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alt.mythology FAQ

                               alt.mythology FAQ 
                         Up Mythic Art alt.mythology FAQ
   
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                            Last updated on 10/19/99
   
alt.mythology General FAQ ver. 1.0

   Archive-name: mythology/general-faq
   Posting-Frequency: monthly
   Last-modified: 1999/10/12
   Version: 1.0
   URL: http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/mythgenfaq.html
   Contents:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] I. Welcome to alt.mythology! (What is this newsgroup? How
   should I post here? What is appropriate here?)
   [expbul2a.gif] A. Charter
   [expbul2a.gif] B. How can I get help on homework assignments?
   [expbul2a.gif] C. What are good/bad ways to ask for information in
   alt.mythology? - tips on posting
   [expbul1a.gif] II. But what really is mythology?
   [expbul2a.gif] A. What is Mythology?
   [expbul1a.gif] III. Who is/are (fill in the blank)?
   [expbul2a.gif] A. What's this about Adam's first wife? Who was Lilith?
   [expbul2a.gif] B. What is the phoenix?
   [expbul2a.gif] C. Who was the guy who had to roll a rock up a hill, and it
   always rolled back down? What did he do to deserve it?
   [expbul2a.gif] D. Who stole fire from the gods?
   [expbul2a.gif] E. Who was the guy who got turned into a woman by two
   snakes?
   [expbul2a.gif] F. What are the mythological roots for the characters in
   Hercules and Xena?
   [expbul2a.gif] G. What are the origins of vampires?
   [expbul2a.gif] H. What is name of the the serpent that eats it's own tail?
   [expbul1a.gif] IV. The Tide's a coming...
   [expbul2a.gif] A. Flood myths
   [expbul1a.gif] V. What about other resources? Where can I find more
   information?
   [expbul2a.gif] A. Offline sources
   [expbul3a.gif] i. What books should every myth fan have in their library?
   [expbul3a.gif] ii. Sources for young people
   [expbul3a.gif] iii. Where can we find references on various animals in myth
   and folklore?
   [expbul2a.gif] B. On-line sources
   [expbul3a.gif] i. A few good general online sites for mythology information
   [expbul3a.gif] ii. Other related FAQs and newsgroups
   [expbul3a.gif] iii. Where can we find pics of ?
   [expbul3a.gif] iv. Best search engines for mythological subjects
   [expbul1a.gif] VI. Myth Studies and Myth Authors
   [expbul2a.gif] A. The Traditional Myth Authors [Frazer, Jung, Graves,
   Claude Levi-Strauss, Joseph Campbell, Kerenyi, Cassirer, Eliade, etc.]
   [expbul1a.gif] VII. What about mythological symbols and other tangentially
   related topics?
   These are usually off topic here but...
   [expbul2a.gif] A. Amulets & Talismans
   [expbul1a.gif] VIII. Acknowledgements
   
                                 [exphorsa.gif]
   
I. Welcome to alt.mythology! (What is this newsgroup? How should I post here? What
is appropriate here?)

  A. Charter
  
   Welcome to alt.mythology! In this newsgroup we discuss myths, legends,
   their details, their historical contexts, their interconnections, etc. - in
   short, just about everything concerning mythology. John A. Johnson started
   this group back in December 1991. His charter for the newsgroup serves as
   general guidelines for the scope of discussions here, although we have
   since evolved to become more inclusive than the more academic tone the
   charter may indicate:
   
   Charter for alt.mythology
   
     "The purpose of this group is to promote insights into, and
     understanding of, human nature through the discussion of mythology,
     where mythology is defined as the metaphorical expression of the human
     psyche through symbols and images. While focusing primarily on myths
     expressed as oral or written stories, the group also welcomes material
     on dreams and on semiotics generally, as these areas may further our
     understanding of myths. The group welcomes articles written from any
     perspective, including, but not limited to, the anthropological,
     philological, etiological, ethnological, psychological, and personal
     viewpoints. The group encourages contributions from any frame of
     thought, including, but not limited to, ritualism, diffusionism,
     structuralism, parallelism, psychoanalysis, and culturalism."
     
   in addition Johnson adds:
   
     "As you see, the group is open to a multitude of approaches to
     mythology. I would like to make one thing clear, though: This group is
     intended to be a forum for intellectual discussions of mythology, and
     not for religious proselytizing or flame-wars."
     
