Best mythology books according to redditors
We found 85 Reddit comments discussing the best mythology books. We ranked the 17 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 85 Reddit comments discussing the best mythology books. We ranked the 17 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Start here:
https://www.amazon.com/Open-Veins-Latin-America-Centuries/dp/0853459916
Then (prepare to be hooked) go here:
https://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Memory-Fire-Eduardo-Galeano/dp/156858444X/ref=la_B000AP701M_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495635912&sr=1-5
https://www.amazon.com/Faces-Masks-Memory-Fire-2/dp/1568584458/ref=la_B000AP701M_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495635940&sr=1-13&refinements=p_82%3AB000AP701M
https://www.amazon.com/Century-Wind-Memory-Fire-3/dp/1568584466/ref=la_B000AP701M_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495635912&sr=1-10
Apologies in advance for your new Galeano addiction. :)
Joseph Campbell.
One key thing to remember: Campbell's work is descriptive, not prescriptive. What I mean is that he was describing and interpreting the trends that he found in mostly ancient folklore, myths, and legends. He had no intention of creating a formula for storytellers to refer to, although this is now common practice.
Also, "Star Wars closely follows the monomyth" is really not a topic. You need to answer the "So what?" question. Why did Lucas do that? Where does he deviate from the monomyth? How does he use these common trends to tell a unique story? How does it reflect the time in which it was produced? You don't have to answer all of these questions, but you do need to address something beyond simply plugging in Star Wars characters and situations where appropriate.
You should probably seek out the Joseph Campbell-Bill Moyers collaboration The Power of Myth*. Lots of libraries have a copy. It is much, much easier to digest than Campbell's original work, unless you are already familiar with a great number of myths and extensive academic terminology. The tv series by the same name is pretty good, as well. For a book that uses Campbell's monomyth but updates it with examples from modern media (and a prescriptive purpose), pick this up.
Source: Wrote master's thesis using Campbell scholarship as a resource.
As I play, I like to look up every name I come acress to see if it is canonical. Or, at least find out what it means. For example, there's a Malledhrim by the name of Goldagnir (http://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Goldagnir). The word "dagnir" means bane, so, this person is the bane of Gol. Which makes me start thinking about who Gol is, or what it pertains to.
Just yesterday I was playing through the Enedwaith quests, and came across "The Huntsmen". He spoke of his Lord from the uttermost West, which is clearly Orome. Which makes this particular entity a Maiar, or at least that was my assumption. The game can't say that, since SSG doesn't have the rights to the Silmarillion, but they can certainly allude to the fact. The lotRo wiki agrees with me, as they have the race listed as Maia: https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/The_Huntsman_(NPC)
I also follow along with the Tolkien Companion (https://smile.amazon.com/Complete-Tolkien-Companion-J-Tyler/dp/1250023556/) and the Atlas of Middle Earth (https://smile.amazon.com/Atlas-Middle-Earth-Revised-Karen-Fonstad/dp/0618126996/). Lots of interesting information from those source that makes me see things in the game world I might otherwise disregard.
I just got into LOTR LCG, picked up the core set in January and at first I thought "this will be a cute little game". Shortly after things escalated quickly and I fell in love, it was my own. I begun to reread LOTR, I bought the Shadows of Mirkwood cycle but that wasn't enough precious! So I went to the amazon and got Dwarrowdelf and Against the Shadow cycles at the same time, we needs it.
After that came the deckbuilding and they wanted to touch the cards! With their filthy fat hobbitses hands, we must protect it!
So having suddenly 1500+ cards to sleeve I needed to go cheap. So I went to mordor and bought a few pack's the quality is quite good BUT some packs happen to be 2mm longer wich is annoying but easily fixed with a metal ruler and x acto knife.
Also I made a my own custom playmat and cause I am crazy like that I bought this book it's epic!
TLDR;
I sleeve..
Ahem. Maybe this one is good.
The big guys are all up in that The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
I can't recomend or say this enough.
