''Myths to Live By'' is a 1972 book, a collection of essays, originally given as lectures at the

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-s ...

Forum, by

mythologist Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

Joseph Campbell Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of t ...

between 1958 and 1971. The work has an introduction by Johnson E. Fairchild. The deep power of

myth Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

on the inner, spiritual lives of human beings throughout the ages (including our own age) is the common theme running throughout all the essays in the collection. Campbell explains the differences between western and oriental myths and rites. He shows how fundamental universal thoughts are adapted to local requirements of legitimation. A typical form of adaptationof the ''hero'' is the American image of the ''lone rider'' who dispels evil.Edition London 1985, p. 193.

Publication history

Viking Press Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheimer and then acqu ...

, New York, 1972, *

Paladin Press Paladin Press was a book publishing firm founded in 1970 by Peder Lund and Robert K. Brown. The company published non-fiction books and videos covering a wide range of specialty topics, including personal and financial freedom, survivalism and ...

, London, 1985, *

Bantam Books Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin Jr., Sidney B. K ...

, New York, 1988, * Penguin Books, Australia, 1993, * Souvenir Press, London, 2000, * Joseph Campbell Foundation, 2011, (ebook)

References

External links

Summary from the Joseph Campbell Foundation
Books by Joseph Campbell 1972 books Mythology books Religious studies books Sociology books Viking Press books {{myth-book-stub