Product Description

This reference work lists all the known gods through recorded history. Entries provide the name of each deity (with alternate spellings). The tribe or culture that worshiped the deity is identified, and the god's origins and functions are explained.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2074727 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 610 pages

Review
'The encyclopedia has over 10,000 entries, surely making it one of the most comprehensive collections of information on this topic ... All of the known ancient gods, many of them obscure or known only from mythological literature, are included in this exhaustive reference book ... The reader will find deities and myths often missing from standard collections, notably those from the Inuit, Native American and African cultures and religions ... A perfect reference book for any library ... its usage will be immense ... an essential purchase.' Reference Reviews

From the Back Cover
The history of the divine is the history of human thought. For as long as men and women have pondered the mysteries of their existence, they have answered their own questions with stories of gods and goddesses. Belief in these deities shaped whole civilizations, yet today many of their names and images lie buried.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities makes those names available to the general reader as well as the scholar. This reference work lists all the known gods through recorded history. Alphabetically arranged entries provide the name of each deity (with alternate spellings), as well as notes on names that may be linguistically or functionally related. The tribe or culture that worshiped the deity is identified, and the god's origins and functions are explained.

An extensive bibliography provides opportunities for further research and an exhaustive index provides access to the entries through virtually all names, forms and kinds of deities.