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Mythology

Tales' category of mythology contains some of the oldest written texts in history. The mythology books will take you on adventurous journeys through ancient worlds of brave heroes and great gods of the past. Our collection covers myth from all around the world. You can find stories about the Vikings’ Norse gods and sorceresses, but you can also dive into the legendary and heroic tales of Ancient Greece. You can also get wiser on Ancient Egypt and it’s gods and pharaohs. Finally you will find mythology books about Ancient Japan with descriptions of its traditions and customs. Get ready to be inspired by the stories of the past.
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  • - A Roleplaying Game of British Folklore
    by Scott Malthouse
    £18.99

    A roleplaying game of adventure and fantasy in the age of King Arthur and the Britain of folklore.Romance of the Perilous Land is a roleplaying game of magic and adventure set in the world of British folklore, from the stories of King Arthur to the wonderful regional tales told throughout this green and pleasant land. It is a world of romantic chivalry, but also of great danger, with ambitious kings, evil knights, and thieving brigands terrorizing the land, while greedy giants, malevolent sorcerers, and water-dwelling knuckers lurk in the shadows. As valiant knights, mighty barbarians, subtle cunning folk, and more, the players are heroes, roaming the land to fight evil, right wrongs, and create their own legends.

  • - The redemptive, joyous bestseller by the author of THE BOOK THIEF
    by Markus Zusak
    £9.49

    MARKUS ZUSAK is the bestselling author of six novels, including THE BOOK THIEF. His books have been translated into more than forty languages, to both popular and critical acclaim. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.Find Markus on his blog www.zusakbooks.comFacebook /markuszusakInstagram @markuszusak.

  • by Barbara Comyns
    £8.99

    A modern reimagining of a classic fairy tale by one of most bewitching, idiosyncratic British writers of the twentieth century.Bella Winter has hit a low. Homeless and jobless, she is the mother of a toddler by a man whose name she didn't quite catch, and her once pretty face is disfigured by the scar she acquired in a car accident. Friendless and without family, she's recently disentangled herself from a selfish and indifferent boyfriend and a cruel and indifferent mother. But she shares a quality common to Barbara Comyns's other heroines: a bracingly unsentimental ability to carry on. Before too long, Bella has found not only a job but a vocation; not only a place to live but a home and a makeshift family. As Comyns's novel progresses, the story echoes and inverts the Brothers Grimm's macabre tale The Juniper Tree. Will Bella's hard-won restoration to life and love come at the cost of the happiness of others?

  • - A Complete Guide to Authentic Folklore, Spells, and Magickal Tools
    by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free
    £13.49

    An authentic book of regional magic and lore from an esteemed Scottish author

  • - Epic Tales
     
    £15.49

    Africa south of the Sahara possesses a rich body of folk tales and legends passed down over hundreds of years, often sharing similar elements. This collectable hardback offers a hefty selection of stories - of the gods, origins, trickster exploits, animal fables and more - from the Yoruba people of west Africa to the San people of southern Africa.

  • - The Ancient Egyptian Path to Enlightenment
    by Muata Abhaya Ashby
    £16.49

