Ancient Myths and Legends
Greek and Roman Mythology.  Egyptian Gods and Goddesses.  Legends of Australia, Africa, Asia and North America

Myth: "Man's Primary Means of Recording and Communication of Man's Fundamental Ideas Regarding The Nature of the Cosmos and the Sacred"

Why should anyone care about ancient myth?

According to Ev Cochrane, publisher of Aeon Journal of Myth and Science "The answer, quite simply, is that for untold centuries myth served as the primary means of recording and communicating man's fundamental ideas regarding the nature of the cosmos and the sacred. In this sense, ancient myth represents an intellectual heirloom encapsulating the history of our species and is thus a ripe field of study for all students of evolutionary psychology. If, as appears to be the case, myth also preserves important clues for reconstructing the recent history of our solar system its study becomes all the more essential..."

ArcheoAstronomy and Comparative Mythology: disciplines which may explain 'World Mythology' and 'Myths of Creation'

Aeon Journal of Myth and Science: Free Articles "... a journal of myth, science, and ancient history specializing in archaeoastronomy and.comparative mythology. The journal explores the evidence for global catastrophes and interplanetary upheaval in the recent past, seeking out the implications for the affected disciplines. Aeon is designed to encourage independent investigation, to speed up the process of communicating findings to others, and to foster a wider debate as to the interpretation of new data...."

Immanuel Velikovsky Archive

Including the following:
Before the Day Breaks, the story of Velikovsky’s discussions with Einstein on the role of electromagnetism in the universe.
In the Beginning, the story of the catastrophes that preceded those described in Worlds in Collision.
The Dark Age of Greece, a critical examination of the mysterious gap of close to five centuries thought to follow the Mycenaean civilization.
The Assyrian Conquest, a volume in the Ages in Chaos series, covering the period from the end of the Amarna Period to the time of Ramses II.
Collected Essays, comprising articles and fragmentary manuscripts such as Shamir, The Secret of Baalbek, Sinai and Olympus, Test of Time, The Orbit and the ‘Observer’ editorials.

Greek and Roman Mythology

The Theoi Project, ".... a site exploring Greek mythology and the gods in classical literature and art. The aim of the project is to provide a comprehensive, free reference guide to the gods (theoi), spirits (daimones), fabulous creatures (theres) and heroes of ancient Greek mythology and religion...." This is a fabulous site,with more than 1,500 pages profiling the Greek gods and other characters from Greek mythology and 1,200 full sized pictures.

MythWeb.com Devoted to the heroes, gods and monsters of Greek mythology. Provides free downloadable texts on the following:

Classics Library Full text of all the works of Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Aesop

Bulfinch's Mythology The Age of Fable or Stories of Gods and Heroes by Thomas Bulfinch

The Odyssey by Homer (translated by Samuel Butler)

The Iliad by Homer (translated by Samuel Butler)

Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius (translated by R.C.Seaton)

Theogony by Hesiod (translated by H.G.Evelyn WhiteR.C.Seaton)

See also GreekTexts.com for more freely downloadable Greek writings

GreekMythology.com "... has information on all subjects of Greek Mythology, including details on Greek Gods and Greek Goddesses, Greek Myths and Greek Heroes like Achilles and Hercules. It also has full text of  Greek Mythology and Literature books...."

Bulfinch's Mythology  The Age of Fable or Stories of Gods and Heroes. "... Written to “teach mythology not as a study but as a relaxation from study,” these ageless volumes span the ages: from the Olympus of Zeus and the Valhalla of Thor, to the Round Table of King Arthur and the escapades of Robin Hood...." This classic work is freely downloadable from this site. You can also download it here.

Mythology Guide "... We have collected information on Greek and Roman myths. You can find information on our selection of topics by clicking on the appropriate god or myth name below...."

The Greek Mythology Link "... a collection of the Greek myths written on line by Carlos Parada, author of the book Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology, published in 1993... concerned with the creative, artistic, literary and inspiring aspects of the Greek myths [see articles linked above]. The network created by genealogy has been given particular attention, as well as some structural aspects partly derived from it. The information provided in this site is based on original sources... "

Ovid's Metamorphoses Classic Roman work on Greek mythology

Cultural Map of Greece 

North American Legends

Legends of America "... Filled with both vintage and current photographs, Legends of America focuses on small out of the way places and hidden attractions that appeal to the nostalgic and historic minded, giving you more than just a paragraph, we will take you there!..."

