Hindu Myths: From Ancient Cosmology to Gods and Demons

by Martin J. Dougherty

Illustrated with 180 photographs, artworks, and maps, Hindu Myths is an engaging exploration of a fascinating and highly influential religion.
 
Hinduism is quite possibly the oldest religion, populated by countless gods, from elephant-headed Ganesha to the fierce, blue Kali. Hindu Myths provides an excellent introduction to the religion’s varying tales of creation, major texts, and principal concerns. It explores such classics as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata —the latter being the longest-known epic in history—along with the puranas , stories where the gods battle for supremacy; the deities, including Brahma, Vishnu, and Lakshmi; and personalities such as Krishna, Lakshmana, and Hanuman.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Mythology, Hinduism

224 pages, Hardcover

Published October 14, 2020

About the author

Hailing from northeast England, Martin J Dougherty is a professional writer specialising in military history. He has been at times a games designer, an engineer, a self-protection instructor, a teacher and a defence analyst. Martin has published a range of books covering topics as diverse as self-protection, medieval warfare and space flight, and has addressed international conferences on anti-shipping missiles and homeland security issues.

Martin's interests include martial arts and fencing. He has coached Fencing, Ju-Jitsu, Self-Defence and Kickboxing for many years at the University of Sunderland, and has competed to national level as a fencer. As a martial artist he holds black belts in Combat Ju-Jitsu, Nihon Tai-Jitsu and Self-Defence. Martin is a Senior Assessor with the Self-Defence Federation and an IL1 instructor/assessor with the Britsh Federation for Historical Swordplay, specialising in the Military Sabre and the Smallsword.

Reviews

[Radwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

English Review Below.

الكتاب ده لخبطني لأبعد حد. نوعا ما كانت البداية فيها تمهل في الحديث عن عالم ومفاهيم والأفكار الهندوسية، وفجأة بدأ يذكر كل الأسماء الممكنة بشكل يعجز أي شخص مبتدئ عن متابعته، وده شيء مش مناسب مع حاجة زي الديانة الهندوسية اللي بنلاقي فيها الإله الواحد له 20 اسم أو تجسيد.

الكتاب ده مش للمبتدئين في القراءة عن الديانات الوضعية زي الهندوسية أو اللي مقروش عنها قبل كده. لأن عالمها كبير، والكاتب مش بيساعد جدا رغم أن تقسيمة الفصول جيدة جدا.

مشكلة الديانة الهندوسية أن الكثير من قصصها وأساطيرها وحتى قصص الخلق في ديانتهم متناقضة جدا، فلما يكون شخص مبتدئ بيقرأ الكتاب ده هيحس بتوهان شديد. عجبني على الأقل أنه كان فيه صور كتيرة ورسومات بتوضح كتير من الآلهة اللي اتكلم عنها، بس منصحوش لحد حابب يقرأ في الموضوع ومقراش عنه حاجة تانية قبل كده. مش هيعرف يواكب الكتاب.

This book was so all over the place.

It kinda started slow introducing you to the main concepts of Hinduism, and then suddenly it was very info-dumpy and writing name after name after name, which isn't in favor a topic line Hinduism, where a single deity could have over 20 names/reincarnations/forms.

This book isn't for the beginner who haven't read anything about Hinduism before, because it's a vast world of lore. They myths are so very different and a lot of them contradict each other, and if this was your first read about Hinduism, sadly you'll be very lost.

I appreciate the pictures and the chapters divide but it should've been clearer especially for beginners.

I thank Netgalley and Amber Books for the digital ARC, and this is my honest review.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the introduction to the subject this book pretend to be! I'm totally new to the hindu myths and was really looking forward to read this book. I did enjoy it. I did learn a lot. But I also had some problem getting into it, not understanding, but remember and connect every dots. There is tons!!!! of information in it, lot of name (a glossary sure would have help!) and it became confusing and hard to get through it. I thought maybe I was just dumb, but a lot of reviews seem to go in the same way.

It's a good book, a good work of reference on the topic, even if it could have been better organized, but honestly... not for beginners, maybe more for amateurs who want to deep dive a bit more into it, but for the newbies, it just felt overwhelming with too many information. I am always a reader who complain about book not going deep enough or being too light and this is my punishment for it!