    Meditation can be defined as a practice of mental exercises aimed at controlling the mind, specifically to quiet unwanted thoughts and distractions. Why is this necessary? Many people profess belief in something greater than themselves but struggle to articulate what that is. If asked, "Who are you?", most would point to their physical body. Yet, there is a deeper reality beyond our physical existence.Many believe in a soul but may not truly understand it, often reacting to death with fear or mourning. In reality, human beings encompass more than just a physical body; there exists a deeper essence known as the Higher Self.Due to distractions and erroneous lifestyles, people often fail to recognize their higher selves and experience life limited to ordinary existence until death. The Higher Self is akin to air: free and expansive when unobstructed, yet trapped within the confines of the individual personality. Just as air caught in a bottle cannot circulate freely, the human soul, when entangled with desires and fears, loses sight of its universal nature.This limited existence, defined by ego-consciousness, leads the soul to mistakenly identify as individual rather than universal. The ego acts as a veil, obscuring the expansive reality of our true selves. Through Yoga Philosophy and Meditation, individuals can break free from this confinement to rediscover their boundless essence.The manuscript primarily explores themes of Meditation, Spiritual Enlightenment, and Ancient Egyptian Wisdom. It emphasizes meditation as a path to inner peace and spiritual awakening, drawing heavily from the mystical teachings of Ancient Egypt.The book highlights the transformative power of meditation in achieving mental clarity and deeper self-understanding. It addresses common issues like anxiety and depression, offering meditation as a viable solution.Targeted at those interested in spirituality and ancient wisdom, the book is suitable for beginners and those with meditation experience. It aims to guide readers toward profound personal transformation through the lens of Ancient Egyptian teachings.Dr. Muata Ashby, a renowned expert in religion and holistic healing, lends credibility to the work with his extensive background. His approach combines ancient wisdom with practical meditation techniques, providing actionable insights for achieving inner peace and enlightenment.The book presents practical applications of meditation, including methods that can be easily incorporated into daily life. Regular practice promises outcomes like improved mental health, emotional stability, and a deeper connection to the divine.Key themes include Kemetic wisdom, Egyptian metaphysics, and insights from the Book of the Dead, along with the significance of hieroglyphs and the importance of spiritual growth.Discover how Ancient Egyptian wisdom can transform your life in Meditation: The Path to Enlightenment. Dr. Muata Ashby reveals the secrets to achieving inner peace and spiritual awakening, blending ancient teachings with modern practices. This comprehensive guide offers insights for personal transformation, addressing common challenges like anxiety and depression through meditation.Whether you are a beginner or experienced, this book equips you with valuable techniques to enhance your spiritual practice. Explore themes of Kemetic wisdom and Hermetic philosophy while gaining tools for mental clarity and emotional stability.Start your journey to enlightenment today and unlock the transformative power of meditation. This book is your essential guide to discovering a deeper connection to the divine and achieving true inner peace.

  • by Mircea Eliade
    £13.99

    "No event in our world is real, my friend. Everything that occurs in this universe is illusory... And in a world of appearances, in which no thing and no event has any permanence, any reality of its own—whoever is master of certain forces can do anything he wishes..." So speaks a character in Two Strange Tales, a pair of novellas in which Westerners are caught up in the uncanny realm of Eastern religion and magic. In "Nights at Serampore," three European scholars, traveling deep into the forests of Bengal, are inexplicably cast into another time and space where they witness the violent murder of a young Hindu wife. In "The Secret of Dr. Honingberger," a respectable Rumanian physician vanishes without a trace after experimenting with yogic techniques in his quest for the legendary invisible world called Shambhala. In Two Strange Tales, author Mircea Eliade combined yogic folklore with the literary genre of the supernatural suspense tale so as to reveal dimensions of experience that are inaccessible to other intellectual approaches. These well-crafted stories will appeal to both lovers of the supernatural and those fascinated by mysticism of the East.

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    £6.99

    This new book of classic tales brings the stories of the ancients to life, from the birth of creation by the sun god Ra, the murder of Osiris, and the revenge of Horus, to the underworld and afterlife. The Egyptians explained the effects of famine, harvest, floods and death by creating a pantheon of gods that still holds our fascination today.

  •  
    £6.99

    India, one of the great, ancient civilizations spawned a fascinating canon of myths and legends. With multiple gods, and a riot of colour and character this fantastic new book, explores the themes and landscapes that created the tales, and retells the stories of Krishna, Buddha and Shiva, and some of the many different versions of creation.

  • - Understanding Our Soul Journey
    by Chris Wilson
    £13.99

  • - Awakening Your Inner Angel & Sidhe
    by Soren Hauge
    £14.99

  • by Lisa Schneidau
    £9.99

    A new collection of botanical British folk tales about plants and wild flowers, journeying through the seasons of the year

  • - Epic Tales
     
    £15.49

    Lively, stark and formidable, the imagery of Norse mythology storms through this classic collection. The fierce glory of Odin, Thor, Frey, Loki and their fellow gods of Asgard shines here, with all the great adventures, from Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, to Ragnarok. Each Viking legend is riven with a vitality that speaks to us still.

