The Illustrated Guide to Classical Mythology | A R Hope Moncrieff (Studio Editions, 1992)
Purchased: 18 August 1992 Bathurst
“This volume is an abridged version of H R Hope Moncrieff’s Classic Myth and Legend. As the author states in the original preface, it ‘deals with the famous legendary fictions of Ancient Greece that have furnished so many themes & allusions to modern authors’.“
The mythology books are ones I have referred to over the years, unlike some of the other history texts I have packed and unpacked several times without referencing ever again. When ‘modern authors’ alluded to classical mythology, I would pull out these texts to flesh out the story behind the story.
Now I simply use wikipedia and other such online sites. Sad, but true.
I am trying to be realistic with this move. Do I really want to pack and unpack these books one more time, knowing they will have to be packed again in a couple of years when we make the permanant move to the mountains?
In so many cases, the answer is no.
Now they simply feel like clutter. A memory of another time and place. A younger version of me that valued different things. I will always have a passion for ancient history and mythology, but I no longer need coffee table texts to satisfy that urge.
These Moving On posts are my memory markers. A record of the books I once loved and have let go.
World Mythology: The Illustrated Guide | Roy Willis (Duncan Baird Publishers, 1993)
Purchased: 15 April 1996 Mudgee
“The Greek word mythos from which the English word myth is derived originally meant simply ‘word’, ‘saying’ or ‘story’.“
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends | Arthur Cotterell (Marshall Editions, 1992)
Purchased: 12 July 1993 Sydney
“Why should we know about mythology? The simple answer is that we cannot afford to miss such a rare opportunity to eavesdrop on the innermost thoughts of mankind. For myths & legends are a universal human invention. They have arisen, at different times & in different places, as explanations of the critical problems that always face people.“
(This) Authentic Life 