Pre-Columbian America: Myths and Legends

by Donald A. Mackenzie

This volume deals with the myths and religious practices of pre-Columbian America in their relation to habits of life and the growth of civilization. The question is frankly faced whether these manifestations of ancient culture were of independent origin or had been imported from the Old World. Sample contents: glamor of gold; Indian elephant in American art; Semites, Celts and Norsemen in America; water burials and the ship of death; cremation and other burial customs; goddesses of love and food; and much more. Illustrated.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Mythology

329 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1923

About the author

Donald Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish journalist and folklorist and a prolific writer on religion, mythology and anthropology in the early 20th century.

Reviews

[Ernie Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although different many of these type books feed off each other. Every so often you get some new material but I believe that archaeology in North America is largely being ignored.

[Mali Belizec · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book wanting to know more about myths of American civilization. Instead of focusing on myths of those civilizations author compared them to european or asian one wanting to show the conection. Basically all book is just made of comparisons, which made the book less of a book about Maya, Inka and Aztecs and more of a book about China, Egypt and Babylon.