Introduction to Mythology.

"By studying mythology, we are not dealing with ancient antiquity or exotic cultures. We are studying our own worldview" - this thesis made Alexandra Leonidovna Barkova's course forever memorable for her students. Ancient legends about gods and heroes are presented... in her lectures as parts of a unified complex of ideas that transcend centuries and peoples. The mythological systems of Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Scandinavia, and India are revealed in their interconnections, highlighting the individual characteristics of each culture. Special attention is given to mythological universals that manifest through the centuries and millennia.
The lively language, vivid, and sometimes ironic presentation of the most serious material creates the effect of direct communication with the professor, in whose lectures not a single student has fallen asleep in a quarter of a century.