36 h 55 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What stories lie behind the names Apollo, Circe, Arthur and Roland—and why do writers keep returning to them?
In Bulfinch's Mythology, Thomas Bulfinch brings gods, heroes and monsters within reach of readers who are not scholars. Greek and Roman legends lead you through love, pride and dangerous tests. Perseus faces the task of taking Medusa's head; in the myth, her gaze turns men to stone. The stories of Troy open another world of conflict.
The collection moves from classical tales to Norse and Eastern myth, then to Arthur's knights in The Age of Chivalry and the paladins of Charlemagne. Bulfinch keeps each tale short enough to enjoy on its own. Along the way, lines of poetry show how these old stories live within English literature, giving familiar names a richer meaning.
What you’ll discover
- Gods with familiar names Meet the Greek and Roman gods whose names echo through poetry and art.
- Love that changes shape Discover tales such as Apollo and Daphne, where love and transformation meet.
- Heroes against monsters Follow Perseus toward Medusa and explore the dangerous tests that shape heroic legends.
- The world of chivalry Enter the stories of King Arthur's knights and the paladins of Charlemagne.
- A key to literature Find the stories behind allusions that might otherwise leave you puzzled.
Who will love it
For curious readers who love clear guides to the stories behind art, poetry and everyday speech, and for parents or teachers who enjoy sharing tales aloud. Gods, heroes, monsters and Arthur's knights offer a rich world to explore.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Myths are a key to literature
- The gods of Olympus rule by family
- Humans begin with gift and trouble
- Love changes shape in the myths
- Pride in the myths meets punishment
- Heroes face monsters and tests
- Troy and its aftermath
- Norse and Eastern gods widen the map
- Knights, Arthur and Charlemagne
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- 15-minute summary
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Bulfinchs Mythologie
Gods, monsters and Arthur's knights reveal the stories behind the names and symbols in poems and paintings.
ChallengingOver 20 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Bulfinch's Mythology gathers the old stories of gods, heroes and monsters into one book that an ordinary reader can enjoy. Thomas Bulfinch, a Boston bank clerk who loved the classics, wrote it in three parts in the 1850s and 1860s.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Myths are a key to literature
Bulfinch begins with a plain claim. Without a knowledge of mythology, much of the best writing in English cannot be understood. Poets from Milton to Keats lean on these stories, and so do painters and sculptors. A reader who meets a mention of Narcissus or the Furies and does not know the tale loses a layer of meaning.
He was an amateur in the good sense of the word. He earned his living as a clerk at a bank in Boston and studied the classics in his spare time. He did not try to add anything new to scholarship. His aim was to be a clear and honest guide for people who had never studied Latin or Greek.
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What is Bulfinch's Mythology about?
It retells the myths of Greece and Rome, adds a section on Norse and Eastern belief, and then tells the legends of King Arthur and Charlemagne. It is meant as a guide for general readers.
Who was Thomas Bulfinch?
Bulfinch was a Boston bank clerk and amateur classicist who died in 1867. He wrote the three parts of this work in the 1850s and 1860s to help readers understand the myths found in literature.
What are the three parts of Bulfinch's Mythology?
They are The Age of Fable, on Greek, Roman, Norse and some Eastern myth, The Age of Chivalry, on King Arthur and his knights, and The Legends of Charlemagne, on the heroes of medieval romance.
The author
Thomas Bulfinch
1796–1867 · American writer and mythologist
Thomas Bulfinch was an American writer born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1796. He lived and worked in Boston, where he died in 1867. He wrote The Age of Fable (1855), The Age of Chivalry (1858), and Legends of Charlemagne (1863). These works were later collected as Bulfinch’s Mythology.
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