   Proselytizing for or denegrating against someone's religion is considered
   both rude and off-topic in this newsgroup. Assertions of the imminence of
   the apocalypse, or of that the characters in our myths were
   extra-terrestrial aliens are also inappropriate. Discussing creation and
   flood stories here is fine. Debating the truth of those stories is not, and
   is better suited to talk.origins.
   
  B. How can I get help on homework assignments?
  
   [expbul1a.gif] We won't do your homework for you. However, we might be able
   to suggest some directions to take in your research if you have specific
   questions.
   
  C. What are good/bad ways to ask for information in alt.mythology? - tips on
  posting
  
   [expbul1a.gif] Be polite. Obey basic rules of netiquette as can be found in
   news.announce.newusers.
   [expbul1a.gif] We may have discussed the topic before - check Dejanews
   http://www.dejanews.com to see if past threads may hold the answers to your
   questions.
   [expbul1a.gif] Specific questions are more likely to get useful answers
   than general ones.
   [expbul1a.gif] Don't spam.
   [expbul1a.gif] Avoid crossposting, particularly to newsgroups you don't
   regularly read.
   [expbul1a.gif] Do not post binaries (pictures, sound files, etc.) to this
   newsgroup. Not everyone can handle those relatively large files and
   binaries in non-binary groups have been known to get those newsgroups
   removed from some ISP's. Instead put them on a web page or post them to an
   alt.binaries.* group and post a notice to their location on this group.
   
   
II. But what really is mythology?

  A. What is Mythology?
  
   The word "myth" has several meanings. In the most general sense, it refers
   to any invented story, but in the sense used on alt.mythology, it refers to
   a traditional story, usually very old, which has or once had significant
   spiritual, moral, or social significance. "Mythology" refers both to a body
   of myths (such as all Greek myths) and to the study of myths.
   
   Important to the definition is what myth is not. Stories which, from their
   origin, are set in print and passed down unchanged are not myth. Myth is a
   form of folklore, which means that it is shaped by the "folk" in general,
   and not just one or a few authors. Many myths are collected in books, but
   they have had long oral traditions before that. Second, folklore is not
   myth if it is not a story, so proverbs, superstitions, riddles, etc. are
   not myth as such. However, they may appear in myths, and isolated elements
   of myths are often discussed in alt.mythology.
   
   Note that most stories associated with current religions are, by
   definition, myths. This does not belittle them; on the contrary, it says
   that people consider them important enough to repeat over many generations.
   
   Professionals distinguish between mythology, legend, and folktale, although
   all get discussed without distinction on alt.mythology. Very briefly, myths
   are considered true by the people who tell them; they are usually set near
   the beginning of time and often concern the origins of things. Legends are
   also regarded as true, but are set later in history when the world was much
   as it is today. Folklore is considered false by the people telling it, and
   its setting in time and space is usually irrelevant. Myths are considered
   sacred, legends are more often secular, and folktales aren't taken
   seriously (although the overall message might be). Although this
   classification is useful, there is plenty of overlap, and stories range
   over too much territory to fit nicely in any simple classification.
   
   
III. Who is/are (fill in the blank)?

  A. What's this about Adam's first wife? Who was Lilith?
  
   If you look at the first two chapters of Genesis you'll find that there are
   two creation stories. In the first chapter, God makes man and woman at the
   same time. In the second chapter, man is made from dust and woman, Eve, is
   made from his rib. These two accounts led to the idea that there was a
   first Eve, prior to the Eve that is the mother of Cain and Abel.
   
   Prior to this confusion, there existed a Sumerian demoness or type of
   demoness called lilitu, who was either adopted by or was the etymological
   antecedent for the Hebrew "Lilith". For the Hebrews, Lilith was originally
   a demoness who was held responsible for crib death.
   
