Abrahams, Roger D. African Folktales: Traditional Stories of the Black World. New York: Pantheon Books, 1983. A diverse collection of nearly 100 stories from across the African continent selected and retold by
Abrahams.
Addiss, Steven, ed. Japanese Ghosts and Demons: Art of the Supernatural. New York: George
Brazilier, Inc., 1985. A collection of scholarly essays about the appearance of various legendary figures in Japanese art. Some of the stories about these figures are incorporated into the essays.
Bruhac, Joseph. Native American Stories. Golden, Colo.: Fulcrum Publishing, 1991. A rich collection of stories drawn from native cultures of North America retold by Bruhac.
Eberhard, Wolfram, ed. Folktales of China. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1965. A collection of 79 stories organized according to themes including the origins of human, animal, and plant characteristics, tales of love, and persons with magic powers. Includes six tales from
Communist China.
Erdoes, Richard, and Alfonso Ortiz. American Indian Myths and Legends. New York: Pantheon Books, 1984. A very comprehensive collection of myths and legends organized according to themes, such as creation stories, tales of love, and tales of animals. This book includes an extensive bibliography.
Guirand, Felix, ed. New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. London: The Hamlyn Publishing
Group, Ltd. 1972. A popular comprehensive encyclopedia of mythology with an introduction by Robert Graves and chapters by various authors dedicated to the mythology of many world cultures. Provides excellent background to many belief systems, pantheons, and stories. Heavily illustrated with art works from around the world.
Hall, James. Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art. 1974. New York: Harper & Row, 1979. This is an excellent source for summaries of stories from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and from the Christian world. Very useful for identifying and interpreting the attributes of many mythological characters as they appear in art works.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. 1942. New York: Meridian, 1989. Still one of the best sources for the myths of ancient Greece and Rome. A brief look at Norsemythology is also included.
Leeming, David Adams. The World of Myth: An Anthology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. An excellent source for looking at shared themes in mythology from around the world. This anthology covers such cosmic themes as The Creation, The Flood, The Afterlife, The Apocalypse, as well as myths of the gods, hero myths, and place and object myths. Each chapter is followed by
a bibliography.
Spence, Lewis. Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends. 1915. New York: Dover, 1990. A thorough study of the many beliefs, gods, and stories of Ancient Egypt.