Publication year 1981
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Femininity, Beauty
Tags Narrative Poem, Gender & Feminism, Mythology
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.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Stone Blind
Sundiata (Sunjata)
Tales of the Greek Heroes
Tam O’Shanter
Tanglewood Tales
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights
The Adventures of Ulysses
The Alchemyst
The Bacchae
Thebaid
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Blood of Olympus
The Book of Thel
The Burning Maze
The Chalice of the Gods
The Dark Is Rising
The Dark Prophecy
The Death of King Arthur
The Deep
Publication year 1981
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Femininity, Beauty
Tags Narrative Poem, Gender & Feminism, Mythology
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 1958
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Fate, Good & Evil, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Mythology, Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1791
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Narrative Poem, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Mythology, Romanticism
Publication year 1853
Genre Anthology/Varied Collection, Fiction
Themes Good & Evil, Safety & Danger, Fate
Tags Classic Fiction, Mythology, Children`s Literature
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 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fate, Masculinity, War
Tags Mythology, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, European History, Military & War, World History, Education, Education, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
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 92
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Politics & Government, Hate & Anger
Tags Classic Fiction, Mythology, Narrative Poem, Military & War, Ancient Rome
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 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Memory, Regret, Death, The Past, Plants, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Music
Tags Children`s Literature, Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, LGBTQ+
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature
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 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Forgiveness, Teamwork, Power & Greed, Death, Self Discovery, Guilt, Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, LGBTQ+, Children`s Literature
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
Publication year 2019
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Memory, Self Discovery, Community
Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, LGBTQ+, Mythology, Afrofuturism