   Sometime between 800 CE and 1000 CE, The Alphabet of Ben-Sira was written,
   combining these two traditions. There, for the first time, Lilith is named
   as the first Eve, stating that she left Adam because she refused to be
   treated as an inferior to Adam (particularly, in bed).
   
   Because she refused to return, she is made to kill 100 of her children
   every day.
   
   For more information, see:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Alan Humm's Lilith page at:
   http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/humm/Topics/Lilith/lilith.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Patai, Raphael The Hebrew Goddess Third Enlarged edition.
   New York, KTAV Publishing House, 1978. (Also: Wayne State University Press,
   1990.)
   [expbul1a.gif] Schwartz, Howard. Lilith's Cave: Jewish Tales of the
   Supernatural. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1989.
   
  B. What is the phoenix?
  
   The phoenix is a fabulous bird that was to have renewed itself through
   periodic deaths and rebirths. As such, this bird is often used as a symbol
   of resurrection and immortality. References to the phoenix have been found
   in the writings and tales of China/Japan, ancient Egypt (Benu), and the
   Classical writings of Hesiod, Ovid, Pliny, Tacitus, Herodotus, and Seneca.
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Source: Symbolic and Mythical Animals by J.C. Cooper
   
   For more information - Offline:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Any bestiary
   [expbul2a.gif] such as Symbolic and Mythical Animals by J.C. Cooper
   [expbul1a.gif] Any dictionary of symbolism
   [expbul2a.gif] such as Dictionary of Symbols by Jack Tresidder
   [expbul1a.gif] The Myth of the Phoenix by R. Van Den Broek (out of print?)
   
   For more information - Online:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Bulfinch's phoenix entry
   [expbul1a.gif] Phoenix on Eliki
   
   For illustrations - Offline:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Any illustrated bestiary
   [expbul1a.gif] The Phoenix Cards by Susan Sheppard and Debbie Kempton-Smith
   [expbul1a.gif] Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures by Richard
   Huber
   [expbul1a.gif] Symbols, Signs, & Signets by Ernst Lehner
   
   For illustrations - Online:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Phoenix Arizona Logos
   
   NOTE: Since finding good phoenix pictures on-line is a bit like questing
   for the Holy Grail, please forward URL's of good phoenix pictures to the
   FAQ staff for possible FAQ inclusion.
   
  C. Who was the guy who had to roll a rock up a hill, and it always rolled back
  down? What did he do to deserve it?
  
   Sisyphus. Zeus had seduced the daughter of the river god Asopus, and
   Sisyphus ratted on Zeus to Asopus. Zeus was very angry and had Sisyphus
   punished in this way, although Sisyphus didn't go down without a fight.
   First he managed to trick Death and tied him up; after he'd been taken down
   to Hades, he managed to get out, and lived happily at home until he died of
   old age!
   
  D. Who stole fire from the gods?
  
   In Greek myth, it was Prometheus. Other cultures had/have tales with
   similar themes featureing different characters, such as Coyote or Beaver in
   Native North American myth and legend.
   
  E. Who was the guy who got turned into a woman by two snakes?
  
   Tiresias. The story can be found in Ovid's Metamorphoses, book III.
   
  F. "Hercules" and "Xena:" The Mythological Roots
  
   These two television series draw heavily on mythology from around the
   world, but, by and large, they don't let accuracy get in the way of
   entertainment. Once in a while there is a real blooper, as when the
   scriptwriters christened nasty little vampires "dryads"-as we all know,
   real dryads are gentle tree-nymphs-and we can certainly disagree with the
   interpretation of various characters, but, mostly, they do a pretty fair
   job, considering their priorities. Here, for the curious, is some "real"
   information about some of the recurring characters-no gods or monsters, as
   they're easy to find information about elsewhere. Hercules himself was as
   "real" as they come, of course (his original Greek name was Heracles, which
   means "glory of Hera"). Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer and many other leading
   "Xena" characters are fictional, though the idea of the fighting Amazon is
   very much a part of Greek myth. (Gabrielle, as a name, would not exist,
   until the Middle Ages.)
   
