Mythology

Ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Norse people, used mythology to define their cultures, enlighten themselves about the surrounding world, and teach important life lessons within their societies. This study guide collection showcases a variety of mythological texts, from epic poems (Homer’s The Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid) to modern interpretations of mythology (Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood), demonstrating our timeless connection to a rich mythological past. To learn more about this genre, please visit our Folklore and Mythology Resource Guide.

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Family, Masculinity, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Mothers, Power & Greed, Justice, Good & Evil, Equality, Shame & Pride

Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, World History

Publication year 1200

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Fate, Good & Evil

Tags Mythology, Narrative Poem, History: African , African Literature

Sundiata (also known as Sunjata) is an epic poem of the West African Mandinka (or Malinke) people. There is no single definitive source or version of this story, which originated in oral traditions of the 13th century and was passed down by griots, Mandinka poet-historians and regal advisors. Sundiata is a quasi-mythological biography of King Sundiata Keita, who founded the Mali Empire, which lasted from 1235 to 1400. The poem is also a central cultural... Read Sundiata (Sunjata) Summary

Publication year 1976

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, American Literature, Medieval, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights is the final, unfinished work of Pulitzer-Prize winning author John Steinbeck. Steinbeck is most famous for The Grapes of Wrath (1939), East of Eden (1952), and Of Mice and Men (1937). The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights is Steinbeck’s only fantasy novel. He began writing it in 1958 but abandoned the project in late 1959 after completing seven chapters. Steinbeck died nine years... Read The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights Summary

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Children`s Literature

Irish author Michael Scott’s The Alchemyst, published in 2007, is the first installment in his six-part series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. This guide refers to the 2007 Kindle edition. The following books are The Magician (2008), The Sorceress (2009), The Necromancer (2010), The Warlock (2011), and The Enchantress (2012). The Alchemyst was included in Time Magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time in 2015 and earned multiple awards internationally, including... Read The Alchemyst Summary

Publication year 405

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Community, Order & Chaos

Tags Tragedy, Mythology, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Classical Period, Fantasy

The Bacchae is an ancient Athenian tragedy by Euripides. The play is generally believed to have been staged (with Iphigenia at Aulis and another play) in 405 BCE by the poet’s son after his father’s death in 407-6 and to have won first prize. The production took place in Athens at the City Dionysia, a festival in honor of Dionysus.Set in Thebes, the play depicts Dionysus (also known as Bacchus) returning to his mother’s city... Read The Bacchae Summary

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Childhood & Youth, Environment, Teamwork

Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Animals, Arts & Culture, Climate Change, European History, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure

The Battle of the Labyrinth is a fantasy-adventure novel inspired Greek mythology and written in 2008 by Rick Riordan. It is the fourth in the Percy Jackson series.The novel begins with Percy Jackson is at his freshman orientation at Good High School. Rachel Elizabeth Dare helps him fight two empousai, spectres who were disguised as cheerleaders. Percy flees to Camp Half-Blood, but Rachel remains. Percy is reunited with Annabeth, and they learn Grover is in... Read The Battle of the Labyrinth Summary

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Self Discovery, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Coming of Age, Death, Place, Hope

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Leadership, Coming of Age, Animals, European History, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Children`s Literature

Originally published in 2014, The Blood of Olympus is the fifth and final book in Rick Riordan’s young adult fantasy series The Heroes of Olympus, inspired by Greek and Roman mythologies. The series follows seven demigods—children of one divine and one mortal parent—as they try to stop the earth goddess, Gaea, from rising to power. The novel won several awards, including the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Middle Grade and Children’s Book of 2014. The... Read The Blood of Olympus Summary

Publication year 1789

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love

Tags Narrative Poem, Love & Sexuality, Mythology, British Literature, Romanticism, Arts & Culture, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Book of Thel was written and etched by William Blake in 1789. It is one of his prophetic illuminated books, crafted after Songs of Innocence but before The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Blake’s recognition as an influential figure in the British Romantic literary movement only came after his death. The Book of Thel is a narrative, allegorical, and symbolic poem written in 14-syllable lines. Its themes include the expansiveness of God’s love, interconnectedness... Read The Book of Thel Summary

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Fate, Coming of Age, Art

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

The Dark is Rising is a 1973 contemporary fantasy novel for young adult readers by English author Susan Cooper, and the second book in The Dark is Rising Sequence. It is preceded by Over Sea, Under Stone and followed by Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. The series, published between 1965 and 1977, focuses on eleven-year-old Will Stanton, who learns on his birthday that he is what is known as an “Old... Read The Dark Is Rising Summary

Publication year 1485

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Medieval

First published in 1485, Thomas Malory's Le Morte d’Arthur collected the mythological-historical legends about King Arthur from numerous source texts into a comprehensive prose narrative divided into plot sections and written in late Middle English. Although multiple men named Thomas Malory lived around that time, the most likely author was an English knight, later a prisoner in Newgate, who would have been educated in all the practices of “courtesy” (knightly conduct). The title of his... Read The Death of King Arthur Summary

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Masculinity, Death

Tags Mythology, Education, Education, Narrative Poem, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

"The Epic of Gilgamesh" is the oldest existing myth in the world. It tells of the historical king Gilgamesh who reigned over Mesopotamia (in what is now Iraq) around 2750 BCE. The author of the poem is unknown, for "The Epic of Gilgamesh" is sourced from multiple fragments that have been excavated since the 19th century. The earliest versions of the epic are written in Sumerian and date to about 2100 BCE. The current translation... Read The Epic of Gilgamesh Summary