As a tour of the world’s great civilizations and the myths that give voice to their cultures, Padraic Colum’s stands out as being not only sweeping in scope but beautiful in voice. Colum has selected what I will call ‘keystone myths’ from the ancient cultures that have informed our modern world: Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Post-Christian Judaism, Greece, Rome, Graeco-Rome, the Celtic world, Finland (Kalevala), Iceland, India, China, Japan, Polynesia, Peru, Central America and Mexico, Zuni. Colum also treats us to his wonderful essay, “The Significance of Mythology”…

— Waldorf Books