   ALCMENE:
          While married to Amphitrion, she gave birth to twin sons, Heracles
          and Iphicles. Herc's real father, however, was the god Zeus. (In
          mythological stories about twins, it is common to attribute the
          paternity of one of them to a god.) One of the odder twists of the
          TV series is to give Alcmene Jason as a second husband. There is no
          Greek base for this. Moreover, Jason, both on TV and in myth, was of
          Herc's generation, and, in myth, had a complicated married life of
          his own.
          
   AUTOLYCUS:
          Yes, he really was the "king of thieves," a master thief of such
          skill that he reputedly could magically disguise the objects he
          stole. And, yes, he was widely acquainted. He really did know
          Heracles, Iolaus, Sisyphus, Salmoneus, Jason and most of the rest of
          the "regulars." Fun fact: His grandson was Odysseus, who appears in
          The Iliad and The Odyssey-Odysseus is also considered a tricky
          character. Fun fact #2: He turns up again as a lovable-and
          tuneful!-rogue in Shakepeare's play, "The Winter's Tale."
          
   CALLISTO:
          Not nearly as tough a cookie as her TV counterpart. She was one of
          the band of nymphs attending Artemis, the virgin goddess of the
          hunt. Seduced by Zeus's wily ways, she got pregnant. When Artemis,
          who demanded strict chastity of the girls, found out, she went into
          a rage, turned her into a bear, set the dogs on her, and called the
          other nymphs to join the hunt. Callisto wouldn't have had a chance,
          had Zeus not intervened to catch her up to the stars as the Great
          Bear.
          
   CYRENE:
          Xena's mom, in the show. The "real" Cyrene was a tomboy Lapith
          princess, a huntress so brave and strong that she caught the eye of
          Apollo himself as she wrestled with a lion. He kidnapped her in his
          golden chariot, and bore her away to a city that she would
          eventually rule. She slept with him, but also with Ares, bore
          several sons, and eventually became a powerful occult priestess. The
          "Xena" writers seem to have borrowed from her legend for Xena's own
          personality.
          
   IOLAUS:
          Herc's charioteer, best friend, sidekick-and nephew, son of Herc's
          twin brother, Iphicles. Thus he was a good deal younger than Herc;
          one story has Herc trying to pass a discarded wife on to him when he
          was only 16. (The "real" Herc was nowhere near as saintly as his TV
          counterpart.) Iolaus participated in most of the Twelve Labors
          central to Herculean mythology, and many of his other adventures.
          Just as in the TV series, he never got much credit for his aid.
          
   JASON:
          One of the four great Greek action-adventure heroes, the others
          being Heracles, Theseus and Perseus. His character on the show has
          been almost entirely changed from the original, and his story is too
          complex to summarize here. But he never married Herc's mother!
          
   SALMONEUS:
          Not a bit like the TV character. The "real" Salmoneus was mostly
          known for his bitter rivalry with Sisyphus, that bad man, but he was
          also thought to be a rainmaker. He was the great-grandfather of
          Jason, which just goes to show how chronology gets mixed up.
          
  G. What are the origins of vampires?
  
   In addition to earlier folkore, two historical personages are deeply
   imbedded in the modern conception of the vampire: Vlad Tepes, and Elizabeth
   Bathory. Their stories are told at number of websites. One such site is:
   here
   
  H. What is name of the the serpent that eats it's own tail?
  
    1. Ouroboros (from Greek Alchemy)
    2. Jörmungand, the Midgard Serpent (Norse Myth)
       
   
IV. The Tide's a coming...

  A. Flood myths
  
   There are lots of flood myths from all over the world, but not everywhere
   and there are many variations, see:
   
   http://www.best.com/~atta/floods.htm
   
   Comparing these stories is on topic here. Debating or asserting the
   veracity (or lack thereof) of these stories is not and is better suited for
   talk.origins.
   
   Caveat lector ("let the reader beware") as it's a commercial site, but
   http://www.flood-myth.com/ also includes comparisions of the Near Eastern
   flood myths including Noah's flood.
   
   
V. What about other resources? Where can I find more information?

  A. Offline
  
    i. What books should every myth fan have in their library?
    
