Teutonic Mythology - Volume 2

The linguist and philologist Jacob Grimm (17851863) is best remembered as co-editor with his brother Wilhelm of Grimm''s Fairy Tales though their great Deutsches Wrterbuch remains an influential reference work. Grimm''s exhaustive study in comparative mythology and religion Deutsche Mythologie was first published in German in 1835: this English translation published between 1880 and 1888 is of the posthumous fourth German edition of 1875. Drawing on his broad knowledge of language and world mythology Grimm outlines a wide variety of themes in Germanic folklore (such as time creation destiny and the soul) comparing them to classical and oriental tales as well as charting the influence of Christianity on legends and on Pagan religion. Volume 2 focuses on legendary creatures such as giants elves dwarves and sprites. Erudite and full of insight this is an invaluable resource for scholars of mythology and religion as well as of German cultural history.