THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EPIC MYTHS AND LEGENDS

A revealing study of ways in which mythology is still very much with us in today’s books, films, and cultural values.

“These old stories are swirling all around us,” Kaplan writes, “and they won’t stop anytime soon.” To develop his premise, while making good on a promise to look beyond Eurocentric mythologies, he begins with quick recaps of select (non-Biblical) creation myths from Dahomey to Japan. He then goes on to profile prominent deities, heroes, tricksters, villains, and monsters from cultures worldwide. What distinguishes this work are the frequent nods to pop culture and contemporary figures. Kaplan points to Beyoncé’s references to Osun from Yoruba cosmology, the persistence of belief in Sasquatch (whose origins lie among the Sts’ailes people of present-day British Columbia), the ubiquity of certain stock characters (“So. Many. Merlins.”), appearances of Japanese folk hero Kintaro in anime and video games, and films set in the Star Wars, DC, and Marvel Comics universes that draw on mythological influences. He notes how traditional narratives characterizing Loki, Medusa, and “Big Bad” Morgan le Fay as villains have recently been challenged and offers shoutouts to such modern “Mythic Masters” as Neil Gaiman and Zora Neale Hurston. Kaplan delivers this content in a light tone, whether describing how the Romans “rebranded” the Greek gods or suggesting that the Hindu prince Rama is a “surprisingly relatable” hero. Dramatic digital art accentuates the text.

An engaging overview that offers a broad perspective and unusually rich and stimulating parallels.