Don’t Know Much About® Mythology (75 page)

milestones, 356–60

virtue in, 374

Chiron (Greek), 227, 228

Christianity.
See
Judeo-Christian religion

Christmas

African Kwanzaa and, 396

Celtic and Norse mistletoe and, 279, 302

Persian magi and, 169–70

Roman Saturnalia and, 5, 259–60

Chuang-tzu, 383

Chuku (African), 420

Cinteotl (Aztec), 470

cities

Greek, 185–86

Indian, 324–5

Mayan, 458

Mesopotamian, 123, 132

civilizations

Greece and birth of Western, 179

Harappan, 324–25

Mesoamerican, 457–59

and, 12–15, 26

Mesopotamia as cradle of, 129–31

classes

Aztec, 466

Egyptian, 62, 65

Indian caste system, 328–30, 346–47

Norse, 297–98

Classic of Mountains and Sea, The
, 362, 370, 374–75

clay tablets, Mesopotamian, 132–34

Closed Man (North American), 491

Coatlicue (Aztec), 470–71

Code of Hammurabi, 142–44

Coffin Texts, Egyptian, 72–73

coins in springs, 274

collective unconscious, 48

Columbus, Christopher, 393–94, 445

Communist Party, Chinese, 363, 382

Conchobar, 287

Confucius and Confucianism, 45, 353, 362–63, 368, 379–83, 386

Cortés, Hernando, 464, 467–69

cosmic egg creation stories

African, 417

Chinese, 371, 377, 386

Indian, 332

Coyolxauhqui (Aztec), 471

Coyote (North American), 27, 488–89

cradle of civilization, 129–31

creation myths.
See also
explanatory myths

African, 409–10, 415–18

American, 449–50

Aztec, 454–57

Chinese, 362, 369–73, 386

Egyptian, 74–78

explanatory myths, 10–12, 23, 33–34

Greek, 194–98

Incan, 478–79

Indian, 331–33, 337

Judeo-Christian Genesis, 11, 46, 74–75, 122, 137–38, 156, 163, 168

Mesopotamian, 115, 125, 131–33, 136–40

world, 395

Norse, 299–300

North American, 482

Pacific Island, 503–4

Creator Gods (African), 418–22

Cretan bull, 224

Cronus (Greek), 196, 213, 237–38

cross symbol, 113

Cuauhtémoc (Aztec), 468

Cuchulainn (Celtic), 1, 263, 276, 284–88

Culan (Celtic), 286

Culhwhc and Olwen story (Celtic), 293

cuneiform, Mesopotamian, 132–34

Cupid.
See
Eros (Greek)

