These are the books I use when I research the myths, gods and beliefs behind my music. Every title here is an old public-domain work, so you can read it online or download it for free. Search by title, author or topic, or open the short note under each book to see what it is about.
Adonis, Attis, Osiris by J. G. Frazer (1907): A volume of Frazer's Golden Bough studying the dying-and-rising gods of the ancient Near East: Adonis in Syria, Attis in Phrygia and Osiris in Egypt. Frazer links their cults to farming, the seasons and the yearly return of life.Daemonologie by King James VI (1597): King James VI of Scotland wrote this dialogue in 1597, before he became king of England. It argues that witchcraft, sorcery and spirits are real, and it is a key source for what people believed about witches in early modern Europe.Demonology and Devil-Lore, Vol. 1 by M. D. Conway (1879): The first volume of Conway's wide survey of devils, demons and evil spirits across cultures. It follows how beliefs about the devil formed in different parts of the world and how they travelled.Demonology and Devil-Lore, Vol. 2 by M. D. Conway (1879): The second volume of Conway's survey of demons, devils and evil spirits. It continues the comparison of beliefs from many peoples and traces how the figure of the devil took shape.Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia by R. C. Thompson (1903): Translations of Babylonian and Assyrian cuneiform incantation texts against demons, ghosts and sickness, with Thompson's notes. A direct window into how people in ancient Mesopotamia explained misfortune and protected themselves.Egyptian Myth and Legend by D. A. Mackenzie (1907): Mackenzie retells the myths and legends of ancient Egypt: the creation stories, the gods Ra, Isis and Osiris, and the tales of magic and kings, with notes on the sources.Greek Mythology Systematized by S. A. Scull (1880): A tidy handbook that arranges the Greek gods, heroes and their family trees into an organized reference. Useful when you want to see who belongs to whom.Mythology of All Races by Various authors, ed. L. H. Gray (1916–1932): A large scholarly series edited by L. H. Gray, with each volume written by specialists on one region. The volumes in my archive cover Norse, Celtic, Slavic, Finno-Ugric, Siberian, Semitic, Armenian, African, Chinese, Japanese, Oceanic, North American and Latin American mythology.Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection, Vol. 1 by E. A. W. Budge (1911): Budge's two-volume study of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead, and the Egyptian belief in resurrection. It draws on papyri, tomb texts and monuments and is richly illustrated.Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection, Vol. 1 (part B) by E. A. W. Budge (1911): The second half of the first volume of Budge's study of Osiris and Egyptian resurrection beliefs. It continues with texts, rituals and illustrations from tombs and papyri.The Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus by A. E. Waite (trans.) (1894): A. E. Waite's English translation of the alchemical and hermetic works of Paracelsus, the Renaissance physician and alchemist, with a biographical introduction.Bible Myths and Their Parallels in Other Religions by T. W. Doane (1882): Doane compares Biblical stories with myths and legends from other religions to argue for shared sources. A freethought work of its time and a good starting point for comparative religion.Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (12 volumes) by J. Hastings (ed.) (1908–1926): Hastings' twelve-volume reference work on the religions, rituals, beliefs and ethics of peoples across the world, published between 1908 and 1926. Entries are written by specialists of that era.Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia by W. R. Smith (1885): William Robertson Smith examines tribal organization, descent and marriage in pre-Islamic Arabia and the religious ideas tied to them. An early and influential work on the ancient Semitic world.A Text-Book of North-Semitic Inscriptions by G. A. Cooke (1903): Cooke collects Moabite, Hebrew, Phoenician, Aramaic and related inscriptions with translations and commentary, including the famous Moabite stone. A primary-source book for ancient languages and religions.Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament by W. Gesenius, trans. S. P. Tregelles (1857): The classic dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, translated by S. P. Tregelles. A standard tool for studying word origins and meanings in the Hebrew Bible.Bulfinch's Mythology by T. Bulfinch (1855): Thomas Bulfinch's popular retelling of Greek and Roman myths, with later sections on Norse and other legends. Written for general readers and still one of the easiest introductions.Myths of Greece and Rome by H. A. Guerber (1893): Guerber retells the stories of the Greek and Roman gods and heroes and points to where they appear in art and literature. A clear introduction for beginners.Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas by H. A. Guerber (1909): Guerber retells Norse myth from the Eddas and sagas: the creation, Asgard and its gods, the giants, Sigurd and the coming of Ragnarok.Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Berens (1880): E. M. Berens tells the myths of Greece and Rome in plain, readable chapters, from the Titans and Olympians to the heroes and the Trojan War.The Classic Myths by C. M. Gayley (1911): Gayley presents the classical myths together with passages from English poetry and works of art that retell them. Helpful for seeing how old myths kept living in literature.The Mythology of Greece and Rome by O. Seemann (1877): Otto Seemann's handbook on Greek and Roman mythology with a special eye on how the gods were shown in art. A compact reference from the nineteenth century.The Fairy Mythology by T. Keightley: Keightley's early survey of fairy beliefs in Europe and beyond, from elves and brownies to water spirits and giants, with the folk tales that carry them.The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by J. G. Frazer (1922): The one-volume abridged edition of Frazer's famous comparative study of magic, ritual kings and dying gods. One of the most influential and most debated books in the study of myth.The Younger Edda (The Prose Edda) by Snorri Sturluson, trans. R. B. Anderson (1880): Snorri Sturluson's thirteenth-century Icelandic guide to Norse mythology and poetry, and the main source for stories about Odin, Thor, Loki and the end of the world.The Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest (1849): Medieval Welsh tales in Lady Charlotte Guest's translation, including Pwyll, Branwen, Math and the quest of Culhwch and Olwen. A core text for Celtic myth and early Arthurian legend.Kalevala: The Epic Poem of Finland by E. Lönnrot, trans. J. M. Crawford (1888): Elias Lönnrot gathered Finnish and Karelian oral poems into this national epic. It follows the sage Väinämöinen, the smith Ilmarinen and the magical Sampo.The Book of the Dead by E. A. W. Budge (1895): Budge's translation of the Egyptian funerary texts known as the Book of the Dead, built around the papyrus of Ani. Spells, hymns and scenes meant to guide the dead through the afterlife.The Egyptian Book of the Dead by P. Le Page Renouf (1904): Renouf's translation and commentary on the ancient Egyptian funerary spells. Useful next to Budge's version for comparing how the same texts were read.The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians by E. A. W. Budge (1914): Budge gathers translated samples of Egyptian writing: hymns to the gods, stories, wisdom sayings and religious texts. A broad look at what ancient Egyptians wrote and read.The Religion of Ancient Egypt by W. M. F. Petrie (1906): A short series of lectures by the archaeologist Flinders Petrie on how Egyptian religion developed from its earliest gods to its later forms.Myths and Legends: Ancient Egypt by L. Spence (1915): Lewis Spence retells the Egyptian myths and traditions about gods, kings and the afterlife, with background on the sources and cults.Myths & Legends of Babylonia & Assyria by L. Spence (1916): Spence introduces the myths of ancient Mesopotamia, such as Tiamat and Marduk, the Flood story and Gilgamesh, and explains the religion that surrounded them.Myths of Babylonia and Assyria by D. A. Mackenzie (1915): Donald Mackenzie retells Babylonian and Assyrian myths, from creation and the great flood to the epics of the heroes, with comparisons to neighbouring cultures.Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race by T. W. Rolleston (1911): Rolleston retells the great Irish and Welsh story cycles, including the Tuatha Dé Danann, Cú Chulainn, Finn and the Arthurian legends.The Religion of the Ancient Celts by J. A. MacCulloch (1911): MacCulloch studies the gods, festivals, sacred places and priesthood of the ancient Celtic peoples, gathering what classical writers and later sources say.Indian Myth and Legend by D. A. Mackenzie (1913): Donald Mackenzie's survey of Vedic and Hindu myth, with the great gods and the stories of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.The Myths of Mexico & Peru by L. Spence (1913): Spence introduces the myths and religions of the Aztec, Maya and Inca worlds, including their creation stories, gods and heroes.The Myths of the North American Indians by L. Spence (1914): Lewis Spence's overview of the myths of Native North American peoples. Written in 1914, so the language and framing reflect its time and should be read with care.Myths and Legends of China by E. T. C. Werner (1922): E. T. C. Werner's book on Chinese mythology, covering creation stories, gods and goddesses, spirits, dragons and the immortals.Myths of China and Japan by D. A. Mackenzie (1923): Mackenzie compares the myths of China and Japan, from the creation of the world and the great gods to heroes, spirits and legendary rulers.Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica by H. G. Evelyn-White (trans.) (1914): Evelyn-White's translation of Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days, the Homeric Hymns and related fragments. The Theogony is the oldest surviving account of the Greek gods' birth.The Odyssey by Homer: Homer's epic of Odysseus and his long journey home from the Trojan War, with monsters, gods and temptations along the way. One of the foundations of Western literature.The Iliad by Homer: Homer's epic of the Trojan War and the anger of Achilles. The gods take sides, heroes fall and the story shows how the Greeks thought of honor and fate.Myth, Ritual, and Religion by A. Lang (1887): Andrew Lang argues that myths grow out of early folk beliefs and ritual, and challenges the idea that all myth comes from nature worship. A landmark in the history of myth studies.An Introduction to Mythology by L. Spence (1921): Lewis Spence surveys the main theories of what myth is and where it comes from, then looks at examples from around the world.A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary by J. R. Clark Hall (1894): J. R. Clark Hall's dictionary of Old English with modern English meanings. Handy for reading Beowulf and tracing the roots of English words.A Concise Dictionary of Middle English by A. L. Mayhew & W. W. Skeat (1888): Mayhew and Skeat's dictionary of English from about 1150 to 1580. A tool for reading medieval texts and following how English words changed.