You need to read three books:
It is important to learn these basics, as you need to learn to walk, before you can fly a fighter jet.
Happy to answer any and all questions for you!!! But these books are a must!!! I read them all, and still have Hero & Power of Myth on my desk.
It's tribalism and uneducated barbarity, really.
If you want some reading material that will blow your freakin' mind, read AND listen to The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. He researched and studied humanity's relationship to myth and story-telling in excruciating detail and was able to write and talk about it in such a way as to make it entertaining and educational. Seriously - reading and watching the interviews will change your life for the better forever.
If anyone is looking for an author that is very, very, very knowledgeable on mythological matters and the historical relations and importance of it all, take a look and read anything by Joseph Campbell.
Good for super brief introductions/overview:
World Mythology in Bite-sized Chunks
Myths and Legends: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings
Essential Visual History of World Mythology
More comprehensive, but still introductory:
World Myth
The World of Myth: An Anthology (This focuses more on common mythic themes than on specific cultures)
Parallel Myths (This focuses more on common mythic themes than on specific cultures)
SO MANY!
["Lies my Teacher Told Me"] (http://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Teacher-Told-Everything/dp/0743296281) by James Loewen. This is about how the world really works, basically. It's all about history and politics and economics and how world powers interact with each other and their own population. It's incredibly eye-opening and will make you understand why everything is the way it is today! It's also ridiculously fun to read :D
["The Quantum and the Lotus by"] (http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Lotus-Journey-Frontiers-Buddhism/dp/1400080797/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383171898&sr=1-1&keywords=the+quantum+and+the+lotus) by Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Xuan Thuan. This is a super fascinating read! It's actually a transcribed conversation between a Buddhist who became a quantum physicist and a physicist who left science and became a Buddhist! It's this AMAZING look into complicated science and it's explained in such simple terms anyone can understand it. But beyond that, it's this really fascinating glimpse into a world where science and spirituality can co-exist. It's like science explaining spirituality, or spirituality giving a wholesome quality to science. It's just so unique and amazing!
["The Power of Myth"] (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Myth-Joseph-Campbell/dp/0385418868/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383172215&sr=1-3&keywords=joseph+campbell) by Joseph Campbell. If you can, read EVERYTHING by this guy that you can get your hands on! This book is especially poignant because it's addressing all of the aspects of our modern day society, from religion to gangs to marriage, even education. It is incredibly powerful and eye-opening and explains so much about the way we work as humans and the way the individual interacts with society. Plus, you'll learn a shit ton about mythology that you never knew before! And you'll be looking at mythology from a ridiculously profound perspective that I've never seen anyone else address before.
I can give you more if you tell me what you're interested in learning more about :)
EDIT: Typos.
The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
Lots of books by Ursula K. Leguin or Tanith Lee? Rocannon's World or The Beginning Place.
The original Brothers Grimm stories are a bit darker then the Disney version, and the stories they were based on often still darker, but not to the degree people seem to think.
Also Grimm's Fairy Tales are readily available.
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales
Campbell said something similar in The Power of Myth though he was referring to the appeal of the use of Latin in Catholic rites. The idea's the same, though.
What about this thesis? United States Evangelical Christians have melded US culture with their perverted version of Christianity to an extent that things like The fruits of The Spirit, spiritual discernment, bearing fruit as demonstrated by good works & repentance are no longer pursued. As you unpack in your 2nd paragraph, American's are infatuated with quick fix thinking and tribalism. I contend that if every one of the R Voters were magically able to take a 2 week trip to a different part of the world, it would change most of their lives. It's isolation that remains a ball and chain on this group.
I am grateful that the Christian college i attended had a literature/writing professor who introduced the notion of "the myth of Christ" and had the audacity to assign Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth reading in his class. It took me a few years to digest Campbell. The notion of death followed by resurrection is a common myth among most religions in the world.
