KNOWLEDGE BLASTER!
Subject Guide:

KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend

Vile vampires, wicked witches and wily wizards. Is it a new TV show?

A strong man who divert rivers to wash out smelly stables. An ill-fated dupe doomed to pushing boulders up a mountain for eternity. A war hero whose only vulnerable body part is the heel of his foot.

Is it the new Marvel blockbuster?

Nope. Mythology.

Long before modern superheroes, tales of dastardly dealings and daredevil derring-do enthralled our ancestors. And, yes... many of the modern crop of supers share traits with their forebears. But, you say, you've heard different versions of the tales. What should you believe? Oh, come on... do like we do and believe them all! Kidding.

We tried to find the most popular versions of these myths and legends and compiled them into a comprehensive compendium of cataclysmic catastrophes.

Why?

Well, we were helping a friend study for the contestant quiz of the Jeopardy! Game show when we realized we had accumulated enough material to help out almost anyone. A student, game show contestant, or the average joe or joanne who loves a good tale.

One of those is bound to be you.

KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend tells the stories of the greatest mythical heroes and villains you've ever heard of (and some you probably haven't). Greek gods and heroes, from Achilles to Zeus. Roman mythological characters from Achates to Vulcan. Other myths and legends from around the world. All arranged in a neat and efficient encyclopedia-like format.

The Trojan War, the founding of Rome, the labors of Hercules, and so much more.

Valkyries, vampires, witches and wizards.

Abelard and Heloise, Castor and Pollux, Bellerophon and Pegasus.

Muses, dragons, kings, queens, lovers, and thieves.

Trickery, witchcraft, deception, and war. Oh my!

The KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Series compresses a great mountain of available information into easily digestible morsels. You'll find the books are patterned in an efficient question-and-answer mode, stressing simplicity, brevity, and clarity.

You can use this reference work as a launch pad to propel yourself into more in-depth studies. However, if you find this little study guide provides all the information you need, then consider your knowledge...
Blasted!

We wish you the best of luck in your quest for knowledge in this fascinating subject. 'Bye now. And, oh yes, buy now!

Inside KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend

Test yourself now; see if you know the answers that KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! can give you.

Greek Myths and Legends.

Adonis: An incredibly handsome young Greek, Adonis attracted the goddess Aphrodite. She tried to dissuade him from hunting, but he ignored her advice and was killed on a hunt by a wild boar. Appalled at the prospect of Adonis spending eternity in the underworld, Aphrodite persuaded the other gods to allow him to come up to earth for six months out of every year. In the myth, she changed his blood into a flower, the anemone, and each year the blooming of the anemone signals the return of Adonis from the underworld.
Chaos: In myth, the unfathomable empty space from which all things arose. Gaea (earth) sprang from Chaos and became the mother of all things.
Eris: Goddess of discord and sister of Ares, the war god. Becoming angry when all of the gods and goddesses except her were invited to a great feast, she threw a beautiful golden apple into the midst of the guests. The apple was inscribed with the words, "To the fairest," and three of the goddesses (each thinking that she was the most beautiful) claimed it as their own. According to the legend, the Trojan prince, Paris, was asked to decide which goddess was the fairest. His choice of Aphrodite later led to the Trojan War.
       See the articles on Paris and the Trojan War.
Furies (or Erinyes): Avenging goddesses of myth who punished not only criminals, but those who disobeyed their parents or showed disrespect for their elders, etc. Living deep in the nether world, they had snakes in their hair and blood dripping from their eyes.
      The Eumenides were also Furies, but in the legend, they dispensed justice.
Triton: Son of the chief god of the sea (Poseidon) and a sea god himself. In the legend, Triton lived in a golden palace at the bottom of the sea. It was said that he could calm a stormy sea by blowing his horn, made of a sea shell.

Roman Gods and Goddesses.

Dido: Queen (and, in some legends, founder) of Carthage.
      In Virgil's Aeneid, the Trojan prince Aeneas was shipwrecked near her city. Dido fell in love with him and, when he left her, killed herself.
Dis: Greek Pluto. According to legend, ruled Hades with his wife Prosperine (Greek Persephone).
Janus: Almost as important in mythology as Jupiter, Janus stood for the beginning of everything. Guardian of heaven and of all gates and doors, Janus is pictured with two faces, supposedly so he could see what was coming and going.

Mythology Around the World.

Isis: An Egyptian nature goddess, wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. It is thought that, early on, Isis and Osiris were the only gods worshiped by the ancient Egyptians, but other deities were added as time passed.
      Worship of Isis passed to the ancient Greeks, who were to call her Demeter. Later still, the Romans adopted Isis and built temples to her.
Pecos Bill: Fictional American cowboy. His stories involve feats of super courage and strength, such as riding a tornado whirlwind like a bronco and using a rattlesnake for a lasso. In various tales, he is said to have dug the Rio Grande with a stick, and scared the warpaint off his attackers (which explains why the Painted Desert became so colorful).
      According to the legend, Pecos Bill was born in Texas in the 1830s and soon fell out of a covered wagon, near the Pecos River. He was taken in and raised by a pack of coyotes. He grew up to be a cowboy, and his horse was named Widowmaker (although he sometimes rode a mountain lion instead of a horse). He had a love interest named Slue-Foot Sue, who rode a giant catfish down the Rio Grande.
Valkyries: Nine maidens of Norse myth who attended Odin. Riding through the air on horses, they carried, into the thick of battle, Odin's orders concerning who would win and who would die. The Valkyries were also thought to be present in storm clouds.

How did you do?
KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend is a fast-paced, easy-to-read guide, dedicated to condensing the great quantity of available information.

KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend
Table of Contents

KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend is a brief and concise compendium of the characters, events, and places of legend that have become most well-known to Western culture. Each section lists in alphabetical order those that were particular to the region.

Greek Myths and Legends

Roman Gods and Goddesses

All Around the World

Top of Page

KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend

Vile vampires, wicked witches and wily wizards. Is it a new TV show?

Inside KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend

Greek Myths and Legends.

Roman Gods and Goddesses.

Mythology Around the World.

KNOWLEDGE BLASTER! Guide to Myth and Legend is a brief and concise compendium of the characters, events, and places of legend that have become most well-known to Western culture. Each section lists in alphabetical order those that were particular to the region.

Greek Myths and Legends

Roman Gods and Goddesses

All Around the World

Knowledge is power; get your dynamite here.