An exploration of beliefs, traditions and customs from around the globe and throughout history. An extensive introduction highlights key themes of myths across cultures, including the origins and significance of prehistoric wonders, creation myths and cosmologies, the Earth mother, gods and goddesses, heroes and villains, warrior leaders, the interrelationship between animals and deities, and the underworld and afterlife. Subsequent chapters, each written by an expert in the field, examine specific mythologies of different cultures, including Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian; Egyptian; Greek and Roman; Norse, Celtic, Teutonic and Slavic; African; Indian; Chinese and Japanese; North, Central and South American; and Australasian and Oceanic cultures. Coverage includes: living one's life in the context of a mythology; establishment of the pantheons, or collections of deities; interactions between gods and goddesses; gods of war and conquest, the elements, death and the underworld, and animal and household gods; a historical background to each period; works of art depicting the deities, heroes and legends; epic stories; and location maps.