North American Big Foot Legends: Pre-Columbian and Early American Legends of Bigfoot-like Beings "Here in the Northwest, and west of the Rockies generally, Indian people regard Bigfoot with great respect. He is seen as a special kind of being, because of his obvious close relationship with humans. Some elders regard him as standing on the "border" between animal-style consciousness and human-style consciousness, which gives him a special kind of power...."

First People: The Legends "... Many a legend has been written by the Elders. Here are over 1400 of their stories and teachings..."

Native American Folklore "... collection of Native American folktales and traditional stories that can be read online. We have indexed these stories tribe by tribe to make them easier to locate..."

Folk-Lore and Legends: North American Indian free downloadable book from Project Gutenberg

Ancient American Fascinating magazine (by subscription) of Pre-Columbian America. Several free articles.

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General Reference Works 

Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts This is a treasure trove of free downloadable texts of worldwide myths and legends

Living Myths "... explores myths – symbolic stories which have evolved orally, and which have guided and inspired humanity for thousands of years. We retell and comment on Celtic, Greek, Native American and Chinese mythology, showing that myths are still alive with the power of the collective unconscious...."

Asian Legends and Folk Tales

Folk Tales from China

Chinese Myths and Legends

Legends of Australia

Australian Legendary Tales Folklore of the Noongahburrahs as told to the Piccaninnies collected by Mrs. K. Langloh Parker. "... This is still one of the best available collections of Australian Aboriginal folklore. It was written for a popular audience, but the stories are retold with integrity, and not filtered, as was the case with similar books from this period. That said, the style of this book reflects Victorian sentimentality and, an occasional tinge of racism that may not sit well with some modern readers...." Also by Parker: The Euahlayi Tribe 

Some Myths and Legends of the Australian Aborigines "... a short collection of Australian Aborigine folklore, addressed to a general audience. The tales and folklore are recounted factually, but the book reflects the time in which it was written, so the reader should take that into account. The author apparently involved with providing aid to Aboriginal people..."

Australian Legends Handed Down from the Remotest of Times by the Autocthonous Inhabitants of Our Land "... collection of Aboriginal folklore, and stories about Aborigines, primarily from the New South Wales region of Australia, on the southeast coast...."

Legends of Polynesia

Polynesian Mythology & Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealanders  Assembled in 1854 by Sir George Grey, late governor in chief of New Zealand

Legends of Ma-Ui, a demi-God.

Legends of Africa

Sacred Texts: African Religion "... Ultimately, we are all Africans. Studies of mitochondrial DNA have proven that all human beings are descended from a small population (less than a hundred individuals) that emerged from Africa about 60,000 years ago. The earliest written religious texts as well as the first documented monotheistic religion also developed in Africa. During the European dark ages, many ancient manuscripts were preserved in African libraries in places such as Ethiopia and Timbuctoo. This section has texts on the traditional spirituality of Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as their descendants in the New World...."

Egyptian Mythology

Ancient Egypt A fabulous site from The British Museum. "... The ancient Egyptians believed in many different gods and goddesses. Each one with their own role to play in maintaining peace and harmony across the land... Some gods and goddesses took part in creation, some brought the flood every year, some offered protection, and some took care of people after they died. Others were either local gods who represented towns, or minor gods who represented plants or animals. The ancient Egyptians believed that it was important to recognise and worship these gods and goddesses so that life continued smoothly.

Read an ancient Egyptian myth about the creation of the world.

Look through a catalogue of the most important gods and goddesses.

A Brief History of Ancient Egypt from Wikipedia This is an excellent overview which helps place Egyptian Mythology in a context of reality.

Absolute Egyptology "The most instructive Egypt site on the net" Egypto-Maniacs on the Web: a free contact club with 140+ members.

Egyptian Religion for Kids

The Death of Gods in Ancient Egypt The preface, table of contents and chapter one. ".... This is the study of the possible origins of the Egyptian religion. It might also be called a study of the Neolithic belief system that preceded it. But it is much more than that. It is in part, an investigation into the earliest human capacity to observe, measure, and predict the celestial changes that result from the phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes. It is also an investigation of the religious writings of historical times and a search for indications of an awareness of the continuing alteration of the heavens...."