Dictionary of World Mythology: A History of Women’s Physical Education in Twentieth-Century America

A Dictionary of World Mythology, written by Arthur Cotterell, presents a comprehensive collection of myths from ancient civilizations worldwide. The book, divided into seven main sections, explores the diverse myths of Greece, Rome, Scandinavia, Buddhist and Hindu India, and African and American continents. Cotterell reveals the differences in these civilizations and the unity of mankind in its need for explanations of the unknown. The book includes tales of Gilgamesh, the tyrannical king of Babylonia, Dharma, Tsao Chun, Dagda, Balder, Minata-Karaia, Ogun, and Papa, the ancestress of Hawaiian people. The book also discusses the history, lifestyle, and ideology of the ancient civilizations, as well as the landscapes in which they lived. The book highlights the importance of mythology in understanding the origins of civilizations and the need for explanations of the unknown.