Books like The Oxford companion to world mythology by David Adams Leeming

Joseph Campbell’s classic study of myth examines how recurring hero narratives shape human experience and inspire modern storytelling, from ancient folklore to contemporary cinema.

The Complete World of Greek Mythology

An anthology of myths ranging from ancient Egypt and Greece to the Polynesian Islands and modern science.

Richard P. Taylor explores the cultural, religious, and social dimensions of death and the afterlife, reviewing funeral rites, beliefs about heaven and hell, and future life concepts across societies.

In Mythology, David Leeming offers an unusual and effective approach to the subject of mythology by stressing universal themes through myths of many cultures. This anthology collects a wide array of narrative texts from the Bible to English literature to interpretations by Joseph Campbell, C.G. Jung, and others, which illustrate how myths serve whole societies in our universal search for meaning. Leeming illuminates the various stages or rites of passage of the universal mythic hero, from birth to childhood, through trial and quest, death, descent, rebirth, and ascension. Real figures, including Jesus and Mohammed, are included, underlining the theory that myths are psychically real and can be applied to real life. This edition is updated to include additional heroine myths, as well as Navajo, Indonesian, Indian, Chinese, and African tales. Myths might be called the dreams of humankind, Leeming writes. With Mythology, he provides an essential resource not only for those wishing to advance their knowledge of this vast subject, but for anyone who wants to better understand the human psyche.

Highlights the chief myths of the world in seven main sections--West Asia, South and Central Asia, East Asia, Europe, Africa, America, and Oceania.