I have a gay brother and over time, have found it easy to dismiss the gay/lesbian dogma evangelicals hold near and dear. Living in Sin?: A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality by John Shelby Spong helped me think outside of the evangelical box on this issue. The 4 gospels are silent on homosexuality, i.e. Jesus said nothing on this topic. Why? If Luther's concept of sola scriptura is applied, the Bible based cases against abortion and homosexuality are weak. Few in this group understand this. It's easier to be bigoted and lazy, which unfortunately is very American.
This one and this atlas are really good. The atlas would easily be worth it as a read on its own. The guide is kind of an encyclopedia with pretty much every name or place you could want to look up.
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell.
It changed my intellectual landscape at a young age. It's about comparative mythology, but it will open your world to the intellectual curiosities of art, religion, sociology, anthropology, mysticism, metaphysics and much more. A beautiful, eye-opening read.
"The Power of Myth" https://www.amazon.com/Power-Myth-Joseph-Campbell/dp/0385418868
There's no real good answer to this. Diana Paxton has already been mentioned, and she is probably the most well known source. I do recommend her, with a degree of salt.
Two books I'm still trying to make my way through are Trolldom and Pagan Magic of the Northern Traditions. I also have a few titles by Claude Lecouteux and Raven Kaldera waiting for their turn in the stack.
Seidr is a touchy topic amongst many Norse heathens, so you will rarely find good booklists on the topic, particularly in english.
I was maybe a sort-of atheist for a bit. I basically just realized that the only reason I was a Christian was because I was born into that religion, and that if I was to pick the "right" religion, there would have to be another way, like using logic or reason, to figure out which religion was right. I honestly thought that after a class in logic, I'd know how everything works. Naive, certainly, but I've moved past that now.
And as to why I'm not an atheist, I wouldn't say there's really a reason; I simply don't feel compelled to believe it. I'm still largely an agnostic, but I lean in the theistic direction, or the belief that there's something out there. One of my profs was telling us once of a lecture he heard where the man talked about how people all over the world throughout history feel compelled to some sort of religious belief, some sort of spiritual lifestyle that addressed spiritual questions. And the person considered this to be a good argument against atheism. While most atheists are quick to say religion must prove itself correct, this person said that atheism must prove itself, because it seems that the baseline for humanity is a religious mode of life. The in's and out's of this can be debated, but I think it's worth considering.
And beyond that, I'd say I'm still an agnostic; I'm not really a taoist in any strict sense although I do like taoism for the reason I gave you; it recognizes that it's only an attempt to describe something indescribable, be it God, truth, heaven or whatever else you want to call it. This was Campbell's major theme; all the religions and mythologies we have had are attempts to describe God, but they are not intended to be taken literally. I'd recommend The Power of Muth if this interests you. It's honestly one of the best books I've ever read, and completely changed my outlook on life in a way I don't think any other book has. Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any more questions.
While these are not all specifically about religion, here are a few things that I think everyone should read at some point in their lives.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (this is where the term 'paradigm shift' came from).
Karl Popper on politics
Karl Popper on science
Get some historical perspective on the philosophy of science
The Power of Myth
A History of God
It's an excerpt from The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell.
The entire book is a transcript taken from a series of video interviews with Joseph Campbell. The series is called The Power of Myth and it's still available on NETFLIX, I believe. I've watched the entire series and am currently reading the book and it's given me a profound understanding.
> impressive
Aw shucks, I don't know about that.
I'd been thinking a lot about Greek afterlife recently (because I've been thinking about the temple a lot and there are some really, really compelling parallels there).
I liked mythology when I was a kid. And when I was an undergrad I went back and read the 'classics' because I wanted to understand those myths - which gave me a great list of questions because beyond those myths and the popular culture I'd absorbed I had zero context for understanding the language and culture. So when I go back over a concept in Mormonism (or Judaism or Christianity or Islam) that doesn't make a lot of sense I look at the etymology of the words involved, read about it on Wikipedia, and ask questions.
Also here are some people who's work undergirds my own understanding
The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell
Lately, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain...I'm sure on this forum it's well known, and I wrote about it on How did you discover MBTI?
