Philip Freeman has given us “a modern retelling of Greek and Roman myths” in Oh My Gods. I have had a lifelong fascination with Greek and Roman history so this book was a natural for me to read. But I must admit I had in on my shelves for a long time before taking the time to pursue it. It was only after listening to the 48 lectures on Religion in the Ancient Mediterranean World by Glenn S. Holland (https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/religion-in-the-ancient-mediterranean-world.html) coupled with a record cold calling off even the Post Office deliveries that I made it through the book. The ancients were a blood thirsty promiscuous teller of tales. I tried in vain the get beneath the surface of these various tales to find a theme, or a sense of purpose that these many stories were attempting to share, but most portrayed the gods and humans displaying the extreme range of emotions. Most were ugly ones, with only a passing glance to the heroic or honorable ones. If you chose to read this you will harvest some interesting tidbits on how places are named, gods and humans interbreed, and get a sense of how our for-bearers tried to make sense of their experiences.
Tag: myths
Myths, Models and Paradigms
Myths, Models, and Paradigms by Ian G. Barbour. This is also out of print, but can be sought at the used book capability.
Journeys on the Edge
Journeys on the Edge: The Celtic Tradition By Thomas O’Loughlin brings us a look at what has been called Celtic spirituality. He looks at original sources of the first millennium, which can help us understand much of what we inherited from these early Irish ancestors in faith.