made some important points in a simple, straightforward way. The true value of this book to me is the intriguing sample of flood legends found in the appendices.

To God be all glory,
Lisa of Longbourn

If you are interested in the historical evidence for the flood then this is a good book to get you started. It is an easy read and the author only uses a few examples in the book, so that the reader is not overloaded with information.

This book simply goes through 3 major flood myths and juxtaposes them. While there are other flood myths that he cites, the core of the book revolves around 3 specific ones. Very interesting and worth the read.

The flood of Noah is the flood of many other men. "Flood Legends: Global Clues of a Common Event" investigates the seemingly common coincidence of stories of a great flood in many disconnected societies throughout the ancient world. All six of the populated continents have a flood legend of some sort, and Charles Martin looks deeper to find the bigger historical significance of this shared trait. "Flood Legends: Global Clues of a Common Event" is of wonder to any with a love for ancient history and mythology's roots.