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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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  • by Eirenaeus Philalethes
    £19.99

    " I, being an anonymous adept, a lover of learning, and a philosopher, have decreed 'to write this little treatise of medicinal, chemical, and physical arcana, in the year 1645, after the Birth of Christ, and in the 23rd year of my age, to assist in conducting my straying brethren out of the labyrinth of error, and with the further object of making myself known to other Sages, holding a lot a torch which may be visible far and wide to those who are groping in the darkness of ignorance. The contents of this Book are not fables, but real experiments which I have seen, touched, and handled, as an adept will easily conclude from these lines. I have written more plainly about this Art than any of my predecessors; sometimes I have found myself on the very verge of breaking my vow, and once or twice had to lay down my pen for a season; but I could not resist the inward prompting of God, which impelled me to persevere in the most loving course, who alone knows the heart, and to whom only be glory for ever. Hence, I undoubtedly gather that in this last age of the world, many will become blessed by this arcanum, through what I have thus faithfully written, for I have not willingly le¿ any-thing doubtful to the young beginner. I know many who with me do enjoy this secret, and am persuaded that many more will also rejoice in its possession. Let the holy Will of God perform what it pleases, though I confess myself an unworthy instrument through whom such great things should be effected...."

  • by Dion Fortune
    £19.99

    " Applied Magic is a selection of Dion Fortune's writings on the practical applications of magical and esoteric techniques. Everyone has the ability to access the invisible planes of existence a whole kingdom of mind and spirit which cannot be perceived with the physical senses. Fortune provides invaluable guidance to anyone intent on increasing their inner awareness. She declares, Esoteric tradition admits of no exclusiveness; it is the very essence of its spirit that it blasphemes no God that has been hallowed by our devotion. It sees all religions as the expressions of our spirit rather than the personal revelation of a jealous God to His chosen people. It suffers from neither superstitious awe nor bigoted fear..."

  • by C. F. Wimberly
    £19.99

    " It is the writer¿s firm conviction, in these days when the most enthusiastic ¿bookworm¿ cannot even keep up with the titles of the book output, that an earnest, sensible reason should be given for adding another to the already endless list of books. We have enough books today, ¿good, bad, indifferent," with which, if they were collected, to build another Cyclops pyramid. The sage of the Old Testament declared in his day, concerning the endless making of books; such a statement, compared with modern writing and publishing of books, sounds amusing. Every possible subject, vagary, or ism, for which a book could be written, is overworked. Bible themes of all grades, from orthodoxy to ultra higher criticism, have flooded the land. Especially is the iconoclast in much evidence; he is free lance, and shows no quarters. Cardinal tenets of Bible faith, so long unquestioned, are being smitten with a merciless hand. Disintegration is the most obvious fact among us; nothing is too sacred for the crucible of what is termed ¿scholarship...."

  • by Gerardus Cremonensis
    £19.99

    " It is expedient therefore, to make four unequal lines, by the points casually set down; and to joyne together those points; and out of the points which are not joyned together, which do remain in the heads of the lines, (as it is done in Geomancie) extract one figure; and the signe of the Zodiack that answereth to that figure, put for the Ascendent, for the words sake. If Acquisition arise from the heads of those four Lines, let Aries be placed in the Ascendent; if Laetitia, or the lesser Fortune put Taurus in the Ascendent; if Puer or Rubeus, place Gemini; If Albus, Cancer; if Via, Leo; if Conjunction or the Dragons Head, Virgo; if Puella, Libra; if Amissioor Tristitia, Scorpio;ifthe Dragons Tail, Sagittary;if Populus, Capricorn; if Fortuna major, Aquary; if Carcer, then put Pisces for the Ascendent. A¿erwards in the second House, let that signe be placed which immediately succeeds the other....."