[Eule Luftschloss · Rating 3 out of 5]

trigger warning
kidnapping, rape, suicide, mutilation

This book serves as an introduction to Hinduism, where it came from, which are the most important gods and other figures in the myths, illustrated by beautiful pictures of artwort.

I reached for this because my understanding of Hinduism was pretty basic before reading this book. I could have told you a hand full of gods, maybe even thrown in a name like Hanuman, and then shrugged. Reading the first Aru Shah novel this year made me realise I want to know more, so here we are.

I have a few problems with this book. The information given feels very, very unstructured and I had the impression that different sections had different writers who didn't exactly know what was going into the other articles. No footnotes.
The layout was annoying, drawing sentences over the border presented by the pictures, putting in boxes with extra information before you even had finished what you just read. I really don't like that level of attention, though it's not the author's fault.

What is are the multiple instances of awkward phrasing. Not having looked up the author before reading this, I thought maybe they're not an English native speaker, because nearly every page in the sections where the myths are retold have parts in which the most extra word was used, if it fits in or not. No feeling for language.
Now that I looked the author up and see a white guy from UK before me... I have my opinions. Let's leave it at that.

Next time I'll make sure to have either a person specialised in the topic or, on top of that, someone with a personal connection to this religion.

In retrospect, I'd have liked a short excourse on Hinduism now - roughly how many people are thought to self-identify as hinduist? Apart from India, in which countries can they be found? This is not a dead topic that ended with the last myth being written. The people are still around.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is definitely not for beginners!!
The blurb of this book says "an accessible introduction" but i couldn't disagree more. I found this book incredibly intricate and way too detailed for a beginner like myself. I felt incredibly alienated by this book and found it very hard to follow.
If you are going in to this book with very limited knowledge on the topics, I think there are probably better 'beginner' books for you. However, if you are already familiar with the themes and have a stronger knowledge then I think you would get a lot out of it.

That being said, it is an incredibly beautiful book. The pictures included are amazing, and fascinating.

I struggled to keep up with the content within the book, but the pictures helped and were hugely appreciated.

[Victor Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An immensely complex subject succinctly summarized. A solid primer for further study.

[Marcy Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know whether I am really dumb, or if this book was a bit too advanced to be a beginner’s book.

I love anything to do with mythology, but I had never ventured into Hindu myths before because I knew they were difficult to follow, and I was right. When this came up I was looking forward to finally understanding some of them, but this felt tailored to people who know more than a passing knowledge of Hindu mythology. If you are a complete beginner like myself then this is going to be a struggle.

I loved the images presented. They were photographed wonderfully, so I appreciated them a lot. The book is well researched and informative, but it’s a bit too steep for my understanding.

[Brooke, · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hindu Myths: From Cosmology to Gods and Demons is an example of scholarly work that asserts itself to be “an excellent introduction to understanding the varying tales of creation in Hinduism” but isn’t remotely accessible for a reader without some form of understanding of Hinduism and the related myths, gods and demons. When I requested this title and was approved, I was hopeful the text would join up the dots within my understanding of Hinduism. I was excited to learn more about Hanuman and Shiva and Ganesh. I was looking forward to a history of India and the social constructs that make Hinduism one of the largest world religions.

Dougherty, a prolific writer going by Goodreads, has taken an opportunity for educating via entertainment and squandered it on dry prose. I also need to question if he was the best writer to create this book. His biography states he specialises “in military and defence topics” and his back catalogue supports this. Why, though, was this topic given to Dougherty when there must have been at least one Indian Hindu who could have taken on the work.

I feel that someone with sympathy towards the topic might have produced a work that felt more inclusive of all readers. A text that doesn’t jump from one topic to the next before unpacking the ideas and contextualising them. I recognise this would have made the book far larger but the book it could have become would have been comprehensive in both history, society, religion and myth.

Readers aren’t stupid. They select books they hope will give them enjoyment, education, peace, escapism, but in Hindu Myths, some readers won’t find any of this. I feel sad that I spent hours waiting to feel an understanding, a connection that never eventuated. Ultimately, there are better teachers and sources of knowledge than this book can ever hope to be.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hindu Myths: From Cosmology to Gods, Demons and Magic by Martin J Dougherty is an attractive book that covers quite a bit of information in a relatively limited space. I found the text interesting and the images very nice.

