An Introduction to Mythology by Lewis Spence

Description

An Introduction to Mythology is a book by Lewis Spence, first published in 1921. It offers a sweeping, scholarly survey of myths, folklore, ritual, and the origin of religious ideas, exploring how mythic thought has evolved from primitive cultures through to later societies. Spence delves into core themes such as creation myths, deities of various sorts, cosmology, rites, and how myth intersects with folklore and ritual practice. The work seeks to clarify how myths functioned as both religion and proto‐science for earlier peoples, and how many mythological ideas continue to echo in modern belief, superstition, and literary tradition. Set against the intellectual backdrop of early 20th-century anthropology and comparative religion, the book reflects the era’s efforts to classify, categorize, and understand myth scientifically and historically. Spence was part of a generation grappling with questions about animism, polytheism, and the source of religious and mythic symbolism. His text has influenced later studies in folklore, comparative myth, and the history of religion, and remains a useful reference for students and general readers interested in myth theory, world mythologies, ritual studies, and the evolution of belief systems.

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