  • by Walter Scott
    £27.99

    " Sir Walter Scott's "Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft " were his contribution to a series of books, published by John Murray, which appeared between the years 1829 and 1847, and formed a collection of eighty volumes known as "Murray's Family Library." ¿e series was planned to secure a wide diffusion of good literature in cheap five shilling volumes, and Scotts "Letters," written and published in 1830, formed one of the earlier books in the collection. The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge had been founded in the autumn of 1826, and Charles Knight, who had then conceived a plan of a National Library, was entrusted, in July, 1827, with the superintendence of its publications. Its first treatises appeared in sixpenny numbers, once a fortnight. Its " British Almanac" and "Companion to the Almanac" first appeared at the beginning of 1829. Charles Knight started also in that year his own " Library of Entertaining Knowledge." John Murray's " Family Library" was then begun, and in the spring of 1832 the year of the Reform Bill the advance of civilization by the diffusion of good literature, through cheap journals as well as cheap books, was sought by the establishment of " Chambers's Edinburgh journal" in the North, and in London of " the Penny Magazine...."

  • by Alfred Russel Wallace
    £22.49

    " ¿is work has been written in consequence of the great interest excited by my article, under the same title, which appeared simultaneously in the Fortnightly Review and the New York Independent. Two friends who read the manuscript were of opinion that a volume, in which the evidence could be given much more fully, would be desirable, and the result of the publication of the article confirmed their view. I was led to a study of the subject when writing four new chapters on Astronomy for a new edition of the Wonderful Century. I then found that almost all writers on general astronomy, from Sir John Herschel to Professor Simon Newcomb and Sir Norman Lockyer, stated, as an indisputable fact, that our sun is situated in the plane of the great ring of the Milky Way, and also very nearly in the centre of that ring. The most recent researches also showed that there was little or no proof of there being any stars or nebulæ very far beyond the Milky Way, which thus seemed to be the limit, in that direction, of the stellar universe...."

  • by Frater Achad
    £19.99

    " The Purpose of this little volume is three-fold. (1) To give those who are interested in the art of Crystal-Gazing a clear and concise method of procedure, not alone in the practice of the work, but also in the preparation of the crystal itself, so that it becomes a true material basis or link with other planes. (2) To show that the Ancient Methods of Working if properly understood are more scientific than modern ones, since they were designed to insure a definite type of vision and to put the Seer in touch with definite Intelligences of a Higher Order. (3) To point out that there are other Crystalline Spheres besides the crystal ball at first used to contact them; and that eventually the practice may lead to very high results, if the necessary steps are taken to insure success..."

  • by Paracelse
    £19.99

    " You who are skilled in Alchemy, and as many others as promise yourselves great riches or chiefly desire to make gold and silver, which Alchemy in different ways promises and teaches; equally, too, you who willingly undergo toil and vexations, and wish not to be freed from them, until you have attained your rewards, and the fulfilment of the promises made to you; experience teaches this every day, that out of thousands of you not even one accomplishes his desire. Is this a failure of Nature or of Art? I say, no; but it is rather the fault of fate, or of the unskilfulness of the operator..."

  • by P. R. S Foli
    £19.99

    " This goddess Fortune frustrates, single-handed, the plans of a hundred learned men." In this saying the Latin author has given us the key to all the restless striving to search out the Unknown and the Unknowable which marks our own age, just as it has marked previous periods in history which we are apt to look back upon as being but little removed from the dark ages. Of all the methods by which men and women seek to penetrate into the mysteries of Fate and Futurity, Cartomancy is one that can claim the distinction of having swayed the human mind from prehistoric times right down to this twentieth century of ours. It may be that this book will fall into the hands of those who agree with the words of L¿Estrange: "there needs no more than impudence on the one side and a superstitious credulity on the other to the setting up of a Fortune-teller." This attitude of cynical superiority is sometimes genuine, but in many cases if we could read what lies beneath the surface we should find that it is but a cloak worn to conceal a lurking fear, an almost irritated condition of mind, born of a half-confessed faith in the power at which it is so easy to scoff...."

