American Indian Myths and Legends (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore… (original 1984; edition 1985)

This is an excellant collection of the oral myths and legends of the Native American people. It is well organized with the various legends having common elements. The only way I found to truly enjoy the book was to get out of the Western Thinking mode as it applies to myths and legends. These stories do not necessarily have a moral behind it, and quite often no real begining or end. They often are just a partial episode that could reflect on centuries into a tribes traditions.

It is interesting to note the similarities of tales from peoples on opposite sides of the continent. It seems that life itself becomes legend, as chance encounters with new animals or tribes from distant lands give rise to the creation of a story.

All in all, a great book which should be in everyone's library. ( )

I liked the story, the scabby one lights the sky. IT was about how the sun and earth came to be.

A very readable (not bogged down in technicalities and footnotes) collection of Native American folklore/mythology. Read about half so far ( )

Book Description: Pantheon New York 1984. 528 pgs. including index, bibliography, appendix. Illustrated with b&w illustrations. Pages clean & tight.

Bought new at Smithsonian, Natural History Museum

Japanese Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale & Folklore Library) : I have yet to encounter one of the Pantheon folklore series that was not a good read. This is no exception. My regret is that they have not published more and that some of their folklore books seem out of print. I enjoyed this book and I am happy to recommend it. I have one other book on the subject (purchased over ten years ago) and this one complements the first.