   [expbul1a.gif] Barnstone, Willis ed., The Other Bible, Harper Collins, New
   York, 1984. This volume collects a number of excerpts from extra-canonical
   works - those that didn't make it into the official Bible. Here they are
   organized by theme and would otherwise require hunting through collections
   of pseudepigrapha & apocrypha.
   [expbul1a.gif] Bulfinch, Thomas Mythology (Includes The Age of Fable, The
   Age of Chivalry and Legends of Charlemagne) Bullfinch's work is a digest of
   classical mythology, Arthurian and Carolingian Legends, as well as a bit
   about Egyptian and Norse mythology.
   [expbul1a.gif] Dalley, Stephanie Myths from Mesopotamia, Oxford University
   Press, New York, 1990. The most recent collection of the major Babylonian
   myths is also among the least expensive and more enjoyable reads.
   [expbul1a.gif] Gantz, Jeffrey, The Mabinogion, Viking Penguin Inc., New
   York, 1976. There are other good translations of this collection of Welsh
   legends but Gantz is highly readable, easy to find and has some useful
   notes.
   [expbul1a.gif] Gill, Sam and Sullivan, Irene, Dictionary of Native American
   Mythology Few books on "Native American Mythology" are any good at being
   resprentative of the wide range of myths and legends of the various Native
   American peoples. This one of the best and is quite helpful in researching
   various Native American myth and legend particulars and motifs.
   [expbul1a.gif] Graves, Robert, The Greek Myths. There is an old Braziller
   edition as well as newer ones.
   [expbul1a.gif] Jones, Alison LaRousse Dictionary of World Folklore This
   little volume covers a wide range of topics - mythology, folklore,
   symbolism, legend, and superstitions. Where else can you look up lucky
   charms, the Jersey Devil, the Norns, and vampires in one book? ;)
   [expbul1a.gif] Lurker, Manfred, Dictionary of God and Goddesses, Devils and
   Demons This is just way tooooo handy of a volume to look up all those
   deities I'm just not familiar with.
   [expbul1a.gif] Ovid, The Metamorphoses. Many famous myths made poetical.
   [expbul1a.gif] Pritchard James B., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to
   the Old Testament, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1955. There is
   also a 1969 supplement to this work, as well as a companion volume, The
   Ancient Near East in Pictures. It used to be the authoritative source for
   all complete texts of the Sumerians, Babylonians, Canaanites, Hittites
   although now there are more recent, separate translations. It's pricy but
   many libraries have a copy and there is a much more affordable, abridged
   paperbound version.
   [expbul1a.gif] Sproul, Barbara Primal Myths. The only cross-cultural
   collection I know of which collects the stories in as close to their
   original form as possible. It gives only creation myths, but it includes
   myths from all parts of the world.
   
   Runners up:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Green, Miranda, Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend
   [expbul1a.gif] Erdoes, Richard and Ortiz Alfonso eds. American Indian Myths
   and Legends
   [expbul1a.gif] Pennick, Nigel and Jones, Prudence A History of Pagan Europe
   [expbul1a.gif] Zimmerman's Dictionary of Classical Mythology
   
    ii. Sources for young people
    
   The following books all belong to the World Mythology Series from Peter
   Bedrick books. These books are richly illustrated, include a very nice
   cross section of myths and history from the respective culture, and are
   reasonably accurate retellings. Unfortunately not all of these volumes are
   still in print:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Angels, Prophets, Rabbis, & Kings from the Stories of the
   Jewish People by Jose Patterson.
   [expbul1a.gif] Demons, Gods & Holy Men from Indian Myths & Legends by
   Shahrukh Husain.
   [expbul1a.gif] Dragons, Gods & Spirits from Chinese Mythology by Tao Tao
   Liu Sanders.
   [expbul1a.gif] Druids, Gods & Heroes from Celtic Mythology by Anne Ross.
   [expbul1a.gif] Fabled Cities, Princes & Jinn from Arab Myths and Legends by
   Khairat Al-Saleh.
   [expbul1a.gif] Gods and Heroes from Viking Mythology by Brian Branston.
   [expbul1a.gif] Gods and Pharaohs from Egyptian Mythology by Geraldine
   Harris.
   [expbul1a.gif] Gods, Men and Monsters from the Greek Myths by Michael
   Gibson.
   [expbul1a.gif] Heroes, Gods & Emperors from Roman Mythology by Kerry Usher.
   [expbul1a.gif] Heroes, Monsters, and Other Worlds from Russian Mythology by
   Elizabeth Warner.
   [expbul1a.gif] Kings, Gods & Spirits from African Mythology by Jan
   Knappert.
   [expbul1a.gif] Spirits, Heroes & Hunters from North American Indian
   Mythology by Marion Wood.
   [expbul1a.gif] Warriors, Gods and Spirits from Central and South American
   Mythology by Douglas Gifford.
   