currency, pyramids on U. S., 104–5

Cuzco or Cusco (Incan), 475–76

Cybele (Mesopotamian), 148, 207, 260

Cyclopes (Greek), 195, 197, 250

Daedulus (Greek), 234–36

Daghda (Celtic), 283, 293

Daksha (Indian), 343

Dalits, 328–29

Damkina (Mesopotamian), 138, 146

Danaë (Greek), 221

Dana or Danu (Celtic), 275, 283

dancing (North American), 484–86

Daphne (Greek), 202

Day of the Dead, 291, 469–70

Da Yu (Chinese), 379

death.
See also
afterlife

African myths, 411, 418, 420, 421–22

Aztec myths, 469–70, 471–72

Egyptian myths, 64, 71–74, 80, 85–87

Greek myths, 205–6, 209–11

immortality, 155, 157, 303

Japanese myths, 389

Mayan myths, 463

Pacific Island myths, 503–4

suicide, 9, 385

deer, Ceryneian, 223

Deganawida, 497

Deianira (Greek), 226

Deimos (Greek), 203

deities.
See
gods

Delphic Oracle (Greek), 19, 189, 202, 237–41

deluge stories.
See
flood stories

Demeter (Greek), 88, 185, 205–6

democracy

Greek, 179–80, 187–90, 236–37

Iroquois Confederacy, 497–98

Mesopotamian, 132

desert, Egyptian, 63–70

destruction theme, 395–96

Deucalion (Greek), 220

Devi (Indian), 333, 339, 341, 342

Devil’s Tower controversy, 498–99

dharma (Indian), 327–28, 346–47

Día de los Muertos, El, 5, 291, 469–70

Diana (Roman), 203–4

Diarmuid, 289

Dido, 256

Diomede, horse of, 224

Dionysus (Greek), 187, 206–9

divination.
See also
oracles

Celtic, 278

Chinese, 365–69

Greek, 189

Mesopotamian, 127–28

Roman, 253

divinities.
See
gods

Djehuty (Egyptian), 76, 96–97

Dodona oracle (Greek), 189

Donar (Norse), 305

Don’t Know Much About series, 13–14, 111

dragons

dragon bones as oracles, 365

Egyptian, 81

Incan, 480

Indian, 335

Japanese, 388, 391

Mesopotamian, 149–50, 166

and, 30–31

Norse, 1

St. George and, 30

drama, Greek, 181, 186, 208

dreams, myths and, 47

Dreamtime, Aborigines and, 504–6

Druids, 269–80.
See also
Celtic myths

Duat (Egyptian), 80, 81

Dumuzi (Mesopotamian), 41–42, 89, 145–46, 148, 150–51, 206

Durga (Indian), 339–40

Dxui (African), 419

dying and reborn god theme.
See
resurrection theme

Ea (Mesopotamian), 126, 138, 144–45, 146–47, 157–58

Earth Diver (American), 450, 484

earth gods (Norse), 300

Earth Mother (American), 449–50, 484.
See also
Great Mother

Earth Woman (North American), 491

Easter Island, 501

Eastern vs. Western mythologies, 14–15, 309–11

Eastre (Anglo-Saxon), 6

Eddas, Norse, 298

Egypt, name of, 75–76

Egyptian Book of the Dead, The, 51, 73–74, 90–91

Egyptian myths, 51–113

Egypt and, 12, 60–61

in, 97–98

myths, 74–78

gods, 42, 78–82, 93–97

evidence, 70–74

of, 111–13

Isis, 87–90

Judeo-Christian religion and, 13–14, 89–90

milestones, 54–59

monotheism, 107–11

Nile River and, 63–70

Osiris, 27, 85–87

pyramids and, 99–105

Re, 82–85

weighing of hearts, 90–93

Rosetta Stone and, 36

theocracy, 61–63, 105–6

Eileithyia (Greek), 212

El (Mesopotamian), 165–67

Elder Edda, 264, 298, 306

Electra complex, 240

Elgin Marbles, 205

Ellil (Mesopotamian), 147, 158

emperors.
See also

Japanese, 384–87

Roman, 254

English language, 6–7

Enki (Mesopotamian), 126, 138, 144–45, 146–47, 157–58

Enkidu monster, 154–55

enlightenment, 348–51

Enlil (Mesopotamian), 147, 158

Enuma Elish
, 115, 136–40, 158

Epimetheus (Greek), 218

Epona (Celtic), 281, 293

Erasmus, Desiderius, 219

Erebus (Greek), 195, 210

Eridu, 131

Eris (Greek), 246

Eros (Greek), 179, 195, 200–201

Erymanthian boar, 223

Eshu (African), 410–11, 424–25

Etana of Kish, 132

ethics, Greek, 190.
See also
morals

ethnic religions, 408

Eucharist, 11

euhemerism, 34–37, 156–57

Euphrates River, 123, 131

Euripides, 186, 199, 208, 226, 228

Europe, 10, 280–82, 443–48

Eurydice, 211

Eve (Judeo-Christian), 10, 168

evidence, historical.
See
history

evolution, human, 405

explanatory myths, 10–12, 23–27, 33–34, 40–41.
See also
creation myths

Fa (African), 425

fables, myths vs., 31–32

Fafnir dragon (Norse), 1, 307

fairy tales, myths vs., 32

Falun Gong, 364

Faunus (Roman), 213, 253

Feather Woman (North American), 10

females.
See
women

Fenian Cycle (Celtic), 275–76, 288–92

Fenrir (Norse), 303, 304

Feralia (Roman), 291

Fergus (Celtic), 287

fertility rites, 41–42

fetishes (African), 412

fiction, myth as, 24–25

films

Chinese, 364

and, 3–5

world myths and, 396

Fionn Cycle (Celtic), 275–76, 288–92

Five Classics (Chinese), 362–63, 367, 370, 381–82

flooding, Nile River, 63–70

flood stories

Aztec, 472

Chinese, 362, 372–73

Greek, 219–20

Indian, 333

Incan, 480

Mayan, 456–57

Mesopotamian and Judeo-Christian, 38–40, 123, 147, 156–60

Norse, 299

folktales, myths vs., 26, 32

food, African myths and, 413–14

fortune-telling.
See
divination

foundation myths, 12.
See also
creation myths

four Ao (Chinese), 375

Four Books (Chinese), 382

Frazer, Sir James George, 16, 20, 41–42

Frea (Norse), 301–2

freshwater, Mesopotamian, 131–33, 145–47

Freud, Sigmund, 16, 47–48, 108, 151, 239–40

Freyja (Norse), 301, 304, 305

Freyr or Frey (Norse), 301–2

Frigg (Norse), 301–2

Fu Hsi or Fu Xi (Chinese), 368, 372–73, 374

funerary literature, 71–74

fusion religions.
See also
religions

Santeria and Voodoo, 6, 396, 410, 425, 427–30, 445, 500

Shinto, 386–87

Gaia movement, 141

Gaia or Ge or Gaea (Greek), 195–96

Ganesha or Ganesh (Indian), 323, 340

Ganga (Indian), 329, 333, 340–41

Ganges River, 45, 326, 329–30, 340–41

Ganymede (Greek), 216

Gautama, Siddhartha, 348–51

Geb (Egyptian), 79–82

Genesis creation myth, 11, 46, 74–75, 122, 137–38, 156, 163, 168.
See also
Bible

Geoffrey of Monmouth, 29, 279, 294–95

geographic perspectives, 11

Germanic myths.
See
Norses myths

Geryon, cattle of, 225

ghost dance (North American), 485–86

Gia-Fu Feng, 382

Gilgamesh, 38–40, 153–60

Gilgamesh
(poem), 13, 38–40, 134, 152–60

girdle of Hippolyta, 224–25

Glooskap or Gluskap (North American), 487–88