Table of Contents

Preface Abbreviations I. Myth, Ritual and Folktale II. Levi-Strauss and the Structural Approach III. The Nature of Myths in Ancient Mesopotamia IV. Nature and Culture: Gilgamesh, Centaurs, and Cyclopes V. The Qualities of Greek Myths VI. Tales, Dreams, Symbols: Towards a Fuller Understanding of Myths Index

About the Author

Geoffrey Kirk (1921-2003) held the regius chair in Greek at Cambridge University from 1974 to 1982 and was a major figure in the study of the presocratic philosophers and early Greek epic poetry.

Reviews

"[Kirk's] great contribution is to bring together all the influential schools for a clear hard look and to open sensible lines for needed research into this elusive field. . . . His main point: no universal theory can explain all types of myth. . . . A most valuable and important book."--"Classical World