Legendary Stories of Ancient Scandinavia: Vikings and Germanic Mythology

Author: Compiled by Time-Life Books, Inc., Translated by Chen Shubo, Liu Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: This series of books is like a unique encyclopedia of world mythology. Each book presents strange stories, mysterious rituals, wrathful gods, fantastical explorations, and magical symbol signs that are the core essence of their cultures but are often overlooked in history textbooks. These myths are crucial in helping us understand how humanity has sought answers to life and death, creation and love, and other life mysteries throughout history. These myths exist at the intersection and overlap of imagination and history, wisdom and experience, dreams and reality. These captivating myths are classics that have endured for centuries, becoming the most beautiful legends of all time. Who can forget the story of Dionysus, the demigod born between the thighs of the Greek supreme god Zeus, the god of wine and festivals? Who could forget the Aztec feathered serpent god? He leaped into the fire, released a cluster of birds, and thus created Venus. Each book is accompanied by rich color illustrations, including sacred site ruins, totemic symbols, painting art, and mythological figures. For example, you can see the legendary Holy Grail and the shamanic masks of Native Americans in the Americas in the book. The book also includes historical overviews, maps, and glossaries. The titles of the books span time and space, such as Prehistoric Heroes – Celtic Mythology and The Lost Golden Land – South American Mythology, and so on. To select these ancient myths and related images for the readers, the editors of Time-Life Books compiled ancient primary sources from around the world and collaborated with top experts to place the myths in their historical context. For example, in Prehistoric Heroes – Celtic Mythology, it examines whether King Arthur truly existed and where he might have lived. In Sky and Earth Parents – Native American Mythology, it connects the Native Americans' myths about the land with their actual struggles to preserve it. Throughout the entire series, it reflects the crystallization of human thought, experience, and wisdom over thousands of years, praising and preserving humanity's finest essence and most beautiful dreams. Readers will gain joy, inspiration, and enlightenment from it. Moreover, these myths will help us redefine history and view the world with a new perspective.