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Title: The Mythology of Native North America by David Adams Leeming, Jake Page, University of Oklahoma Press ISBN: 0-8061-3012-1 Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 1998 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Introduction to Turtle Island's Myths
Comment: This book is a wonderful introduction to the general mythologies of North America. After explaining the importance of Native American myths, Leeming and Page give a wonderful introduction to Native American culture, pointing out shared traits and beliefs (such as the earth-diver creation story) that can be found from Siberia and northern Eurasia to North America down through Central and South America. They then examine the different culture areas (the Arctic, Subarctic, Northwest Woodlands, Southeast Woodlands, Great Plains, Northwest Coast, California and the Great Basin and the Southwest), looking at major themes, language groupings and Nations in each region. More than anything else this shows both the unity of the First Nations, and the diversity as even close neighbors differed signifcantly in culture at times.
The first chapter looks at Native American pantheons, showing universal archetypes such as the world creator, the mother figure and the supreme god. Each one gives a few Native American myths to support it, ranging from traditional Native American myths (both told by Native peoples and recorded by anthropologists) to Oglala holy man Black Elk to James Mooney's massive Myths of the Cherokees, and covering a wide variety of Nations and regions. It then goes on to look at other figures central to Native culture, such as the Trickster (coyote, raven, Manabozho, Glooskap, etc), the Dying God and a wide variety of other kachinas, manitous and spirits. Again a wide variety of Nations are examined, including Sioux, Cherokee, Penobscott, Maidu, Luiseños, Ojibway, Apache and many others besides.
The next chapter takes an in depth look at Native American cosmology, starting with the creation. Several versions of the earth diver creation myth, dominant in both North America and Siberia, is contrasted with the emergence myth of the Hopi, Diné (Navajo), Apache and other Nations of the Southwest. A handful of other creation myths are given, including those of Nations such as the Yokuts, Chuckchi (actually Siberian, but included to show the shared cultures of North America and Siberia) and Blackfoot who believe that an omnipotent Creator made the world. Beyond that are a handful of tales describing the universal flood myth, the afterlife and ultimately the end of the world, bringing the cycle of life full circle and illustrating the cyclical nature of many Native culture's world views.
Finally, the book closes out with looking at hero figures; culture heroes, monster slayers, hero twins (a major theme throughout the Americas really) and so forth. Included here are such legendary hero figures as the Diné (Navajo) hero twins, Glooskap (Algonquian), Sweet Medicine (Cheyenne) and Blot Clot (Blackfoot), amongst others. Really this book is a wonderful introduction to Native American beliefs and stories. As I said before, a wide range of Nations is covered, including the Pueblos, Pawnee, Pomo, Tohono O'odham, Kiowa, Yuchi, Caddo, Arikara and even Métis. Since it covers so many regions and major themes, it is an excellent introduction to a pan-North American mythology. I really suggest that anyone interested in Native American (or world) mythology.
Rating: 4
Summary: Probably a good introduction to native myths.
Comment: Native American myths are always primitive, raw, peculiar, and sometimes entertaining, but might not be for everyone. This particular book is not daunting, at about 200 pages, with most of the myths being relatively short. What the authors have tried to do is present the myths in a general, more literary approach, and with some reference to similarities with other mythic traditions. Starting with the native "pantheons", then to their conception of the cosmos (creation, flood, afterlife, end of world), then to hero myths. Of these the last section was the most entertaining, the other myths end up being etiological and rather simple. If you are interested in the mysths in their more original forms there is "American Indian Myths and Legends". This book is more like a primer, but is at least a good overall introduction to what is really a vast mythological tradition.
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Title: American Indian Myths and Legends (PANTHEON FAIRY TALE AND FOLKLORE LIBRARY) by Richard Erdoes, Alfonso Ortiz ISBN: 0394740181 Publisher: Pantheon Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 1985 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: American Indian Trickster Tales (Myths and Legends) by Richard Erdoes, Alfonso Ortiz ISBN: 0140277714 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Sacred Lands of Indian America by Jake Page, Charles E. Little ISBN: 0810906031 Publisher: Harry N Abrams Pub. Date: 01 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
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Title: Dictionary of Native American Mythology (Oxford Paperback Reference) by Sam D. Gill, Irene F. Sullivan ISBN: 0195086023 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 July, 1994 List Price(USD): $21.50 |
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Title: 500 Nations: An Illustrated History of North American Indians by Alvin M. Josephy ISBN: 0517163942 Publisher: Gramercy Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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