I knew I was an introvert, but I didn't know that that meant, like how we process information, how we verbalize, that we NEED our alone time. So I began to embrace all these things, and better understood how to communicate with extroverts, which is really helpful. I think just this bit of self knowledge has sent me on a reading frenzy.
Currently, I'm reading The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell which discusses all the archetypal myths from different cultures and religions, and how they play a part for the individual and society. These stories/myths, which many of us discredit because they are not based in fact, actual serve the purpose of being example of how to live. Campbell argues that the loss of these myths in western society is an explanation for the misguided youth. People are seeking how to live their lives, but don't know where to find the answers...therefor it's taking much longer to learn how to grow up. Very fascinating. We no longer have strong adulthood rituals or rites of passage, so fundamentally, young adults still act like kids.
It also talks about some meaning of life stuff which is changing a lot of perspective for me and too deep to summarize here. I highly recommend it.
>Damn that sucks, it bothers me when people take credit for history which are not even attributed to them. Where were these Alan gates built, Chechnya? Also Iranian jews/mazdakites cracked me up, that is by far the most
>
>r/badhistory
>
>thing I have heard this week. Mazdakites were Zoroastrian right?
These Gates are located in Magas, capital city of Ingushetia, named after medieval Maghas which wasn't even located in that region, lol. It was located in modern Karachay-Cherkessia, at the place called Arkhyz, where there still is a lot of ruins of Alan Christian churches and other stuff like that.
Mazdakites indeed were some Zoroastrian sect who's ideas were, surprisingly, very close to what is called communism today. They even managed to make a revolution of some sort in Iran. How ironic that I only learned about their existence after reading a bunch of hateful comments in the Internet. :D
>So if you know anything interesting about these myths, a story or feature which stands out, or just any general knowledge I would love to hear about it!
Oh, I'm afraid it's such a huge topic that I won't be able to put everyhing about it in a single comment, not to say that this question makes me confused with not knowing what exactly I need to share, not to say that I'm not even such a great specialist in that area...
Indeed the word Nart is believed to be of Iranic origin, though there is still a lot of controversies about it and this version isn't even widely accepted. Almost every major North Caucasian nation tends to have it's own version of Nart Saga (except for Dagestanis), and while Circassian and Ossetian versions are pretty similar, Vainakh version is indeed unique, since it has Nart-Ortskhoi as an antagonists and what's even more interesting, all these Nart-Ortskhoi have the same names as heroes of Ossetian version of the saga. And one of them, Soslan (Seska-Solsa in Chechen version) was making one horrible Sarmatian thing in it - hunting people for fun and making coats from their scalps and beards
It shares similarities with many other Indo-European mythologies and eposes, mostly it's similarities between some plots or some main characters who participate in it (examples: Syrdon - Loki or Kurdalaegon - roman Vulcan), and it all comes from a theory that all Indo-European mythologies and religions are interconnected since they all come from the same proto-Indo-European root
The epos itself is mostly about the adventures and life of a mythical demi-god people Narts and their relationships with the God (Ossetian religion is monotheistic, probably because of Christian influence of Alan times) and his Dawags (who are reflections of ancient Alan gods), it starts with the birth of the first Narts, who later became divided into three main clans, each of whom represented casts of their society (Alagatae being the priests, Alægatæ being the priests, Æxsærtæggаtæ - warriors and Borætæ - merchants and herd-owners) and ends with a story about how they defeated all their enemies, became arrogant and decided to fight the God himself, who in turn tried many ways to destroy them, failed, and then cursed them with having "an unworthy remnants". Narts decided that "having worthless and dishonourable remnants is worse than death" and decided to commit mass suicide, so that their name never was brought to shame
Ossetian version of Nart saga was translated and published in English language, though I'm not sure if it can be downloaded online. Legal edition is quite expensive.
What you're talking about is more or less in line with a psychoanalytic / Jungian interpretation. There's a lot of history and some disagreement^1, but generally the idea is that religion was instituted to codify morality into an easy-to-digest way (ie, making up stories that teach us how to behave morally) and to give a general model of human behavior and interaction, a sort of primitive social science.