  • - The True Source of the Holy Grail (Aziloth Books)
    by Jessie Laidlay Weston
    £10.49

  • by Otto Donner
    £28.99

  •  
    £9.49

    Laxdaela saga is a 13th century Icelandic saga, telling the story of the people in the Breiðafjörður area from the late 9th century to the early 11th century. The saga tells of a love triangle between Guðrún Ósvífrsdóttir, Kjartan Ólafsson and Bolli Þorleiksson. Kjartan and Bolli are two lads who are close friends but they both love Guðrún which causes hatred between them and results in tragedy. Numerous ancient manuscripts contain this saga, dating back to the fourteenth century and it is second only to the Njáls saga in the number of medieval manuscripts preserved. Laxd¿la saga is a popular story because of its poetic beauty and pathetic sentiment.This version contains an illustration and the original marginal sub-headings interweaved in the text.

  • by Richard Schenkman
    £12.99

    Richard Schenkman / 6m, 3f / Drama / Unit Set After history professor John Oldman unexpectedly resigns from the University, his startled colleagues impulsively invite themselves to his home, pressing him for an explanation. But they're shocked to hear his reason for premature retirement: John claims he must move on because he is immortal, and cannot stay in one place for more than ten years without his secret being discovered. Tempers rise and emotions flow as John's fellow professors attem

  • - The Fairy Tale Book of Dazai Osamu
    by Osamu Dazai
    £9.49

  • - Exploring the Myths, Folklore and Legends of the pre-eminent Celtic Hag Goddess
    by Sorita D'Este
    £11.49

  • by Lafcado Hearn
    £10.99 - 13.49

  • - Appalachian Mountain Stories
    by David S Rains
    £9.49

    A collection of stories from the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, The Shaman's Daughter touches on everything from baptisms and funerals to love and hate--no subject is off limits. You can practically hear the Southern accent of the characters, as author David S. Rains provides an uncensored look into his life. And the hilarity ensues, whether it's Mama hitting a neighbor over the head with an old wagon axle, David visiting his first whorehouse, or Mike blowing up his grandmother while trying to cure a dog of mange. The darkly comical stories in The Shaman's Daughter will have you laughing until you cry!The dog was running in larger and larger circles as the fuse burned shorter and shorter. Suddenly old Sarge turned and made a beeline for the house, to get under the porch where he always slept. "He's going to the house, he's going to get under the porch. Good Lord almighty, Granny is on the porch by herself. Good God! Granny, Granny, get away." Mike screamed as loud as he could holler.Granny, of course, couldn't hear anything, and especially from so far away. Plus, she was tied up. Granny just kept rocking, and talking to herself.--from the short story "Granny and Old Sarge"

  • by Neil Gaiman
    £4.49

    A NEVERWHERE short story from 'one of the best fabulists of our age' Financial Times

  • by Jake Jackson
    £7.99

    Populated by gods, High Kings, willful Queens, noble warriors, fairies, goblins and wizards the Celtic myths are unsurpassed in their variety and power. This new book is a dazzling collection of the most gripping Celtic tales, vividly retold, gathering together the legends and sagas of this ancient culture.

  • by Jake Jackson
    £6.99

    The dark forces of the ancient world were held at bay by the resourceful and emerging civilisations of Greece and Rome that formed the basis of Western culture, providing a tradition of fabulous tales that are retold in this new book.

  •  
    £10.99

    Includes tales such as young women go on long and difficult quests, wicked stepmothers turn children into geese and tsars ask dangerous riddles, with help or hindrance from magical dolls, cannibal witches, talking skulls, stolen wives, and brothers disguised as wise birds.

  • - A Guide to the Ancient Gods and Legends
    by Miranda Aldhouse-Green
    £11.99

    As well as vividly exploring the tales, the author brings her expertise in the archaeology of the Iron Age and particularly shamanism to bear on the mythical worlds she describes, with evidence as diverse as the Gundestrup Cauldron and the famous bog bodies. She also asks how the myths survived the Christianization of Europe.

  • - The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt
    by Robert Bauval
    £14.49

    Presents proof that an advanced black African civilization inhabited the Sahara long before Pharaonic Egypt.

  • - Volume 2
    by Malcolm Lyons
    £15.49

    Every night for three years the vengeful King Shahriyar sleeps with a different virgin, executing her next morning. To end this brutal pattern and to save her own life, the vizier's daughter, Shahrazad, begins to tell the king tales of adventure, love, riches and wonder. The sequence of stories will last 1,001 nights.

