Mythology: The Complete Guide to Our Imagined Worlds

Myths in every culture of the world explain our origins, the world's creation, gods and monsters, demons, the afterlife and the underworld. This fresh and compelling account gathers together themes and stories from every culture, showing how myths share many common patterns, and how the human imagination is expressed in all its diversity. It asks the question: what do myths tell us about the human condition? Compiled by the bestselling author of books on monsters and on masterpieces of world art, "Mythology" is packed with authoritative text and an inspired selection of images, chosen from unusual and hidden sources while also including some of the best-known representations of myths from around the world.