Summary
Summary of Bulfinch's Mythology
Key ideas
Key idea 1
Myths unlock the language of literature
Thomas Bulfinch gathers stories of gods, heroes and monsters for readers who have never studied the classics. He notices that poets, painters and preachers keep referring to figures such as Apollo, Circe, Arthur and Roland. Without their stories, readers miss what those references mean.
His answer is to retell the tales clearly and place poetry beside them. Greek and Roman gods, northern myths and medieval knights become parts of a shared language, helping readers see connections between stories and the works they inspire.
Key idea 2
The gods form a quarrelling family
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Key idea 3
Love brings wonder and danger
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Key idea 4
Pride pushes people beyond their limits
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Key idea 5
Heroes need more than strength
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Key idea 6
Troy connects war with wandering
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Key idea 7
Other gods widen the mythical world
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Key idea 8
Knights carry the stories onward
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Key idea 9
Separate tales form a shared map
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
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 this book is
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. The parts were later printed together as a single volume, and that is the book most readers know today.
Bulfinch wrote for people who were not scholars. He saw that poets, painters and preachers kept mentioning Apollo, Circe, Arthur or Roland, and that many readers did not know who these figures were. So he made a key to unlock English literature. He kept the tales clear and clean enough to read aloud in a family, and he often set a few lines of poetry beside a story to show how writers had used it.
What do you get? You get the gods of Greece and Rome, the heroes who fought at Troy, and a short tour of Norse and Eastern myth. Then you get the knights of King Arthur and the paladins of Charlemagne. Each tale is short and can be heard on its own. Let us begin with the idea behind the whole book, which is that myths are a language every reader needs.
In this summary
- 1Myths are a key to literatureFree
- 2The gods of Olympus rule by family
- 3Humans begin with gift and trouble
- 4Love changes shape in the myths
- 5Pride in the myths meets punishment
- 6Heroes face monsters and tests
- 7Troy and its aftermath
- 8Norse and Eastern gods widen the map
- 9Knights, Arthur and Charlemagne
Key point 1 of 9
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.
He also chose his tone with care. He treated the old tales as stories to be enjoyed, not as beliefs to be argued over. He left out the coarse parts of the ancient tales so that the book could be read by young people and families. Some modern readers find this too tidy, but it explains why the book was so widely used in schools and homes.
His method is simple. He retells each tale in a few pages, and he often borrows from the great Roman poet Ovid, whose Metamorphoses is full of changes of shape. Then he adds a few lines of verse from an English poet who used the story. In this way the reader sees the myth and its afterlife side by side.
The book is built in three parts. The Age of Fable covers Greek, Roman, Norse and some Eastern myth. The Age of Chivalry covers King Arthur and his knights. The Legends of Charlemagne covers the heroes of medieval France and Italy. Together they run from the first gods to the last knights, and the next part begins at the very start, with the gods of Olympus.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
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Check yourself
Why does Bulfinch retell myths for readers who have not studied the classics?
Right. “So he made a key to unlock English literature.”Not quite. “So he made a key to unlock English literature.”
What do the quests of Jason and other heroes show about heroism?
Right. “The story shows that heroism often needs help from others.”Not quite. “The story shows that heroism often needs help from others.”
What gives the Norse tales their distinctive sense of fate?
Right. “Bulfinch tells of the coming end of the world, called Ragnarok, as a battle that the gods know they cannot avoid.”Not quite. “Bulfinch tells of the coming end of the world, called Ragnarok, as a battle that the gods know they cannot avoid.”
Who’s who
- Zeus
- Zeus, also called Jupiter, rules the Olympian gods and shares dominion with his brothers Poseidon and Hades.
- Apollo
- Apollo is an Olympian god associated with music and prophecy who pursues the nymph Daphne.
- Prometheus
- Prometheus is a Titan who works with his brother Epimetheus to equip living creatures.
- Perseus
- Perseus is a Greek hero sent against Medusa, aided by gifts from the gods.
- Odin
- Odin is the one-eyed leader of the Aesir, the divine family in the Norse tales.
- King Arthur
- King Arthur is the British ruler whose knights form the central fellowship of the chivalric tales.
- Merlin
- Merlin is an enchanter and adviser associated with Arthur and the establishment of his kingship.
- Roland
- Roland is a leading knight in the legends surrounding Charlemagne and his warrior companions.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 332,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 22 h 10 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Bulfinch's Mythology
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.
Is Bulfinch's Mythology accurate?
It is a readable retelling, not a work of modern scholarship. Bulfinch drew on Ovid, Virgil, Malory and others, and he softened some ancient tales. It is good for orientation but not for research.
Is Bulfinch's Mythology hard to read?
No. The tales are short and told in clear prose. You can read a story at a time, in any order, without losing the thread.