  • by King James the First
    £19.99

    "The fearefull aboundinge at this time in this countrie, of these detestable slaues of the Deuill, the Witches or enchaunters, hath moved me (beloued reader) to dispatch in post, this following treatise of mine, not in any wise (as I protest) to serue for a shew of my learning & ingine, but onely (mooued of conscience) to preasse thereby, so farre as I can, to resolue the doubting harts of many; both that such assaultes of Sathan are most certainly practized, & that the instrumentes thereof, merits most severly to be punished: against the damnable opinions of two principally in our age, wherof the one called SCOT an Englishman, is not ashamed in publike print to deny, that ther can be such a thing as Witch-craft: and so mainteines the old error of the Sadducees, in denying of spirits. The other called VVIERVS, a German Phisition, sets out a publick apologie for al these craftesfolkes, whereby, procuring for their impunitie, he plainely bewrayes himselfe to haue bene one of that Profession...."

  • by J. H. Hill
    £19.99

    " In an article, entitled "then and Now," published in the December number, 1890, of "the Arena," its author, a distinguished Unitarian D.D. of Boston, Mass., says. "Astronomy has shattered the fallacies of Astrology;" and people have found out that the stars are minding their own business instead of meddling with theirs." Now, while it is true that modern Astronomy has superseded the ancient system, and people have ceased to believe that the stars are intervening in mundane affairs, nothing could be further from the truth than the assertion that "Astronomy has shattered the fallacies of Astrology; and those of our readers who will accord to this work an unprejudiced perusal can hardly fail to be convinced that a large majority of the people of Christendom are dominated as much by these fallacies as were our Pagan ancestry the only difference being a change of name. the dogmatic element of religion, which was anciently designated as Astrology, is now known as theology...."

  • by Dalton
    £23.49

    They pray to her for vengeance, but she longs for peace...Tempest abandoned the land of the gods long ago, unwilling to continue to mediate their problems and tolerate their lies. She may be the judge for the souls of the living, but she can't take on the weight of the responsibility anymore.When Tempest finds an emperor broken and dying, Fate ties them together, and she can't escape. Disguised as a mortal, she must compete to become the next empress while protecting a man she refuses to let into her heart. But to do that means revealing herself to the very gods she's been hiding from, and they will not let her escape again.The goddess of the broken may be broken herself, but what could she be if she wasn't?

  • by Euripides
    £16.49

    "The Cyclops" by Euripides, illustrated by Onésimo ColavidasThe Cyclops is the only surviving satirical drama by Euripides, a fifth-century BC. poet in Greece. Euripides interprets a passage from Homer's Odyssey in which Odysseus, also known as Ulysses, fights against the giant Polyphemus. Odysseus' ship runs aground on the island of Etna, which is inhabited by the Cyclops, a one-eyed creature. In this place, Odysseus and his men meet Silenus and his sons, imprisoned to serve the Cyclops called Polyphemus. Polyphemus feeds on meat, goat's milk and cheese, but he is also an anthropophagous monster. He can therefore eat Ulysses and his men at any time during a feast.

  • by Christianna Sahadeo
    £16.49

    All her life Amrika has dreamed about being one of the dark things, like her father before her.Her lack of abilities, however, doesn't stop her from risking her life to save that of a kalinagchild, or from getting involved in the fight that's coming.And a fight is coming.The Saikan Governor of Port-of-Gold, has declared that the last of the kalinag, the originalpeoples of the now-conquered island of Ierie must be destroyed and their lands taken for theglory of the Motherland.With the death of its people looming, Ierie itself calls the dark things to its aid. And they mustanswer the call, for if they fail, the wrath of the land will awaken, and none may survive it.

