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136th out of 409 books
—
819 voters
Occidental Mythology (The Masks of God #3)
A systematic and fascinating comparison of the themes that underlie the art, worship, and literature of the Western world.
Paperback, 576 pages
Published
November 1st 1991
by Penguin
(first published 1964)
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I started reading this and it was interesting as fuck. It includes more of the interesting analyses of myths that Joseph Campbell is known for. It also includes examples of ancient art and explanations of the symbols in the artwork. There are some great line drawings of snakes winding up wooden posts. I think I looked at about 4 different illustrations of snakes winding up posts in a span of 5 pages. I read the first chapter or so of this book sitting in a cafe with one small metal table and lig...more
In the third volume of his monumental comparative survey of the development of mythological motifs, Campbell turns his attention to the emergence of the great Occidental religious traditions beginning in the Near East.
Having examined in previous volumes the religious infrastructure of the newly-emergent agricultural and urbanized Levant, Campbell reviews the emergence of the specialized priestly class. The priests of Sumer turn their attention heavenward to the orderly precession of the celesti...more
Having examined in previous volumes the religious infrastructure of the newly-emergent agricultural and urbanized Levant, Campbell reviews the emergence of the specialized priestly class. The priests of Sumer turn their attention heavenward to the orderly precession of the celesti...more
I have a soft spot for Joseph Campbell. He's like a kindly old uncle, whose wonderful stories sparked in me a life long passion for mythology. It doesn't matter that now that I've grown up and delved more deeply into the field I've come to realize that much of what he had to say about myth turned out to be hogwash. He's still Uncle Joe and I love him.
This book has literally been sitting, unread, on my shelf for decades. I bought it in high school and kept thinking "someday I'll get around to it....more
This book has literally been sitting, unread, on my shelf for decades. I bought it in high school and kept thinking "someday I'll get around to it....more
This is the third volume of Campbell's The Masks of God and each installment so far has been increasingly impressive. The first volume, Primitive Mythology dealt with pre-historic and those contemporary indigenous societies still with a paleolithic level of technology. By necessity, it depended upon archeological evidence and a lot of psychological speculations, those of Freud in particular. It made for very dry reading pretty much throughout and made me a little skeptical of his take--what if t...more
Occidental Mythology is the third book in Campbell’s The Masks of God tetralogy. This is not light reading. Densely packed, each page is loaded with historical references that make most textbooks seem like waiting room material.
I have quickly become a devotee of this man, but his writing can be overwhelming. The Masks of God is undeniably an ambitious project with its sweeping exploration of global myth. However, Campbell is so well versed in his subject I believe he forgets at times that the r...more
I have quickly become a devotee of this man, but his writing can be overwhelming. The Masks of God is undeniably an ambitious project with its sweeping exploration of global myth. However, Campbell is so well versed in his subject I believe he forgets at times that the r...more
Mar 09, 2008
Wendy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in religions, psychology etc.
The seminal work of Frazier was The Golden Bough and thus the weaving of myths...with reoccuring themes thru the history of man and memorialized in archeaology,and religions ..became apparent to me as a reader and so I was delighted to come across Campbell. Joseph Campbell's books of which I have read four, continues and amplifies this insight..with a multiplicity of examples of the weaving and reweaving of threads and elements, the different depictions of "the hero", the different presentations...more
This was one of the densest and most enjoyable books I have read in a while. Campbell constantly references the previous two volumes in the series, so it is a very easy thing to pick up the flow of the mythological connections between the various areas and eras of the world by reading this one volume. It took me quite a while to read, however, more so than any of Campbell's other works have taken. Lengthy block quotes from ancient texts litter the pages.
Dec 10, 2010
David Melbie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Students of the soul.
Recommended to David by:
I'm a big fan.
. . . how amazingly current it reads -- the clash of religions, politics, etc., that is still happening today.
This is a good read in understanding Western thought and Eastern thought, and on the fusing of the two in certain sects of both. Very interesting. --From A Reader's Journal, by d r melbie.