I don't know where to place myself as far as previous knowledge of Hinduism is concerned. I am not a practitioner but have taken a few courses where some texts were covered. In particular, as much for how recent as for how comprehensive, is a MOOC on edX titled Hinduism Through Its Scriptures (offered by Harvard). I think that background gave me enough of a foundation to appreciate what Dougherty covered. I can't speak for how it might read for someone with absolutely no basic understanding. That said, I do think it will serve as an interesting introduction for beginners even if they feel a little lost at first.

I admit that my biggest interest in the title was the photographs and other images. While this is not as image heavy as some such books, there is a wealth of historic and artistic pictures that are presented very well in conjunction with the text.

I definitely recommend this to most readers interested in Hinduism though I will caution readers who might know up front that they don't want to read any further than this one book. This works better as an introduction for readers who might want to explore Hinduism a little more than for those who want to consider this their entire introduction. If you're mostly interested in the visual aspects, then I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Chaitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it showed up on Netgalley around the time I was engaged in a discussion about Hindu myths with a friend. I’m probably not the right person to review this, because this was more of a refresher for me. I grew up with these myths, and while none are wrongly presented, it definitely didn’t offer anything new. Hindu myth is also not something that can be condensed into 250 pages. I’m sure that’s the case with most mythologies, but more so with the Hindu pantheon, because of how it’s still actively believed by a billion people and it’s mostly open to change in interpretation.

It’s a very well put together book though, so for anyone who wants a basic look at the origin stories of some of these gods it’s a good enough reference book. I’d suggest starting with the epics, since those are actual written stories, and have less contradictory back stories. There are still a huge amount of names though, and there’s not much one can do about that. Indians use those stories and names on a daily basis, as in the names of our people, in idioms, as analogies and as curses (the asuras are particularly good for this), and I still got tired of the multitude. I can only imagine the confusion of someone with no background in this subject. The book also leaves out a ton of material, which is also expected.

The author strives to keep it all impersonal and chatty, and I mostly enjoyed the book. I just don’t know if it’s a beginner level book. I’d maybe call it intermediate.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Zeb Kantrowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hinduism, like the three Abrahamic religions of the Middle East, has no real precursor or major offshoot. It does have a multiplicity of founding books that have been rewritten over the last thousands years. Unlike Christianity, (but like Islam and Judaism) the original books exist in their original language but many are copies that do not agree with each other. This has led to a minor schism among different worshipers.

Unlike the other major religions, Hindus do not need a congregation or have a religious leader. The purpose of the religion is to give people a template from which they can work to elevate their consciousness as they work their way to perfection. In this book Dougherty concentrates mostly on two of the major books, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (which contains the Bhagavad Gita) that cover the mythology and cosmology of Hinduism.

There is an amazing amount of information in this short book (224 pages) but at least 20% is repetitious or so convoluted you can't consider it as written for a novice. If you want to know more you have to find a sage and spend many years at his/her feet listening to the stories of how to become a better human being. But fear thee not, if you don't finish in this life, you can do it in one of your next.

[Mana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very interested in different religions and myths of the world, so I was very delighted when I got a chance to read Hindu Myths.

Hinduism is the third and possibly the most ancient and widely followed religion in the modern world. The diversity is a part of the Hindu religion, there are many practices, innumerable variants on common myths and a number of conflicting versions of the same tale.

This book by Martin J. Dougherty offers everything about Hindu culture; basic facts, history of India, great introduction of two major epics Mahabharata and Ramayana and of course presents many Hindu deities.

Hinduism has a concept that each atman/soul is not really individual, separateness is an illusion. All souls are part of great cosmic oneness, the Brahman.
So there are many Hindu gods, but they came into being after the creation of the universe. It is a religion of one and many gods.

The Hindu Myths is very thorough, systematic and well written book with many photographs and illustrations and interdisciplinary approach. It is obvious that similar conceps of world myths have a common origin.