  • by A. E. Thierens
    £19.99

    " If ever a book should be written on the Romance of Symbolism, its hypothesis of interpretation, its traditional and imputed histories, a considerable space would be allotted assuredly to Tarot cards; while seeing that at this day there is more concern in the subject than was felt even in the past, there would be a call not only to survey that which lies behind us, a strange field of speculation and reverie, but the prospect extending in front, since every year brings forth some new proposition and provides material for future imaginative flights. It is very curious to contrast those comparatively sober terms in which Court de Gebelin introduced his discovery of the cards, though he sought to prove that their origin was in Ancient Egypt, with the fantastic declamations of Éliphas Lévi, who affirmed not only that they were the Alphabet of Enoch, Hermes Trismegistus and Cadmus but the Gospel of all Gospels, a synthesis of science and the universal key of the Kabbalah..."

  • by Charles Godfrey Leland
    £22.49

    " This work contains a collection of the customs, usages, and ceremonies current among gypsies, as regards fortune-telling, witch doctoring, love philtering, and other sorcery, illustrated by many anecdotes and instances, taken either from works as yet very little known to the English reader or from personal experiences. Within a very few years, since Ethnology and Archæology have received a great inspiration, and much enlarged their scope through Folklore, everything relating to such subjects is studied with far greater interest and to much greater profit than was the case when they were cultivated in a languid, half-believing, half-sceptical spirit which was in reality rather one of mere romance than reason. Now that we seek with resolution to find the whole truth, be it based on materialism, spiritualism, or their identity, we are amazed to find that the realm of marvel and mystery, of wonder and poetry, connected with what we vaguely call "magic," far from being explained away or exploded, enlarges before us as we proceed, and that not into a mere cloudland, gorgeous land, but into a country of reality in which men of science who would once have disdained the mere thought thereof are beginning to stray. Hypnotism has really revealed far greater wonders than were ever established by the fascinatores of old or by mesmerists of more modern times. Memory, the basis of thought according to PLATO, which was once held to be a determined quantity, has been proved, (the word is not too bold), by recent physiology, to be practically infinite, and its perfect development to be identical with that of intellect, so that we now see plainly before us the power to perform much which was once regarded as miraculous...."

  • by Harry Trincheti
    £18.49

    Le Sur-moi ou le DandysmeMode ou Philosophie ?Qui êtes-vous vraiment ? De quoi êtes-vous capable chaque jour ?Serez-vous le ou la même, dans quelques minutes ?Si l'on vous demandait de changer ? le feriez-vous ?Ce livre va vous permettre de passer ailleurs, de devenir un ou une autre. Laisseriez-vous tenter en vous disant : ' pourquoi pas ? '

  • by Em McDermott
    £9.99

    I will haunt Baneswood until it spits out those I love. This I swear, if it costs me everything. Rune is a boy on the edge of manhood when a sorcerer arrives in his small village in the woods. When the sorcerer bewitches his sister, Aurora, forcing her into marriage against her will, Rune and his three brothers vow to do anything it takes to rescue her. But young Rune never could have imagined the price they must pay to get her back.Grim Brothers is a grimdark novella containing swearing and violence. It is an origin story in the Cursed Woods series of dark fairy tales. It can be read as a standalone, but is best read after The Woods, as it contains minor spoilers.

  • Save 18%
    by Ellen Evert Hopman
    £20.49

    An around-the-world tour of ancient Christmas celebrations, Pagan Solstice customs, and magical seasonal plants.

  • Save 13%
    by John A. Rush
    £12.99

    Explores our intertwined spiritual history with cats.

