Read Don’t Know Much About® Mythology Online
Authors: Kenneth C. Davis
New Year celebrations, 128, 139–40, 153
New Zealand, 501–3
’Ngai (African), 421–22
Nigeria, 397, 409–10, 420, 424–25
Nihongi
, 387
Nike (Greek), 203
Nile River, 63–70
Nineveh, 38–39, 134, 137, 156
Ninhursaga or Ninki or Nintur (Mesopotamian), 147, 149, 158
Ninlil (Mesopotamian), 167–68
Ninurta (Mesopotamian), 149
Nippur, 132
Njord (Norse), 301
Nkuba (African), 417
Noah flood story, 38–40, 157–60
Noble Eightfold Path, Buddhist, 350–51
nomes and nomarchs (Egyptian), 75, 92, 106
Norse myths, 295–308.
See also
Celtic myths
creation myth, 299–300
gods, 300–306
milestones, 266–68
Sigurd, 306–8
Vikings and, 295–98
North American myths, 481–501.
See also
American myths
characteristics of, 27, 481–86
gods, 488–92
of, 10, 498–501
Sedna, 492–94
The Song of Hiawatha
and, 495–98
Nuadu or Nudd (Celtic), 284
Nü Gua or Nü Kua or Nu Wa (Chinese), 369, 371–73, 374, 377
Nun (Egyptian), 75, 76, 77
Nut (Egyptian), 79–82
Nyame (African), 409, 422, 424
nymphs (Greek), 208
Nyx (Greek), 195
Obatala (African), 409–10, 428
Oceanus (Greek), 195
Odin (Norse), 296, 299–300, 304–5
Oduduwa (African), 409–10, 428
Odysseus, 1, 248–51
Odyssey, The
, 1, 4, 24, 181, 195, 203, 214, 241–45, 248–51, 255–57
Oedipus (Greek), 47, 239–41
Ogdoad (Egyptian), 76
Oisin (Norse), 289–90
O-kuni-nushi (Japanese), 390
Olmec civilization, 457–62
Olorun or Olodumare and Olokun (African), 409–10, 428–29
Olympians (Greek), 196–216
Olympic Games, 59, 179, 189
Ometecuhtli or Ometeotl (Aztec), 472
omphalos.
See
navel concept
One Hunahpu (Mayan), 457, 460
Oppenheimer, Robert, 317
oracles.
See also
divination
Greek, 189, 237–39
Chinese, 365–69
Egyptian, 97
Mesopotamian, 127–28
oral traditions.
See also
history
African, 406–7, 413–15
American, 447
Celtic, 274
new world, 395
Orisha and orishis, 409, 428–30
Orpheus (Greek), 211
Osiris (Egyptian), 27, 42, 64, 80–82, 85–87, 92, 93
outcast term, 328
Ovid, 199, 201, 219–20, 229, 234, 241
O-wata-tsumi (Japanese), 390
Pachacuti (Incan), 477–78
Pacific Island myths, 393–96, 501–6
Aborigines and Dreamtime, 504–6
creation myths, 503–4
milestones, 502–3
pagans, 14, 35
Pah (North American), 491
Palestine and Philistines, 165
Pan (Greek), 213
Pandora (Greek), 192, 211, 217–19
Panku or Pan Gu (Chinese), 371, 377
pantheism, Celtic, 278
pantheons.
See
godspapyrus, 63
parades, 189
paradise, Mesopotamian, 147
Parashurama (Indian), 344–45
pariahs, 329
Paris (Greek), 27, 243–45, 246
Parthenon, 179, 205
Parvati (Indian), 342–43
Pauahtun (Mayan), 463
Paul (Judeo-Christian), 200, 257–58, 270
Pegasus (Greek), 221
Persephone (Greek), 205–6
Perseus, 30, 221
Persian Empire, 186
Persian magi, 169–70
personal unconscious, 48
peyote, 499–500
Phaedrus, 31
Phaeton (Greek), 202
pharaohs, Egyptian, 61–62, 70, 105–6
philosophy, Greek, 186–87, 190
Phobos (Greek), 203
Phoebus (Greek).
See
Apollo (Greek)
Phoenicians, 165, 183, 185
Pillars of Hercules, 225, 232
pipestone, 482
Pizarro, Francisco, 477
planets, 492–94
Plato, 25, 171, 186, 231–34
Plutarch, 88–89, 260
Pluto (Roman), 209–11, 494
Poetic Edda, 264, 298, 306
polis, Greek, 185–86
pollution concept, 330
Polynesian myths, 501–6
Pomona (Roman), 253, 291
Popol Vuh, 46, 431, 447, 454–57
Portuguese, 393–94
Poseidon (Greek), 184, 195, 214, 249–50
prayers, 43–45
Priapus (Greek), 201
priests.
See also
shamans
American, 442
Egyptian, 62, 68
Chinese, 367
Indian, 322
Mesopotamian, 125, 127
Prometheus (Greek), 193, 216–18, 220, 225
Prose Edda, 298
Proserpina (Roman), 253
psychology, myths and, 47–49
Ptah (Egyptian), 75–76, 96, 97
Ptolemies (Egyptian), 36, 111–12
Puranas, 324
purification rituals, 45
Pygmalion (Greek), 201
Pygmies, 405, 407, 410
pyramids
Aztec, 7, 440
Egyptian, 1, 61, 67–69, 84, 95, 99–101, 105
Great Seal of the United States, 104–5
Mayan, 458
Pyramid Texts, Egytian, 71–72, 77
Quaoar, 494
Questions of Heaven
, 362, 370
Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), 443, 467–69, 472–73
Quian Long, 361
Quirinus (Roman), 252
Ra (Egyptian), 62, 78, 82–85, 94, 105
rabbits, trickster.