I'm coming mostly from Carl Jung (Text 1 / Text 2 / Wiki), Jacques Lacan (Text / Wiki), Joseph Campbell (Text / Wiki), and Erich Fromm (Text / Wiki), but these anthologies give a decent scope of study: Ways of Being Religious and Religion, Society and Psychoanalysis.
There's also an entire sub-genre of what amount to self-help books based on mythology, interpreting myths to teach you how to be a better person: Myths to Live By, Iron John.
^1 One of the big disagreements between Freud and Jung was the role of religion in the mind of a subject. Freud believed it was a fantasy we use to bolster our own sense of importance and impart some sense of order onto the world that isn't there. Jung believed, while that may be true of fundamentalists or the neurotic/pathological, generally speaking it was a positive thing, that it created or strengthened social bonds, that it taught us things about ourselves and humanity.
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell.
Disclaimer:
I enjoy thinking about these kinds of things as well, so I will offer some answers and ask some of my own questions. /r/Philosophy might be a better place to start a conversation if you are looking for discussion rather than debate. I don’t see any blatant fallacies in your original post... it would take a more formally structured argument for them to become apparent. If you want to give that a shot, I am more than willing, but it is a bit more relaxing to engage in this conversational style. A lot of what we have been talking about ultimately comes down to what we mean by ‘truth’, which is a fairly deep question, and is worthy of approaching from a variety of different angles.
An answer to your original post:
In my view, art, poetry, lit., music, and even religious teachings all do have some truth to offer, but it is typically truth about US rather than the rest of the universe. I would recommend the book: The Power of Myth - by Joseph Campbell to further suss out how this works in the case of religion.
For example, when a myth personifies the Sun as a deity, we need not assume that this is a literal truth, but that instead it tangentially tells us something deep about human nature, and how we all seek answers, and how our imagination fills in the gaps in the absence of understanding, and how we project ourselves onto the rest of the universe (by personifying non-human nature).
Regarding your last reply:
My answers may come across as a bit reductionistic/deflationary, so feel free to reject that which does not resonate with you.
When an author uses a particular word (like ‘love’, ‘hope’, or even ‘tree’), it carries the weight of all of their previous experiences with it. Since we haven’t had the same experiences as the author, there will be some disconnect between them and us. We usually do seek to communicate as much as possible from ourselves to another through this process, but there is always some loss of information. Even the original author, when they go back and reread what they have written, may not know exactly what they meant at the time, especially if some time has passed, and their views have changed.
The idea of ‘meaning’ itself requires subjects and is therefore subjective. We all generate meaning quite naturally, it is integral to our humanity. Text doesn’t mean anything on it’s own, but it can mean something to the author, and to the reader.
Those especially moving moments of epiphany that we have all experienced when reading a great piece of literature tend to speak to universal statements about human nature - posed in such a way as to elevate the effect. Sometimes these same truths can be stated outright in a sentence or two, but seems small and trivial without context.
Depending on the medium, this effect falls on a continuum from concrete to elusive/vague. In music for example, the effect cannot always be put into words, as the medium itself is wordless. The messages and truths have to do with our shared experiences as emotional beings, who love patterns, consistency, novelty, and pure sensation (among other things). In this sense, a sonata may not be ‘about’ anything, or ‘mean’ anything, but instead it transmits a feeling or emotion. I would still see this as a kind of ‘truth’, but these are very different than truths about the nature of matter, planets, or galaxies.
Before I go on to describe the differences (of truths), I should mention the similarities. I am reminded of a quote:
-----
All truth is one.
In this light, may science and religion endeavor together for the steady evolution of Mankind:
From darkness to light,
From narrowness to broadmindedness,
From prejudice to tolerance,
It is the voice of life that calls us
To come and learn.
-----
That being said, it would still be a mistake to use music to try to understand truths about the structure of an atom. Yes, both methods do tell us something about reality, and our relationship to reality, but they have different applications and different domains.
