'As a tour of the world's great civilizations and the myths that give voice to their cultures, Padraic Colum's stands out as being not only sweeping in scope but beautiful in voice...   This one-volume edition carries within its covers more cultural heartbeats and beautiful vision than any other single book I can think of. Myths of the World is a book to enjoy throughout a lifetime.'
– Bob and Nancy's Waldorf Bookstore

'The interest of this book lies in its scope and in the engaging way in which the myths are recounted. Suitable for bedtime reading either to yourself or your children.'
– Scientific and Medical Network Review

Padraic Colum (1881-1972) was born in Longford, Ireland. He was a poet, novelist and collector of folklore, and was one of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival.

The Significance of Mythology Egyptian: Osiris and Iris Ra, his Going-Down and Uprising Babylonian: In the Beginning Gilgamesh The Story of Utnapishtim and of the Deluge that Destroyed all that was on the Earth Ishtar's Descent into the World Below Persian: Jemshid the Resplendent Jewish post-Christian Period: The Angels and the Creation and Fall of Man The Confounding of the Angel of Death Greece: In the Beginning Prometheus Pandora Demeter Orpheus Dionysos Apollo Herakles Roman: The Children of Mars Numa the Law-Giver The Sibyl Pomona and Vertumnus Greco-Roman: Cupid and Psyche Celtic: Irish: Midir and Etain The Death of Conaire Mor, the King of Ireland The Voyage of Bran to the Land of the Immortals Welsh: Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed and his Visit to Annwn, the Realm of Faerie Math, the Son of Mathonwy Finnish: Lemminkainen, his Destruction and his Restoration to Life Icelandic: In the Beginning The Building of the wall Mimir Balder Loki's Punishment The Children of Loki Ragnarok, the Fate of the Gods Indian: Vedic: The Heavenly Nymph and her Mortal Husband Epic: The Churning of the Ocean The Birth of the Ganges Savitri and the Lord of Death Damayanti's Choice Buddhist: Gotama's Attainment Chinese: In the Beginning The Weaver Maiden and the Herdsman Japanese: The Sun Goddess and the Storm God and the Strife there was Between them The First People Polynesian: In the Beginning Maui the Fire Bringer How Maui Strove to Win Immortality for All Creatures Pele, Hawaii's Goddess of Volcanic Fire Peruvian: Viracocha The Llama-herder and the Virgin of the Sun Central American and Mexican: In the Beginning The Twin Heroes and the lords of Xibalba Quetzalcoatl Quetzalcoatl's Enemy The Gods of the Aztecs The Aztecs Zuni: Paiyatuma and the Maidens of the Corn