A Short History of Myth

Myths are universal and timeless stories that reflect and shape our lives—they explore our desires, our fears, our longings, and provide narratives that remind us what it means to be human. The Myths series brings together some of the world’s finest writers, each of whom has retold a myth in a contemporary and memorable way. Authors in the series include: Chinua Achebe, Margaret Atwood, Karen Armstrong, A.S. Byatt, David Grossman, Milton Hatoum, Victor Pelevin, Donna Tartt, Su Tong and Jeanette Winterson. Human beings have always been mythmakers What are myths? How have they evolved? And why do we still so desperately need them? The history of myth is the history of humanity; our stories and beliefs, our curiosity and attempts to understand the world, link us to our ancestors and each other. Myths help us make sense of the universe. Armstrong takes us from the Palaeolithic period and the myths of the hunters right up to the Great Western Transformation of the last 500 years and the discrediting of myth by science. Heralding a major series of retellings of international myths by authors from around the world, Armstrong?s characteristically insightful and eloquent book serves as a brilliant and thought-provoking introduction to myth in the broadest sense— and why we dismiss it only at our peril.