Great Mythologies of the World

De: The Great Courses, Grant L. Voth, Julius H. Bailey, Kathryn McClymond, Robert André LaFleur

Narrado por: Grant L. Voth, Julius H. Bailey, Kathryn McClymond, Robert André LaFleur

The deep-seated origins and wide-reaching lessons of ancient myths built the foundation for our modern legacies. Explore the mythologies of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Learn what makes these stories so important, distinctive, and able to withstand the test of time. Discover how, despite geographical implausibilities, many myths from across the oceans share themes, morals, and archetypes.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.©2015 The Great Courses (P)2015 The Teaching Company, LLC

Amazing Course!

This course is one of the best audio book I ever listened to! It will take you from the myths of ancient Europe, turn south to Africa then East to reach China, Korea, Japan and the Pacific islands, to ends perfectly with the Native Americans myths. Incredible and fascinating.

However, I have to point out like many other reviews that the performance in part 2 is bad. The speaker's talk is with a very monotone voice while stuttering and hesitating all the time. The way the lesson is built is also problematic for a better understanding. This decrease the interest of the African myths, which is a bummer.

That being said, the 3 others parts are amazing, and this class should be mandatory to everybody on Audible!

Great Stories and Analysis

Where does Great Mythologies of the World rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one my my favorites.

What did you like best about this story?

I think that I like the African Myths the best because they were so enjoyable to listen to and the professor was dedicated the stories.

Any additional comments?

I really like this great course but I had one issue with Professor Kathryn McClymond. She was teaching very well about the Greeks, Romans, etc but she kept mentioning the sexist nature of the ancients. It didn't contribute to the story or the analysis and was very distracting. I didn't mind the first time but she did it multiple times.
The other professors were great too and would also mention the racist or sexist natures in the mythology they discussed but she did it like the ancients were insulting her personally.
Still a great listen. Sorry about the rant.

really good

really good super intelligent speakers brokedown into consonants and I found some continents to be more interesting then others super interesting fun run listen

Some parts good, some long and tedious

The African myths were way too many, in fact they're little more than village - level recent (post colonisation) folk tales, and do not grab the attention like ancient tales that's the core of centuries old civilisations. Native American lore were good, Polynesian tales were fascinating. Went really quick over the classics (Greece, Egyptian). Learned a lot over all.

first lecturer is amazing. 2nd (African myths) is a diversity hire. 1/5 for him

the first lecturer is amazing!!! the 2nd (African myths) is a diversity hire, 1/5 for the second lol narrator who can’t even read his own lesson content well.

last lecturer is great as well, but needs help pronouncing some things.

I've learned volumes by listening to this book.

I thought I was just getting a story book, but instead got and entertaining volume of lectures that made broader the way I think about the myths that I had already come across as well as a new way to process the new myths I would be introduced to. It's all been a wonderful journey. I couldn't wait to keep going with every opportunity I had to listen.

Wonderful

This was very interesting. I recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about mythologies of the world.

MYTHOLOGIES OF THE WORLD

After beginning the “Great Mythologies of the World”, there is a temptation to move on after several hours of listening. However, 30 hours later, still listening; one marvels at the inventiveness of human beings seeking life’s meaning.

It is no surprise to find two of the four narrators are religious-studies scholars. One might conclude religion falls into the category of “Great Mythologies…”.

Depending on one’s definition of civilization, Mesopotamia is considered the oldest civilization on earth, dating back to 6500 BC. That seems somewhat plausible based on its nearness to Africa but one wonders if there is an undiscovered civilization in Africa that predates Mesopotamia. After all, Lucy’s bones (found in South Africa) are two million years old and a human jawbone in Ethiopia is 2.8 million years old; i.e. 6500 BC is not so long ago.

The most interesting myths are of tricksters who exist in every culture. Tricksters are amoral gods that have two literal or figurative faces. Their actions result in unpredictable consequences. One face is evil; the other is good. They are usually gods with goals for tricking society–to either amuse themselves or teach a lesson to those who violate social mores. They provide the notion of life’s unpredictability.

It reminds one of science’s discovery of quantum mechanics. Life seems predictable in the nineteenth century, but becomes unpredictable in the twentieth. Quantum mechanics seems like a modern version of ancient mythology’s tricksters.

In the end, one is left with the same questions seemingly answered by ancient myths. How did the world begin? Why does evil exist? Is there an after-life? Is there a God or gods, or are we on our own? What is life’s purpose? Does every effect have a cause or is life a matter of luck and circumstance?

Other's myths are just as important as your own

Myths are never myths to those who believe.

Our myths are the themes and the images for which the reflective mind orders the pieces that make up the whole by the encoding of our hopes, fears and aspirations. Not all the myths covered kept my interest.

After having listen to these lectures, I don't believe in universal common archetypes (structuralism) that Joseph Campbell advocated could hold any validity at all. Our myths are particular to the culture and to the group that had them and to make our myths more special than they are is just a way to separate us from them and act to divide us. The best is to learn the myths of all cultures, but don't believe your groups myths make you better than others just because it is yours. Patriotism, the belief that your group, culture, clan, or country is superior just because it is yours will lead to division, racism, sexism or bigotry.

Comprehensive yet condensed Well

The overall composition of this course was great. It was similar to story time everytime I got in the car. I enjoyed hearing about different cultures though myths and the parallels to mythology around the world.