Bücher der Reihe Mythos: The Princeton/Bollingen Series in World Mythology

The tales told of Orpheus are legion. He is said to have been an Argonaut - and to have saved Jason's life. Did Orpheus, in fact, exist? His influence on Greek thought is undeniable, but his disciples left little of substance behind them. This work attempts to uncover and define Orphism by following its circuitous path through ancient history.

Zohar, or 'brilliant light,' is the central text of Kabbalah. In Jewish mystical tradition, it is the meeting of midrash (storytelling that expands on events in the Bible) and myth. This selection offers translations of eight of the well developed narratives in the Zohar along with notes and detailed commentary.

A collection of magical texts from ancient Egypt. It shows the exotic rituals, esoteric healing practices, and incantatory and supernatural dimensions that flowered in early Christianity. It explores the place of healing, prayer, miracles, and magic in the early Christian experience.

Drawing on both Eastern and Western literature, this is an anthology of stories linked by the theme of conflict with the forces of evil. Beginning with a tale from the "Arabian Nights", this theme unfolds in stories from early Hinduism, Irish paganism, the Arthurian cycle and other legends.

The Swiss thinker JJ Bachofen is most often connected with his theory of matriarchy, or 'mother right,'. This book includes an autobiographical essay and selections from "An Essay on Ancient Mortuary Symbolism", "Mother Right", and "The Myth of Tanaquil".

In this in-depth exploration of the symbols found in Navaho legend and ritual, Gladys Reichard discusses the attitude of the tribe members toward their place in the universe, their obligation toward humankind and their gods, and their conception of the supernatural, as well as how the Navaho achieve a harmony within their world through symbolic ceremonial practice.Originally published in 1963.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Gnosticism, together with alchemy, was for C G Jung the chief prefiguration of his analytical psychology. Jung did not simply interpret Gnostic texts psychologically but also cited them as confirmation of his psychology. The author has searched the Jungian corpus to bring together Jung's main discussions of this ancient form of spirituality.

The medieval legend of the Grail, a tale about the search for supreme mystical experience, has never ceased to intrigue writers and scholars by its wildly variegated forms. This title shows how the Grail, once a Celtic vessel of plenty, evolved into the Christian Grail with miraculous powers.

This volume presents the most important portions of Erwin Goodenough's classic thirteen-volume work, a magisterial attempt to encompass human spiritual history in general through the study of Jewish symbols in particular. Revealing that the Jewish religion of the period was much more varied and complex than the extant Talmudic literature would lead us to believe, Goodenough offered evidence for the existence of a Hellenistic-Jewish mystic mythology far closer to the Qabbalah than to rabbinical Judaism.Originally published in 1989.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Brings to a wide audience one of the most innovative and meaningful models of God for this post-Auschwitz era. In a return to the original Hebrew conception of God, which questions accepted conceptions of divine omnipotence, this title defines God's authorship of the world as a consequence of his victory in his struggle with evil.