Highlighting different cultures’ richly imaginative responses to the most basic questions about nature and mortality, this primer introduces the gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters of the world’s great storytelling traditions, from Australian and Maori tales to the Norse mythology of medieval Scandinavia.

The world of Native American mythology is inhabited by such fantastical and capricious characters as the shape-shifting trickster Coyote and the mischievous Blue Jay. The seminal study of these sacred tales was written by the Scottish folklorist Lewis Spence in 1914; this updated edition has a new introductory essay, commentary on Native American culture and stories from tribes not covered by Spence, such as the Inuit.

From medieval ballads to Hollywood movies, the legend of the folk hero in the forest has endured for centuries. Nick Rennison investigates candidates for the ‘real Robin’, explores the tale’s many reinventions and discusses their historical significance and impact.