This is a good read in understanding Western thought and Eastern thought, and on the fusing of the two in certain sects of both. Very interesting. --From A Reader's Journal, by d r melbie.
At times, a brilliant book, at times a bit overwritten, but still quite important, looking at the evolution of mythology/religion in the West, including the decline of the Græco-Roman rule, the rise of Christian and Muslim orthodoxy and then the emergence in the Renaissance and Reformation of the idea of the individual directly his own relationship to G-d.
Not as good as the Hero with a Thousand Faces, but a good read (usually)
Not as good as the Hero with a Thousand Faces, but a good read (usually)
One of those books that is so dense that getting through it is a Haul...but the whole time you know you're gonna read it again just because you know you can get more out of it.
Part three of a masterful four part series this is the skelton key of understanding the history of Europe. It is another lifetime must read.
A dry read but eye opening about where all of these religious celebrations, images, and mythology come from.
Not a bad way to look at 20th century conceptions of the Judeo-Christian legacy.
Feb 09, 2010
Br0k3nglass
added it
The Masks of God: Occidental Mythology by Joseph Campbell (1964)
The book was different than I expected but still ok.
see above
Like everyone else at the time, I was, I admit, a true believer in Jospeh Campbell. But the more I read the more I realised how prejudiced he could be at times against Western religions..esp the Roman Catholic Church. Now, there is nothing wrong per se with being against the RCC. But there is when you let it influence how you look at other religions. Which, as it turns out, he did admit in several interviews. Which is a shame,because he had some truly original thoughts about mythology.
A systematic and fascinating comparison of the themes that underlie the art, worship, and literature of the Western world.
Mar 23, 2009
Erik Graff
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Erik by:
Richard Allen Hyde
Shelves:
religion
I read the entire Masks of God series, but not in order, being introduced to it by Rich Hyde, a friend from high school who also attended college and seminary with me, while the two of us were at grandmother's cottage together. In all of them the influence of C.G. Jung's archetype theory is pronounced.
Campbell uncovers the roots of Occidental religions by discussing the artifacts and myths of the Levant, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The common themes of the snake, the goddess, the intertwined snakes (caduceus) demonstrate the possible common influences of the subsequent traditions in these area.
The connections between Judians, Christianity, and Islam are pretty evident, but to mix in Zorastrianism, the Levant, Greek and Roman mythology and how they all intermingled was fascinating. This book truly sparked an interest for me to research the origins of the Bible.
Really very good. Very complete, covers each oriental group in detail. I was confused by the inclusion of Egypt and Mesapotamia (I don't think of either as Oriental per se) but, it was a coherant piece that had strong overarching themes. Very highly reccomended.
Don't start with this one - go read "Primitive Mythology" and then "Oriental Mythology", as the themes discussed here need to be placed in the context of the larger narrative arc developed throughout the series.
The series, overall: well worth all 2000+ pages.
The series, overall: well worth all 2000+ pages.
A truly great book. People who think that they know everything about their religion to read this in order to get an idea of what went before and what cultural/historical currents they are swimming in without knowing that they are doing so.
Interested in mythology? Read Joseph Campbell. Interested in religion? Read Joseph Campbell. Interested in art? Read Joseph Campbell. Interested in History? Read Joseph Campbell. Interested in philosophy...
This is some pretty heavy stuff, you have to really like this kind of thing, which I do, but it was one of those books I have to plow through slowly. Really cool though.
This just really hits my personal fascination with Eastern thought and spirituality. Again, it makes for great pondering...
A rich history of occidental myths, opened my mind to what a civilization can concoct to explain the mysteries around us.
probably not a great one to startup just as school starts up but whatever man J.C. is rad.
An excellent book, but somehow not as enjoyable as I wanted it to be.
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Joseph John Campbell was an American mythology professor, writer, and orator best known for his work in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion.
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Dec 23, 2010 03:28pm