Perfect for all who want to broaden their horizons.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The colorful illustrations in this gorgeous book make it easy to keep track of all the events, gods and mortals in Hindu Myths. I’m ashamed to say that my knowledge of the matter was reduced to Kali and Ganesha, even if other names and concepts were familiar, so I was worried I was going to get lost. The information is greatly reduced to make it manageable and it’s still not too easy to follow, as there are so many events and characters. I had to take my time, go back and forth (I’ve never been so thankful of the “search” function on my computer) and I’m sure I still missed some things. Still, the effort was worth it. The author successfully condenses the information while keeping all the necessary details to make everything clear. It’s fascinating to find commonalities with other myths and religions, from ancient Greece to Christianity. Other concepts are original and very specific to Hindu Myths. This book requires care and attention from the reader, but the reward is as long as the 18 volumes of the Mahabharata.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Amber Books!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hindu Myths" by Martin J. Dougherty does an incredible job of narrowing down the highly complex and lengthy history of the Hindu religion into comprehensive, key elements for those interested in learning about Hinduism.

No religion is easy to understand or explore as a beginner, and that is especially true of Hinduism. There are a lot of tough terms, ideas, and topics to wrap one's mind around and keep track of. Trying to narrow down a long history and an abundance of information into a single text is not easy, but I found "Hindu Myths" was able to divide this information under major headings and provide a variety of examples to explain these tough concepts. The photos were a beautiful addition, giving more depth and insight into the myths, deities, and history of Hinduism to create a further understanding of the topics being presented in the text itself.

There is no singular text that is able to perfectly and comprehensively compress years of religion and all of its ideas and conceptions into one simple text. Religion is not a novel you can read in one sitting, but something to muse over and think about over a period of time. Dougherty has definitely highlighted many important key events, ideas, terms, deities, and concepts for readers to sit and think about. A beautiful and highly informative text about the fascinating and influential world Hinduism has to offer.

[April Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting overview of Hindu mythology, offering a lot of information. It might be a little overwhelming for a beginner, though I wouldn't say beginners should avoid it either. The accompanying photographs and artwork are really wonderful, and add so much to the overall book. The text jumps around a bit, but it is a good reference for the subject matter. Recommended.

#HinduMyths #NetGalley

[Ankit Dhirasaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is an amazing amount of information in this short book (224 pages) but at least 20% is repetitious or so convoluted you can't consider it as written for a novice. If you want to know more you have to find a sage and spend many years at his/her feet listening to the stories of how to become a better human being. But fear thee not, if you don't finish in this life, you can do it in one of your next.

[Harsh Parashar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well researched. But that's an obstacle in its reading, because it doesn't allow you to enjoy the reading process. It reads like an academic book with plenty of bibliography.

I found the analogies with Western myths and author's remarks on changes and comparisons across orthodox literature very fascinating. Some stories are not very well known.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book- history, stories, religious facts and lots more. An informative book which really helps you understand Hinduism, whilst also telling fascinating stories.

[Tani]

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.

[Matt Sharland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as introductory as i needed it to be but will just have to read again.

[Johanna Beachy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book before it was archived and removed from my shelf. From what I did read (which wasn’t much) I was not overly impressed and did not find it to be as exciting and informative as I had thought it might be. It seemed to take an interesting topic and make it bland.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Amber Books for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is richly illustrated, and well set up providing the reader first with a foundation of hinduisms beliefs and history, making for a wonderful journey through the basics of its religious concepts, beliefs, cosmology and practices. I do not consider myself a novice on the topic, as I have previously read translations of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, know of the trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and their respective vehicles and consorts, and in the past took time to distinguish the panoply of colourful hindu gods.

Still, after making my way through the familiar epics, I found myself mired down by the multitude of different characters of the puranas and was left dazed and bewildered when the book detailed the other sages, king and personalities. I was simply left at a loss on how to tie the multitude of diverse characters together. Sometimes I was simply confused by similar-sounding names as in the example of Bhima and Bhisma appearing beside each other in the Mahabharata. But other times, I felt at a loss what lessons could or should be drawn from the stories. What about caves becoming pregnant by virtue of having semen hidden in them or - while we're on the topic of semen - semen being caught in a bowl of leaves which is subsequently dropped in a river by an eagle thus impregnating a poor passing apsara. Or poor Indra being cursed so throughly that his genitals fell off and had to have them replaced by those of a goat!

So in the end, I concur with some other reviews that this is a most beautiful book, but directed to the reader who is more of a hinduism specialist with a sufficient enough basis to be able to tie the stories together into a more coherent whole.