  • by Arlette Thomas-Fletcher
    £9.99

  • by Arlette Thomas-Fletcher
    £9.99

  • Save 15%
    by Liz Michalski
    £10.99

    A Book of The Month Club pick In this beautiful dive into the world of J. M. Barrie’s classic, one woman must take on the infamous Peter Pan—who is not the innocent adventurer the fairy tales make him out to be—to save her daughter’s life. . . . Life is looking up for Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy—yes, that Wendy. That is, until she gets a call that her daughter, Eden, who has been in a coma for nearly a decade, has gone missing from the estate where she’s been long tucked away. And, worst of all, Holly knows who must be responsible: Peter Pan, who is not only very real, but very dangerous.   Holly is desperate to find Eden and protect her son, Jack, from a terrible web of family secrets before she loses both her children. And yet she has no one to turn to—her mother, Jane, is the only other person in the world who knows that Peter is more than a story, but she refuses to accept that he is not the hero she’s always imagined.   Darling Girl brings all the magic of the classic Peter Pan story to the present, while also exploring the dark underpinnings of fairy tales, grief, aging, sacrifice, motherhood, and just how far we will go to protect those we love.

  • by Heinrich Zimmern & Eberhard Schrader
    £28.99

    Eberhard Schrader (1836 - 1908), Alttestamentler, Orientalist und Begründer der Assyriologie in Deutschland, und der Mitbegründer der Altorientalistik Heinrich Zimmern (1862 - 1931), der den zweiten Band verfasste, beleuchten den Zusammenhang altorientalischer Weltanschauung mit dem Alten Testament: "Wie tief einschnei­dend aber die Kenntnis dieser alten Weltanschauung und ihrer Systeme für eine Beurteilung der alten Geschichtsüberlieferung wird, das wird uns die Betrachtung der israelitischen Geschichte zeigen. Dass die Erzählungen, welche jede Überlieferung an die Anfänge ihrer Geschichte stellt, Märchen und Legenden sind, lehrt die ein­fachste Kenntnis vom wirklichen Handeln und den natürlichen Entwicklungsbedingungen der Menschheit. Dass all die volkstümlichen Anekdoten, die von einem David erzählt werden, die Städtegründung eines Romulus, die Gesetzgebung eines Lykurg, die Wundertaten eines Moses und die Einzelheiten des Lebens eines Muhammed nicht Geschichte sind, das einzusehen bedarf es nur des gesunden Men­schenverstandes; die Tatsache, warum sie erzählt werden, die Erklä­rung des oft scheinbar ungereimten Zeuges gibt der Einblick in die altorientalische Weltanschauuug und Wissenschaft." (Einleitung zum ersten Band)Nachdruck der dritten Auflage aus dem Jahr 1903.

  • by Mona Black
    £16.99

    Mina never thought anyone would come rescue her - much less a cursed king of the Fae with no memory of who he is! Locked up in the palace tower, sick and expecting to die, Mina never thought her life would end like this.She'd been a princess with a bright future waiting for her, some prince to sweep her off her feet, marry and find true love - but then, one small mistake - a walk through a forest where the fairies dance -put an end to her dreams.She is alone, scared and lonely, put away to avoid the contagion spreading in the palace. She has been forgotten.Until a handsome man climbs the tower and comes into her room. He says his name is Wolf and that he's hiding. She couldn't have guessed that this man climbing is a Fae, much less a king - only that he could just as well rescue her or take her life.Instead, Wolf rescues her and tells her that the only way to reverse the spell and cure her, saving her life, is to cross over to the land of Faerie. He can take her there.But why can't Wolf remember who he is and why he's been stranded in the human world for so long? What is the spell holding his memory prisoner - and can Mina help him in her turn?She's falling in love with him, and that's never a good idea between a human and a cursed Fae… *NOTE: this book is standalone full-length NA romance fantasy novel, featuring mature situations with some dark themes and adult language. The romance is slow burn but leads to steamy scenes. A combination retelling of Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel, laden with forbidden romance, spice and heat.*

  • by Hans Christian Andersen
    £27.99

    Andersen's Märchen - Edited with notes and vocabulary is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1893.Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

  • by William Black
    £33.49

    The Penance of John Logan - and two other tales is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1893.Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

  • by Mite Kremnitz
    £30.49 - 32.49

  • by James Bennett
    £9.49

  • Save 11%
    by Claire Legrand
    £7.99

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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