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Books by D.J. Butler
Tag Archives: Classics
Bookshelf: The Kalevala
Following up on Friday’s comments dialog: the Kalevala is the national epic of Finland. It looks at first glance like it might be a single unified poem, a la Homer, but is in fact a family of sung poems about … Continue reading
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Tagged Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Classics, Elias Lonnrot, Finland, Kalevala, The Eddas
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Bookshelf: the Eddas
They are the basic sources of our knowledge about Viking mythology, and there are two of them, readily available in English translations. The Poetic (Elder) Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems, mythological, apocalyptic and heroic. It’s the older … Continue reading
Bookshelf: The Popol Vuh
The Popol Vuh is the mythological book of the Quiche Mayan people of Guatemala. It was recorded by the 18th century Dominican friar Francisco Ximenez and is one of few accounts of the mythology of Central America to have survived … Continue reading
Essential Classics: The Hero with a Thousand Faces
You should only read this book if you either write stories or read them. Joseph Campbell explains why all stories and all heroes are really the same hero in the same story. Gilgamesh is Frodo Baggins is Odysseus is Luke … Continue reading
Bookshelf: The Uncle Remus Tales
Joel Chandler Harris was a printer’s devil for four years on the Turnwold Plantation in Georgia during the Civil War. Later, as a writer for the Atlanta Constitution, he published in serial form a collection of stories he claimed to … Continue reading
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Tagged Classics, Joel Chandler Harris, Tar Baby, Uncle Remus
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Bookshelf: Enuma Elish
Enuma Elish (named for its first two words, meaning “when on high”) is the Babylonian creation epic. It is related to the Genesis creation account (some would say “lies behind it”) and is gripping reading. It’s old (probably dates to … Continue reading
Bookshelf: The Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is a collection of eleven old Welsh stories. In the form in which these stories survive, they are medieval, and some of them are probably in fact medieval stories (two of them are very old King Arthur tales). … Continue reading
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Tagged Classics, Folk Tale, Mabinogion, Medieval Literature, Myth, Wales
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