   Some other very nice books for younger readers follow. Same proviso applies
   - not all of these volumes are still in print.
   
   [expbul1a.gif] In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by
   Virginia Hamilton. Various. Color illustrations.
   [expbul1a.gif] The Illustrated Book of Myths by Neil Philip. Various.
   Photos and color illustrations.
   [expbul1a.gif] Mythical Journeys, Legendary Quests by Moyra Caldecott.
   Various. Color and B/W illustrations.
   [expbul1a.gif] The Singing Sack: 28 Song-Stories from Around the World by
   Helen East. Various. A very different format. Folktales and traditional
   songs. Can be accompanied by a recording of the songs.
   [expbul1a.gif] D'Aulaires' Greek Mythology by Ingri D'Aulaire and Edgar
   Parin D'Aulaire. Ancient Greece. Color and B/W illustrations.
   [expbul1a.gif] Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. "Celt". Multiple titles
   by same author. Inexpensive. B/W illustrations.
   [expbul1a.gif] d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants, by Ingri and Edgar Parin
   d'Aulaires. Norse. Color and B/W illustrations.
   [expbul1a.gif] Adopted by the Eagles by Paul Goble. Native American.
   Numerous titles by same author. Color illustrations by author.
   [expbul1a.gif] Iroquois Stories: Heroes and Heroines, Monsters and Magic by
   Joseph Bruchac. Native American. B/W illustrations.
   [expbul1a.gif] Skywoman: Legends of the Iroquois by Joanne Shenandoah and
   Douglas George. Native American. B/W illustrations.
   
   [If you have any suggestions for really great sources for readers of all
   ages, please forward them to the FAQ staff. We'll review them for possible
   inclusion!]
   
    iii. Where can we find references on various animals in myth and folklore?
    
   Here are some sources that will aid in researching the symbolism or
   mythological/folkloric references of animals.
   
   Should you know of other sources that would be a great help to others doing
   similar research, please pass the information along to the FAQ staff for
   possible inclusion in this list.
   
   Sources on multiple animals and creatures:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Zoo of the Gods by Anthony S. Mercatante
   [expbul1a.gif] Wildlife Folklore by Laura C. Martin
   [expbul1a.gif] Symbolic & Mythological Animals by J.C. Cooper
   [expbul1a.gif] The Bestiary: a Book of Beasts by T.H. White
   [expbul1a.gif] Hargreaves New Illustrated Bestiary by Joyce Hargreaves
   [expbul1a.gif] Lady of the Beasts: Ancient Images of the Goddess and Her
   Sacred Animals by Buffie Johnson
   
   Encyclopedias and Dictionaries not specifically focusing on animals and
   other creatures:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Dictionary of Native American Mythology by Sam D. Gill and
   Irene F. Sullivan
   [expbul1a.gif] Dictionary of Symbols by Jack Tresidder
   [expbul1a.gif] The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects by
   Barbara Walker
   [expbul1a.gif] Motif-Index of Folk-Literature by Stith Thompson
   [expbul1a.gif] The Encyclopedia of Things that Never Were: Creatures,
   Places and People by Michael Page and Robert Ingpen
   
