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THE UNIVERSAL MYTHS Heroes, Gods, Tricksters and Others <i> by Alexander Eliot (Meridian: $8.95) </i>

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In this useful reference volume, Alexander Eliot has collected myths from various countries and grouped them around recurring themes--Death and Rebirth, Monsters and Mythic Beasts, Bringers of Magic and the Arts, etc. The Greeks and the tribes of the Guinea coast of Africa both had legends about a ram with a shining golden fleece. The ancient Hebrews told stories about the fallen angel Azazel, who taught humanity the art of working with metal, while the Buryat tribes of Mongolia traced the knowledge to Boshintoi, the blacksmith of the solar forge. It’s interesting to compare these stories, but Eliot’s brief synopses lack the poetry that gives myths their power and beauty. The introductory essays by Joseph Campbell and Mircea Eliade seem more immediate and compelling.

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