Project Gutenberg
1997-10-01
Public domain in the USA.
313
Fiske, John
1842
1901
Fisk, John
Green, Edmund Fisk
Myths and Myth-Makers
Old Tales and Superstitions Interpreted by Comparative Mythology
Produced by Charles Keller, and David Widger
"Myths and Myth-Makers" by John Fiske is a collection of essays first published in the late 19th century that explores the nature and roots of mythology through comparative analysis. The book delves into how myths are not just fantastical stories but are deeply rooted in the historical and psychological experiences of mankind, revealing their shared origins across different cultures. Fiske aims to present these concepts in an engaging way, drawing attention to the common thread that lies within various mythologies and folk tales. At the start of the work, Fiske introduces the concept of folklore by discussing the famous legend of William Tell and his shooting of an apple off his son's head. He argues that despite Tell's popularity, the story lacks historical basis and is likely a myth shared in various forms across cultures. Fiske continues to illustrate this point by comparing it to similar narratives found in many regions, indicating that these tales reflect deeper human truths rather than factual events. He emphasizes that legends and myths serve to explain the natural world and human experience, leading to a fascinating exploration of how these narratives have evolved over time and across different peoples. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 60.4 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
en
Folklore
Mythology
BL
GR
Text
Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore
Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches
563224
2025-07-01T08:12:55.654297
text/html
559443
2013-02-02T10:47:22
text/html; charset=us-ascii
270707
2025-07-01T08:13:02.731260
application/epub+zip
278530
2025-07-01T08:12:57.708306
application/epub+zip
278530
2025-07-01T08:12:56.393333
application/epub+zip
491173
2025-07-01T08:13:06.684261
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
472789
2025-07-01T08:13:01.997310
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
468459
2022-09-01T09:27:28.466844
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
473960
2023-10-01T07:44:17.710871
text/plain
16169
2025-07-01T08:13:06.797278
application/rdf+xml
14021
2025-07-01T08:12:57.036296
image/jpeg
3711
2025-07-01T08:12:56.791304
image/jpeg
265056
2025-07-01T08:12:55.693314
application/octet-stream
application/zip
Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at
https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog
en.wikipedia