   Sources on the lore of specific creatures:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] The Folktale Cat by Frank de Caro
   [expbul1a.gif] Ravensong: A Natural and Fabulous History of Ravens and
   Crows by Catherine Feher Elston
   [expbul1a.gif] The Sacred Paw: The Bear in Nature, Myth, and Literature by
   Paul Shepard and Barry Sanders
   
  B. on-line sources
  
    i. A few good general online sites for mythology information include:
    
   [expbul1a.gif] Encyclopedia Mythica - maintains thousands of short articles
   about myth topics from all over the world. It also has sub-indexes broken
   down by cultural group:
   http://www.pantheon.org
   [expbul1a.gif] Myths and Legends - This is a list, with brief descriptions,
   of links to hundreds of mythology, legend & folktale related sites. It
   begins with a general section and then groups the links by region, culture
   & language group.
   http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/myth.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Myth and Legend from Ancient Times to the Space Age - This
   is another list, with brief descriptions, of links to hundreds of
   mythology, legend and folktale related sites.
   http://www.pibburns.com/myth.htm
   [expbul1a.gif] Electronic Texts archives and links:
   [expbul2a.gif] The Online Medieval and Classical Library:
   http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/
   [expbul2a.gif] Early Modern LIterary Studies (includes Medieval and
   Classical texts as well)
   http://unixg.ubc.ca:7001/0/e-sources/emls/emlsetxt.html
   [expbul2a.gif] The Electronic Text Center is one of the larger general
   e-text archives of texts in a number of languages covering a variety of
   subjects including myth, folklore, religion, fairy tales and much more.
   http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/uvaonline.html
   [expbul2a.gif] D. L. Ashliman's archive of Folklore and Mythology e-texts
   is particularly strong in folk and fairy tales and in Germanic myths and
   legends.
   http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html
   [expbul1a.gif] The Perseus Project - An online database about ancient
   Greece. Includes lots of ancient texts (including Homer, Hesiod, and the
   main Greek dramatists), and pictures of ancient artwork
   http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/
   [expbul1a.gif] Herakles - Greece's Greatest Hero Web site about Herakles
   (more commonly known as Hercules) at the Perseus Project.
   http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/
   [expbul1a.gif] Free English Translations of the Norse Eddas and Sagas on
   the Internet:
   http://www.squirrel.com/squirrel/asatru/free.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Celtic myth - Anniina Jokinen presents an enormous
   collection of links to Irish Literature, Mythology, Folkore, and Drama:
   http://www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/
   [expbul1a.gif] Over a hundred Native American tales are found in the Lore
   section of Stonee's Weblodge:
   http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/loreindx.html
   [expbul1a.gif] WWW Virtual Library's Index of Native American Resources on
   the Internet Native American tales.
   http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/
   [expbul1a.gif] Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies - is the primary
   medieval site on the web and collects a number of texts from and about the
   period from 500 to 1500 C.E.
   http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/labyrinth-home.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Saints and such:
   [expbul2a.gif] Online Saints Index (could use some proofing)
   http://saints.catholic.org/stsindex.html
   [expbul2a.gif] Edmund LoPresti's Saints Page:
   http://www.pitt.edu/~eflst4/saint_bios.html
   [expbul2a.gif] For further, more exhaustive. research, The Catholic
   Encyclopedia:
   http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
   
    ii. Other related faqs and newsgroups
    
   There are a number of FAQ's associated with special topics that come up in
   the group. They include:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] Kim and Mike Burkard's The Green - featuring Kim's extensive
   mythology booklist FAQ:
   http://www.servtech.com/public/greenman/index.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Mark Isaak's Mythological Resource FAQ at:
   http://www.best.com/~atta/mythsrcs.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Nicole Cherry's Norse Mythology FAQ:
   http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~cherryne/mythology.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Cindy Tittle Moore's Arthurian and Robin Hood Booklists:
   http://www.io.com/~tittle/books/arthurian.html
   http://www.io.com/~tittle/books/robin-hood.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Chris Siren's Sumerian, Assyro-Babylonian, and Canaanite
   Mythology FAQs and Hittite/Hurrian Mythology REF:
   http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/sumer-faq.html
   http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/assyrbabyl-faq.html
   http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/canaanite-faq.html
   http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/hittite-ref.html
   