  •  
    £12.99

    Now as sumptuously packaged as they are critically acclaimed-a new deluxe trade paperback edition of the beloved stories.

  • by Richmond Lattimore
    £9.49

    Odysseus survives a storm and shipwreck, the cave of the Cyclops and the isle of Circe, the lure of the Sirens' song and a trip to the Underworld, only to find his most difficult challenge at home, where treacherous suitors seek to steal his kingdom and his loyal wife, Penelope.

Mythology
Mythology is the foundation of many of today's stories, take for example the stories of King Arthur and Merlin, a well-known story that goes back to the celtic mythologies. It has fascinated many writers all around the world and with good reason. Myths take you on fascinating and sometimes even magical journeys and into the ancient worlds of the past. The mythologies build on folklore and you can learn a lot about the ancient lifestyles by reading mythology books. The themes in mythologies are often built around honor and bravery, but the tales also have their own universal moral message. 

Norse mythology books
In the Nordic countries we have a long and proud history of folk tales and some of them can be traced all the way back to the Middle Ages and even before that, to what we describe as the Norse period, where all the Scandinavian countries were connected as one and not divided into nations. The North was instead formed by many smaller societies, who lived comparatively insulated and connected to nature. Such a life could be hard and created fertile soil for folklore and the belief in supernatural creatures, which are found in many folk tales. Most of the tales were part of an oral tradition and were often handed down through many generations. The mythology tales were first written down and converted into mythology books many years after they were told for the first time. 
We cannot mention the Norse period without the Vikings. Vikings are known all over the world for their strength, ships and sometimes brutal conquests, but the Vikings were defined by so much more than that. They had for example a vivid and intriguing tradition for mythology. To the Vikings they were so much more than myths, it was their religion. The Norse religion referred to as Asatru consists of multiple gods, goddresses, brave heroes and volvas, which were strong female sorcerers and fortune tellers. If you want to find your way to get started in Nordic mythology you can find a good description and overview in Penguin Book of Norse myths - Gods of the Vikings

Greek mythology books
Some of the greatest and most famous myths are found in Ancient Greece. You might have heard about the gods Zeus and Prometheus, the goddesses Athena and Aphrodite, and the heroes Hercules and Achilles? They are just a few of the unique figures of Ancient Greek mythology. They are found in some of the greatest classics of world literature; the Iliad and the Odyssey written by Homer. At Tales you can get them as mythology books in their traditional verse form, but we would also recommend you to take a look at Stephen Fry’s interpretations of the classical tales. Fry takes the timeless classics into modern times by rewriting the mythologies in a modern, easy understandable english, but he still keeps the essence of the Ancient mythologies. You can find Stephen Fry’s Heroes and Mythos in our selection of mythological books. 

Egyptian mythology books
Another world of mythologies is found in Ancient Egypt. Here we come across Ancient gods and goddesses with faces formed as animals. One of the central gods in Egyptian mythology is the sun god Ra. Ra was the incarnation of the sun, which was the foundation of life. In Egyptian mythology we also find mummies. Mummies were the deceased faraos, who were embalmed and covered in gaze to restore them for the afterlife. The god Osiris would then help them on their way through the afterlife. The mummies were placed in their own pyramid, who would show the greatness of the faraos for the times to come. The pyramids still stand in Egypt and show the history of the past. Among our egyptian mythology books you find the book Egyptian Mythology, which has collected all the fascinating tales of Ancient Egypt and all its gods, goddesses and legendary creatures. 

Japanese mythology books 
You can also find japanese mythology books in Tales’ selection. The japanese myths are little known to people, but contain many amazing stories. You can for example find the story behind the samurais, an Ancient collection of warriors in the japanese armies. A samurai had to live up to certain virtues in order to keep his status. A samurai should both be loyal and have a high level of endurance, modesty, and honor. You could learn a lot about a country from its mythology, because it is the foundation of the country’s culture, although a lot of changes have found place since then. If you aren’t familiar with japanese mythology, we recommend you to read the Handbook of Japanese Mythology among our collection of japanese mythology books. 

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