Introduction to Mythology

"In studying mythology, we are not dealing with ancient antiquity or exotic cultures. We are studying our own worldview" — this thesis has made Alexandra Leonidovna Barkova's course unforgettable for her students. Ancient legends about gods and heroes emerge in her lectures as parts of a unified complex of ideas that transcends centuries and peoples. The mythological systems of Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Scandinavia, and India are revealed in interconnection, which makes the individual features of each culture more visible. Special attention is paid to mythological universals, manifesting through centuries and millennia. The lively language, vivid, sometimes ironic presentation of the most serious material creates the effect of direct communication with the professor, during whose lectures not a single student has fallen asleep in a quarter of a century.