Perhaps I have gone on long enough for now. If there is a particular point you would like to pursue further, let me know. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about something near and dear to my heart. : )
Star Myths of the World by David Warner Mathison he’s been on The Higherside Chats a couple times and The Grimerica
Edit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0996059024/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_i_xu1dBb8HTRYWK
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I am open to the idea that something created the universe, but that something is most likely beyond our ability to fully comprehend. We may see wisps of It in each of us (quite frankly, every human is a walking miracle), but with all the flavors of God out there...
Benefit of the Doubt: Breaking the Idol of Certainty -- Gregory Boyd? The subject matter doesn't seem exactly the same (Boyd seems more focused on Christianity), but other features check out. He has another book, Letters of Skeptic, in the form of dialoged letters?
I also found The Power of Myth -- Joseph Campbell which seems more in-line with myths from various cultures throughout history.
Not going to slag off my cover artist ... I made it myself
I don't think it's a question of whether or not you can think deeply.
When seeing layers of meaning in something, like a book, it usually helps if someone has a lot of the foundational information that the author draws upon in order to craft his/her stories.
Books don't form in a vacuum. They are derived from a lot of influences in the writer's life. Those influences, in turn, are affected by the history of the culture in which the person is living as well as current happenings.
Have you ever read any Joseph Campbell?
http://www.jcf.org/new/index.php
Many of his works on the Archtypes found in story telling and history can really help you understand the intellectual and emotional underpinnings of most human art.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Myth-Joseph-Campbell/dp/0385418868
I'll start with an author whose work in comparative mythology is exceptional and deeply spiritual in a way that's very conscious of the difference between organized religion and spirituality. He's got a lot of books, some more scholarly and others much more approachable. Two examples here:
"Since lies are what the world lives on...those who can face the challenge of a truth and build their lives to accord are finally not many, but the very few"
--Joseph Campbell, [Myths to live By] (http://www.amazon.com/Myths-Live-Joseph-Campbell/dp/0140194614/)
“Half the people in the world think that the metaphors of their religious traditions, for example, are facts. And the other half contends that they are not facts at all. As a result we have people who consider themselves believers because they accept metaphors as facts, and we have others who classify themselves as atheists because they think religious metaphors are lies.”
― Joseph Campbell, Thou Art That: Transforming Religious Metaphor
Next, if you really want to stretch there's a remarkable series of books created from first-hand accounts from hundreds of individuals under hypnosis to map out the nature of what might be termed our spiritual home or "life between lives" - I find this to be more credibly presented and much more consistent with the many well-documented near-death experiences that are continuously being studied by groups like NDERF and IANDS and Dr. Newton's methodology makes these books a compelling read:
Michael Newton, Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives
Michael Newton, Destiny of Souls: More Case Studies of Life Between Lives
These aren't for everyone, and the idea that there is a proper place for spirituality can be hard to swallow for those who feel scarred by organized religion, but they've been helpful in my own personal journey to stay grounded while I escape a church that's obsessed with sexuality, the pursuit of money for itself above even the welfare of its members, and even the smallest perceived deviation from its accepted belief system and practices.
Ancient fairy tales are knowledge. See the works of Joseph Campbell.
I'm partial to Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and The Power of Myth.
It's a little dry but you might check out The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. It covers a lot of ground, talks about the common themes in all of the worlds religions. Very enlightening stuff.
There's also a video version out there somewhere which covers most of the major stuff. We got to watch it in HS & it's pretty cool.
I'm a pretty well-confirmed athiest at this point. I tend to view the current manifestations of religion as following in a long tradition of mythmaking by human cultures.
With that in mind, you might look into some psychology in addition to your religious research. I'm a writer, which is how I came by Jung and Campbell and Booker -- but I think the idea of underlying patterns of thought that guide our own mythmaking is of broader use than simply helping me understand storytelling better.
I've read the following, and suggest you do as well!
