Jean C. Cooper Bücher

This title contains over 4000 entries describing the origin and significance of mythological beings, legendary figures, and events from an extensive range of cultures and ages. At the time of publication in 1870 of the original "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", on which this work is based, there was little interest in or knowledge of the texts, religions and mythology of Eastern, and Far Eastern cultures, which were largely dismissed as "heathen" or "pagan". Even less were the tribal cultures of Oceania, Africa, and the American Indians accepted; they were then considered "savage" or "primitive". It is particularly in these areas that substantial additions have been made to Brewer's text. Since his time, the world has shrunk, and we as humans have discovered the importance and significance of the worldwide range of mythologies and legends, and have a deeper understanding of their unty and diversity. Gods and goddesses, rites and beliefs from religions and cults, fabulous beasts, spirits and monsters are all explained, helping us understand why these symbols and traditions persist and illuminate even in modern cultures.

Fairy tales fulfill deep-seated imaginative and spiritual needs in the individual, as myths do for the race, and through them runs the constant motif of man's inner struggle to find his true worth, his inner self.Every country and culture has its traditions of good and bad fairies, malefic or beneficent beings, and of supernatural powers that can work wonders when properly controlled, or wreak havoc when misused. Like the great myths of the world, fairy tales obey traditional laws of symbolism and their perennial fascination lies in the richness and resonance of their archetypal patterns.This concise survey examines the constantly recurring themes and motifs in classic fairy tales, and shows how they relate to the symbolic processes of the unconscious mind.

Taoismen är en av de stora rörelserna inom det österländska tänkandet, en av de tre religionerna i Kina. Den har ingen systematisk lära, ingen trosbekännelse och ingen personlig Gud, och kan heller inte formuleras som en uppsättning levnadsregler. Den utgör ett alternativ till den västerländska livssynen.