See
Hare (African)
Radha (Indian), 341
Ragnarok, 298, 300, 302, 304
Rainbow (North American), 488
raja yoga, 340
Rama, 323–24, 345, 347–48
Ramayana
, 323–24, 347–48
Ravana, 347
Raven (North American), 490
Re (Egyptian), 62, 78, 82–85, 94, 105
Regin (Norse), 307
reincarnation, 327
religions.
See also
priests; shamans
African, 406, 408, 409, 427–30
American, 396
worship, 410, 505
Buddhism, 9, 319, 348–51, 363, 386, 388
Celtic pantheism, 278
Chinese, 362–64, 381–82
Confucianism, 45, 353, 362–63, 368, 379–83, 386
Eastern vs. Western, 309–11
Falun Gong, 364
Goddess movement, 41–42, 140–42, 309
Greek philosophy and, 186–87, 190
Hinduism (
see
Indian myths)
Islam, 9, 58–59, 309, 394, 406
Jainism, 319, 348, 351–52
Judeo-Christian (
see
Judeo-Christian religion)
monotheism, 13, 45, 17–11
mystery, 89
as, 11, 16–17, 24–27, 43–46 (
see also
myths)
Santeria and Voodoo, 6, 396, 410, 425, 427–30, 500
Shinto, 386–87
Taoism, 362–63, 382–84
Zoroastrianism and Mithraism, 169–70
Remus and Romulus (Roman), 254–55
resurrection theme, 16, 41–42, 89, 147, 206, 208–9, 472–73.
See also
Jesus Christ
Rhea (Greek), 184, 191, 195, 213, 237–38
Rhea Silvia (Roman), 254
Rhiannon (Celtic), 293
Rig-Veda, 40, 45, 321–22, 331, 334
rituals
Indian, 329–30
Japanese ritual suicide, 385
myths, religion, and, 42, 45
ritualism, 329
of hearts in Egyptian, 90–93
Roman myths, 199–216, 251–61
Bacchanalia and Saturnalia holidays, 257–61
Celtic myths and, 291
gods, 199–216
Greek myths as, 199, 251–54 (
see also
Greek myths)
Mithraism and, 170
Romulus and Remus, 254–55
Virgil’s
Aeneid
, 255–57
Romulus and Remus (Roman), 254–55
Rosetta Stone, 36, 67
rulers.
See also
democracy; kleptocracy; monarchy; theocracy
Chinese, 368–69
Egyptian, 61–63, 105–6
Japanese, 9, 384–87
and, 12
Roman, 254
runes, 298, 304
Rus and Russia, 297
Sabines, 255
sacrifice, animal, 16, 45, 367, 430.
See also
human sacrifice
sadhus and sadhvis (Indian), 352
Sagbata and Sogo (African), 421
sage kings, Chinese, 375, 377–79
St. Barbara, 429
St. Brigid, 30, 282–83
St. George, 29–30
St. Mark, 58
St. Patrick, 271, 278, 290
Salmon of Knowledge, 288–90
saltwater, Mesopotamian, 131–33, 149
Sama-Veda, 321
Samhain festival, 290–92
samurai, Japanese, 385–86
Sanjina (Indian), 336
Sanskrit, 318, 321–22, 338
Santeria, 6, 396, 410, 427–30, 500
Sarasvati (Indian), 333, 337–38
Sargon, 135, 254
Sati (Indian), 343
Saturn (Roman), 259
Saturnalia holiday, 5, 257–61
satyrs, 208
Schliemann, Heinrich, 37–38, 184, 247–48
science.
See also
archaeology; natural world
Delphic Oracle and, 238
Greek, 182, 187, 190
and, 10–11, 17, 24, 33, 46
scrolls, Egyptian, 71
sculpture, Greek, 181
seasons
Greek myths about, 205–6
Mesopotamian myth about, 150–51
Sedna (North American), 492–94
Sekhmet (Egyptian), 96
Semites, 135, 165
Septuagint, 251
serpents.
See
dragons; snakes
Serqet (Egyptian), 96
Sétanta, 286
Seth or Set (Egyptian), 27, 64, 81–82, 85–87, 95
Seven Hunahpu (Mayan), 457, 460
sexuality
Celtic, 286–87, 292
Egyptian, 89–90
gods, 26–27, 47
Greek, 181, 200–201, 212. 215
(
see
incest)
Judeo-Christian, 146, 168
Mesopotamian, 147–48, 151–55
Norse, 301–2
Roman, 259
Shakaru (North American), 491
Shakti (Indian), 339
shamans.
See also
priests
African, 406, 411–12
American, 442, 451–52
and, 12, 412
world, 395
Shamash (Mesopotamian), 143, 150
Shamhat (Mesopotamian), 154–55
Shang Di (Chinese), 368
Shango (African), 410, 427–30
shape-shifting gods, 281, 284, 307, 424, 451
She (Chinese), 376
Shem, 135
Shen Nong (Chinese), 374, 377
Shinto religion, 9, 385–87
Shiva, the Destroyer (Indian), 332, 337, 343–44
shoguns, Japanese, 385–86
Shu (Egyptian), 78, 79