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Loading... Sacred Skies: The Facts and the Fablesby Finn Bevan
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From the earliest times, people have told stories about the natural world -- stories that celebrate Earth's wonders and explain its mysteries. This fascinating series of books studies these myths and legends, as well as the facts that inspired them. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresNo genres Melvil Decimal System (DDC)398.26Social sciences Customs, Etiquette, Folklore Folklore Folk literature Tales and lore involving physical and natural phenomenaLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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In The Day the Sun Went Out, Amaterasu - the Japanese goddess of the sun - retreats to a cave after an argument with her brother Susano, the storm god, plunging the world into darkness. Lady in the Moon relates the tale of the Chinese goddess Chang E, whose foolish action - in swallowing all of the elixir of everlasting life - lands her on the moon. The Greek myth of Orion the Hunter, and how he became a constellation, is retold in The Hunter in the Sky; while the Aztec tradition, in which the life-giving rains are create by the god Tlaloc, is set out in Lord of the Rains. The existence of the rainbow is explained in the Aboriginal tale, The Rainbow Comes to Earth, in which a rainbow spirit lives for a time with the people, in the shape of a snake. Finally, the Norse legend concerning the loss of Mjöllnir - the hammer of the mighty god Thor, which, when used to kill giants, caused the lightning and thunder - is told in Thor's Lost Hammer.
I liked the concept of this series, tying legend and myth to place, and demonstrating the importance of geography in shaping culture and belief. I also liked the overall presentation of this volume, with the pairing of fact and fiction. Diana Mayo's accompanying illustrations were colorful and charming - I particularly liked the beautiful portraits of Amaterasu and Chang E. The tales themselves were somewhat simplistic retellings of more complicated stories, but perhaps that is to be expected in a volume that is aimed at elementary school students. All in all, an engaging start to this thematic folktales series! ( )