   A number of other newsgroups are related to discussion here as well
   including:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] alt.mythology.mythic-animals - This group is intended to be
   for the discussion of mythic & legendary animals & monsters. It is also
   dominated by a lot of PBNG (play by newsgroup) free-form roleplaying.
   [expbul1a.gif] alt.mythology.mythic-animals.gryphons
   [expbul1a.gif] alt.mythology.jinn - a fairly low trafic NG devoted to the
   discussion of jinni (aka genie, djinni), ifrits, marids, et al.
   [expbul1a.gif] alt.legend.king-arthur - a group of similar character to
   alt.mythology, but focused on discussing the many versions of the Arthurian
   tale, ranging from possible historical roots to modern retellings and
   movies.
   [expbul1a.gif] sci.classics - discussion of Ancient Greek and Latin
   literature
   [expbul1a.gif] humanities.classics - sci.classics regrouped?
   
    iii. Where can we find pics of (fill in the blank)?
    
   [expbul1a.gif] General mythology:
   JBL Statue: http://jblstatue.com/list.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Egyptian mythology:
   [expbul2a.gif] Neferchichi's Egyptian Graphics contains clip art of
   Egyptian deities at:
   http://members.aol.com/chichi/index.html
   [expbul2a.gif] The Phoenix:
   [expbul3a.gif] Phoenix Arizona Logos:
   http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/birdesig.html
   [expbul1a.gif] Classical mythology:
   [expbul2a.gif] The University of Haifa site - Mythology in Western Art:
   http://www-lib.haifa.ac.il/www/art/MYTHOLOGY_WESTART.HT
   [expbul2a.gif] Oxford's Beazley Archive of Greek and Roman Sculpture has
   pix of classical statues and paintings of gods and goddesses.
   http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/BeazleyAdmin/Script/ba_cgprog.html
   
    iv. Best search engines for mythological subjects
    
   AltaVista is a great general search engine, particularly if you are
   searching for an specific or unusual topic.
   AltaVista 1
   AltaVista 2
   
   
VI. Myth Studies and Myth Authors

  A. The Traditional Myth Authors [Frazer, Jung, Graves, Claude Levi-Strauss, Joseph
  Campbell, Kerenyi, Cassirer, Eliade, etc.]
  
   The most popular disciple of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell and his ideas about
   archetypes and universal myths are no strangers to this forum. He does tend
   to be criticized here for, among other things, making overly broad
   generalizations. Also his fans are often chided for not seeing much of
   Jung's work in Campbell's. Still it can not be argued that Campbell has not
   been a major force behind the popularity of the study of mythology over the
   past thirty years. Check dejanews before starting another Campbell thread
   here. Other arenas perhaps more suited to discussion of his works are:
   
   [expbul1a.gif] http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/josephcampbellmythologygroup
   - Very high quality discussion but also pretty friendly.
   [expbul1a.gif] http://www.onelist.com/community/CampbellFoundation
   - Also very high quality, with a lot quoting and some beautiful writing.
   
   If you're not looking for newsgroups specifically, there are *lots* of
   Joseph Campbell forums out there. (And there may be J.C. newsgroups, too...
   we just don't know of any.)
   
   
VII. What about mythological symbols and other tangentially related topics?

   These are usually off topic here but...
   
  A. Amulets & Talismans
  
   Get ye to http://www.luckymojo.com and the newsgroup alt.lucky.w
   


VIII. Acknowledgements

   The members of the alt.mythology FAQ committee are: Kim Burkard
   greenman@servtech.com, Chris Camfield ccamfield@sympatico.ca, Dick Eney
   dicconf@Radix.Net, Katherine Griffis-Greenberg grifcon@mindspring.com,
   Mark Isaak atta@best.com, Don Redmond dredmond@math.siu.edu, Chris Siren
   cbsiren@cisunix.unh.edu, and Alice Turner akt@attglobal.net, and have been
   assisted by the rest of alt.mythology in authoring this FAQ.
   
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