Jung
The Basic Writings of CG Jung
Man and His Symbols
The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
Psychology and Religion
Campbell
The Hero With A Thousand Faces
The Masks of God (Vols. 1 - 3)
Myths to Live By
Booker
The Seven Basic Plots
There are a lot more, but those are the ones I'd start with. As an undergrad, I majored in English and Rhetoric, and minored in both Religion and Poetry -- this cultural storytelling stuff is important to me.
As a library science graduate student, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that you can get all of these books from your local library -- and can enlist the aid of the reference desk in finding more material for your research. Believe me, there's nothing a reference worker likes more than an interesting topic -- i.e. something that doesn't involve directing people to the bathroom, or helping people find books on filing their taxes. We're trained to help with real research! Use us!
While we are at it, the Louisiana Anthology Podcast talked with Bryan Wagner about his book The Tar Baby: A Global History.
Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry's Greek Myths) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0718188721/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Sd8HDb0AXE0NG
Heroes: The myths of the Ancient Greek heroes retold (Stephen Fry's Greek Myths) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241380367/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pe8HDb2EMD28S
Uhh its a link to a image, not the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Mythology-Concise-Guide-Beliefs-ebook/dp/B01M9C1CPH/
I would work really hard on contextualizing the different perspectives.
Get a grasp on the purposes of myths within a religious belief system before trying to relate it at all to physics.
In contemporary societies, religious myth is designed to teach spiritual concepts (humility, gratitude, respect, etc.), not physical ones.
Some fundamentalists/superstitious types have a hard time dealing with scientific reasoning, but that doesn't mean that people who hold religious beliefs do not also accept scientific understanding.
You may want to narrow down "religion" to "indigenous mythology" - just to keep the scope of your project within reason.
Emerson's Self Reliance and On Intelligence (for starters)
Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth
John Bridges' How To Be A Gentleman
If you're going into business: Sun Tzu's The Art of War
Jean Jacque Rousseau's The Social Contract
These are all non-fiction reads that are meant to build character. Most fiction is meant to engender culture in their readers or inspire philosophical reflection. Non-Fiction is typically more instructional.
Classical Myth by Barry Powell is what my favorite classics teacher taught out of. It is a very readable book that is probably 1/3 primary sources -- which I like.
http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Myth-7th-Barry-Powell/dp/0205176070/
And then these two classics on mythology from Joseph Campbell also come to mind as very accessible and packed with information from a guy who definitely knows what he is talking about:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Myth-Joseph-Campbell/dp/0385418868/
http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Faces-Collected-Joseph-Campbell/dp/1577315936/
If you're interested in an in-depth analysis of this phenomenon and the role of mythology in the development of Judeo-Christian faiths, I recommend you look into reading anything and everything you can ever get your hands on by Joseph Campbell. I specifically recommend The Power of Myth and The Masks of God series.
Joseph Campbell was himself very spiritual and has a very unique and insightful way of thinking about religion.
The Celtic heroic tradition in myth and legend originates from the custom of oral storytelling. The early Gaelic literature is peopled with champions, poets, druids and gods, and brimming with action, drama and grotesque humour. Filled with unforgettable characters - Lug, the Dagda, the Morrigan and Badb, Medb and the superhero Cu Chulainn, and stirring tales - the Battle of Maige Tuired, the epic Cattle Raid of Cuailnge, the outlandish Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel and the burlesque Tale of Mac Da Tho's Pig among others. The author approaches the subject from a genuine love of Celtic myth and legend and its cinematic imagery, providing detailed, informative and entertaining commentary and analysis for each tale. The book includes appendixes on The Warrior Image: The Sword: Honour, Power & Prophecy - The Cult of the Head: Ogam: Geasa: and Attainments. Pall Thormod Morrisson is also the author of The Viking Runes, The Viking Saga in Ireland Scotland & The Isles and Dionysos in Myth Drama & Comedy: Bacchic Elements in Greek & Celtic Culture.
https://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Heroic-Tradition-Myth-Legend/dp/1530318254/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=the+celtic+heroic&qid=1572000002&s=books&sr=1-3