English Mythology

The Aztecs believed offerings of human blood and human lives were necessary to the continued running of the universe. Indeed, in Aztec myths, the gods themselves make sacrifices of their own blood and even of their entire bodies in order to create a universe humans can live in and, in one story, to create humans themselves. To the ancient Aztecs, these practices seemed fitting, necessary, and honorable, helping to connect the world of humans to the divine world of the gods, a universe that in Aztec myth took shape in cycles of creation, destruction, and rebirth.

Do you want to learn everything about Celtic myths and Gods? Now you can follow the origins of the Celts, explore their unique myths, and dive into a world of Gods, Monsters, and Heroes! In this all-inclusive guide to Celtic Mythology, you will be able to follow the adventures of the Celts through history and understand the true meaning behind popular myths.

The second book in a three-volume collection, The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals tells the incredible true stories of some of the mortals who achieved notoriety in history and folklore through horrible means. Monsters of this sort - serial killers, desperate criminals, and socially mobile people with a much darker double life - are, in fact, quite real.

Richard Dawkins, the world’s most famous evolutionary biologist, presents a gorgeously lucid, science book examining some of the nature’s most fundamental questions both from a mythical and scientific perspective. Science is our most precise and powerful tool for making sense of the world. Before we developed the scientific method, we created rich mythologies to explain the unknown. The pressing questions that primitive men and women asked are the same ones we ask as children. Who was the first person? What is the sun? Why is there night and day?

The land of Ascarlia, a fabled realm of bloodied steel and epic sagas, has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries. No one has dared question their rule. Until now. Whispers speak of longships of mysterious tattooed warriors, sailing under the banners of a murderous cult of oath-breakers long thought extinct. A tide of black steel that threatens to vanquish all in its path. Thera of the Blackspear, favored servant of the Sister Queens, is ordered to uncover the truth. As Thera sails north, her reviled brother, Felnir, sets out on his own adventure.

Charles Chandler's dream early retirement to the English Riviera becomes a paranormal nightmare as a sordid family secret literally comes back to haunt him! Through his former employment at the Home Office, Charles is referred to paranormal investigator Malachi Hunter. Mal and his team attempt to deal with escalating phenomena at the Chandler home, but run into an unexpected family problem of their own, with disastrous results. Meanwhile, occultist Pasha Sokolov learns of the existence of Celtic God Camulos, and launches an audacious expedition to extract the God of Warfare from Wolfe ...

Monsters, spirits, fantastic beings, and supernatural creatures haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yōkai, they appear in many forms, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water sprites, to shape-shifting kitsune foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Popular today in anime, manga, film, and video games, many yōkai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories. The Book of Yōkai invites listeners to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them.

Relics of a mysterious god, the Spice Gates connect the eight far-flung kingdoms, each separated by a distinct spice and only accessible by those born with a special mark. This is not a caste of distinction, though, but one of subjugation: Spice Carriers suffer the lashes of their masters, the weight of the spices they bear on their backs, and the jolting pain of the Gates themselves.

Martín Prechtel revives a hitherto unknown Guatemalan Tzutujil Mayan tale of the beginnings of the world with a poetic retelling of the story. Prechtel authoritatively retells the powerful tale of the Tall Girl who weaves the world in a loom, her parents the Sun and the Moon who repudiate her suitors, and the mysterious man who disguises himself as a hummingbird to lure her away.

Cash Cassidy goes against her husband’s wishes and departs Wales for South America to seek El Dorado, the famed lost city of gold. When she’s pursued by authorities, robbed of a critical item, and abandoned by the smugglers who were her guides, it’s up to Cash to find her way to safety to El Dorado. Meanwhile, Cash’s husband is desperate to find her—he’ll do anything to save her from a terrible fate. Cash travels undercover on the odyssey of a lifetime through jungles, across mountains, and even across borders. After she meets a man who reveals more clues about the whereabouts ...

UFO abductions, television psychics, paranormal phenomena, skeptics and believers alike, find themselves debating truths and lies in the strange web of pseudoscience and the occult. Now, director of the Skeptics Society Michael Shermer explores the very human reasons why we find other worldly phenomena, conspiracy theories, and cults so appealing.

Egypt is a vibrant and diverse country with some of the most impressive sights in the world. Its history was dominated by powerful figures who changed the course of world history. Ever since the legacy of the ancient pharaohs was uncovered, the public imagination has been captivated by stories of wealthy rulers and deadly curses. How much is true? And how much is speculation?

In a realm where betrayal burns hotter than Hellfire, choosing the wrong ally might cost more than your soul. The Underworld is fracturing. Demons vanish without a trace. Founders build armies in the shadows. And Ezekial Sunstone—demon without magic but heir to Lucifer's throne—stands at the center of the coming storm. When a trusted ally betrays those Zeke cares most about, friends become prisoners and mentors become martyrs. Now, with a mysterious entity called "One" whispering riddles in his mind and the Hellfire refusing his command, Zeke must forge impossible alliances with angels,...

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It is of immense importance to the culture of the Indian subcontinent and is a major text of Hinduism. Its discussion of human goals (artha or 'purpose', kama or 'pleasure', dharma or 'duty' and moksha or 'liberation') takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world (the nature of the 'self') and the workings of karma.

Following feedback from reviewers,third Revised Edition! Suspense and mythological fantasy mixed with sci-fi. In a remote and forgotten human colony in a remote solar system, a new unorthodox god is born from the “life energy” of an atheistic country. This event is a mythological paradox because this god thrives on the growth of human knowledge and spirit, and does not want to be worshiped. The surrounding countries are religious and ruled by “conventional” gods who demand total and blind obedience. These "regular" gods understood the danger of this new strange god instantly. ...

Death is not the end of Bryn’s story. It’s only the beginning. Brynja Danelsdottir never dreamed of being a Valkyrie, but the Fates have their own designs: Bryn’s plans to escape her family’s poverty and travel the world are destroyed when she gets pregnant by the chieftain’s son, and her once-lover betrays and kills her. Now the goddess Freya has summoned Bryn’s spirit to Asgard, the world of the gods, and offered her a choice: join the Valkyries in protecting humanity and Asgard alike, or stride through oblivion’s gate, and face the final end. Bryn refuses to be cast away, ...

While there are many books that explore China’s history, public knowledge is still lacking. Many people can name more than one Roman Emperor, but how many can name a Chinese Emperor?

Japan has seen the rise and fall of emperors, samurai warriors, isolation, expansion, defeat, rebirth, and much more. In this book we explore the magnificent history of Japan from its early origins to its rise as a modern superpower.

I see this book as an Unfinished Symphony and tribute to a man who even in his own time attained legendary and even mythic status. This was originally a long paper written for a Folklore class at the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. Even though it was just a term paper, I poured my heart into the project, reading everything I could about Morrison, listening to the Doors music, and reflecting on why Morrison was just so damn charismatic. Reading it through again today, I feel it still holds up and will definitely be of interest to Doors fans and those interested in exploring the man ...

Now we are all pawns in a war against the gods… The four of us (Skarde, Fyrcat, Torsten, and I) all have one common goal: to find the goddess Freya and convince her to join us against Odin to end the forever Winter that’s overcome the earth. But along the way, we encounter more and more hostile enemies—the forces of Odin sent to deter us on our mission. Not only that, but we’re also suffering internal battles as we all struggle to understand whom we can trust and whom we can’t. Will the ice of the forever Winter eventually overtake us, or will we be successful in our mission ...