Myth-Land

Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward), 1841-1909Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 428K words
Chapters: 43

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Myth-Land by F. Edward HulmeAuthor: Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward), 1841-1909,Language: English, Class: GR: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Folklore, Release Date: May 17, 2014

Editor's review

This is a collection of essays by the British naturalist and illustrator F. Edward Hulme on natural imagery in myth and folklore, a popular work at the intersection of folklore and natural history. Taking plants, animals, and celestial phenomena as threads, the author traces their symbolic meanings in myths, legends, and folk customs across cultures. The prose combines a naturalist's eye with an essayist's ease, and the author's own illustrations support the text. For today's readers its value is not new theory but a path into folk belief through the natural world; it works as introductory companion reading in folklore and mythology, and as casual reading for lovers of illustration and natural history. Because it was written in the nineteenth century, some ideas carry period limitations and should be read as historical material. Read it slowly, chapter by chapter, in a quiet setting; look up unfamiliar species or allusions as you go, and afterward make a few comparative notes against local folklore.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginners interested in myth, legend, and folklore
Readers who enjoy natural history essays and nature illustrations
Writers and illustration enthusiasts needing Western mythic nature imagery
General readers who want to broaden their humanities horizons in a relaxed way

Not a good fit for

Specialist researchers expecting a systematic theoretical framework or current scholarship
Readers who prefer tightly plotted, strongly narrative works
Readers sensitive to the period limitations of nineteenth-century texts

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter by category of natural object; after each, note similarities and differences in symbolic meaning
Look up unfamiliar plants, animals, or allusions and annotate as you go
Compare Western folkloric imagery in the book with traditional Chinese folklore in notes
Read the English original slowly; first skim illustrations and headings to grasp the overall structure

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a systematic work of mythological research?

No. It is closer to a collection of essays at the intersection of natural history and folklore, using natural objects as threads to discuss myth and legend; it emphasizes interest and popular knowledge rather than a rigorous theoretical system. It suits introductory companion reading and should not be cited as a scholarly monograph.

Can I read this with average English?

This is an English original from the nineteenth century, with period features in syntax and vocabulary. Readers with average English can read slowly with a dictionary or a translation, or first browse the illustrations and chapter headings and closely read only the chapters that interest them; there is no need to finish the whole book.

Are the book's views still reliable today?

The legendary material and natural observations it preserves still have reference value, but some interpretations carry nineteenth-century ideas and limitations. Read with a historical and comparative eye, setting the author's conclusions against today's folklore scholarship rather than accepting them wholesale.

Comments

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About the author

Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward), 1841-1909 Author

F. Edward Hulme (Frederick Edward Hulme, 1841–1909) was a British naturalist and writer of popular works; details of his life are limited in publicly available sources, and three of his books are currently held in this collection. His writing spans vexillology, proverbs and myth: The Flags of the World: Their History, Blazonry, and Associations surveys the history, heraldic composition and cultural associations of national flags in an informative and readable manner; Proverb Lore examines the origins, transmission and use of proverbs; and Myth-Land retells myths and legends for general readers. Hulme excelled at turning specialist knowledge into clearly organized, richly illustrated popular books, written in plain yet careful prose, and he holds a place in late nineteenth-century British popular writing on natural history and the humanities; his works are still consulted by researchers and enthusiasts in these fields.