Best Mythology Books?

Hey, question here. I'm trying to look up mythology for basically any and every culture I can. What are some good mythology books I should check out?

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Well, to begin, what kind of mythology are you most interested at the moment?

Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus and Kane Chronicles will be good. They're story books, all right. But you will learn about Greek, Roman and Egyptian Mythology. I said because you're a teen like me and I hope you will get interest in those books.

Anythining by rick riordan is pure fluff. It isnt a real resource for learning mythology in any real sense.

Well, of course the made up characters aren't real. But other than that everything is real.

Sammy1997, those are good YA fantasy books. I think they're what Harry Potter should have been: tightly-plotted, well-characterized, and the writing quality stayed consistent until the end of the story arc.

When asking for the best MYTHOLOGY books? No, no, no, no, no. Riordan is clever and a good writer. The person who started this thread was asking for the SOURCE MATERIALS.


Tales of the Greek Heroes, by Roger Lancelyn Greene (Greek mythology)

Eddas, by Snorri Sturluson (Norse mythology)

Kojiki and Nihongi by no Yasumaro (Japanese Shinto mythology, but the Gazu Hyakki Yagyo is interesting too for maybe what we can call the ''low'' mythology.)

Lebor Gabála Érenn, translated by R.A. Stewart Macalister (Irish mythology)

The Mabinogion, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest (Welsh mythology)

I'm trying to read through "Teutonic Mythology" by Jacob Grimm, he's half of the Grimm Brothers who compiled German fairy tales as a scholarly study of the peasantry, and they polished up their findings for middle class entertainment.

All of these can be difficult to read through because we're used to interesting characters with comfortable voices and exciting plot points. Original documented mythology can be interesting, but dry in style.

For new mythology, I very much enjoy ''Songs of the Metamythos'' by C.F. Cooper . I would recommend it to anybody interested in mythology, even though it's a new book.

In addition to the comment on Percy Jackson, you cannot use Novels and Childrens books as Valid sources for Occult, Spiritual and Magical material.

Even in the Percy Jackson books, the Mythology is wrong. Avoid it at all costs, unless you want an interesting little fantasy read, then in that case, have at it.

I also want to note that Roger Lancelyn Greene isn't exactly "source material" but his book is an academic resource rather than a fiction. Be aware that even academic resources can get outdated. I probably should have recommended Ovid or the writings of Plato, Aristotle, even Homer for Greek mythology.

"Pop Culture Paganism" is a growing movement that gets a lot of flack precisely because of things like this, people recommend Rick Riordan as one of the BEST mythology books. The best MYTHOLOGY books. I can't type a "no" with a long enough o. If your resources are from pop culture, then own up to it, I actually will support it. Just don't confuse that with the academic rigor of pagan reconstructionism! They're completely different things.

"Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus and Kane Chronicles will be good. They're story books, all right. But you will learn about Greek, Roman and Egyptian Mythology. I said because you're a teen like me and I hope you will get interest in those books."

"Well, of course the made up characters aren't real. But other than that everything is real"

I know several people have already stated that this is not a good source material etc however I myself must also comment.

I seriously really really dislike these series you mentioned. Not only did they get their mythology wrong at times , they also do not potray the dieties appopriately. They treat Gaia as some rampaging , insane and whacky primodorial bent on destruction, when that is only an aspect of her while potraying the Olympians as some Cool Super Heros that rarely do wrong.

Not only that , the writing style is simplistic that it can be written by a high schooler! You can even detect the ridiculously simple writing styles of Beginning-Climax-Conclusion and a Deadline.

For some reason , Rick Rordan's Works irks me. I cannot pinpoint exactly why , but it just does.

You might also read the works of Sir Richard Burton. (The explorer not the actor!)
There will learn all about Flying Carpets, Magic Lamps,Genies,and The All Seeing Eye, Alladin, and Ali Baba.
All the Arabic mythology.