Dictionary of Nature Myths: Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky

This engaging reference work explores our age-old desire to interpret and control natural phenomena. Without the benefit of science, our ancestors sought to explain forces--such as wind, clouds, earthquakes, and stars--in a manner they believed to be inexorably connected to the will of the gods. Mythology afforded them the means to make sense of the world's seemingly senseless aspects.

The Dictionary of Nature Myths is a unique addition to the mythological literature. It pulls information from a variety of disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, religious studies, astronomy, meteorology, and geology. The book's main subject areas concern natural forces, gods and goddesses of natural forces, terms relating to the myths of natural forces, and broad geographical areas. Within these categories Tamra Andrews groups stories from cultures around the globe, tales of an animated universe moved by supernatural power. Her volume is comprehensive and fully cross-referenced, and it contains a lengthy bibliography and an innovative guide to primary sources. Readers young and old will delight in reading about ABSU, a freshwater ocean that the Mesopotamians believed flowed beneath the earth; about IX CHEL, the Mayan moon and water goddess who controlled floods and rainbows; and about YGGDRASIL, the huge evergreen ash tree of Norse mythology that marked the center of the world. These entries and hundreds more will enchant and inform as they show how and why people from all ages and all cultures found power and magic in the natural world.