Tamra Andrews. Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky: An Encyclopedia of Nature Myths. Santa Barbara, Cal. and Oxford, England: ABC-CLIO, 1998. xiv + 322 pp. $65.00, cloth, ISBN 978-0-87436-963-2.
Reviewed by Dave Aftandilian
Published on H-Nilas (August, 1999)
When I frst read a brief announcement of (p. viii) rather than on a multiplicity of gods and this book in Parabola, it sounded too good to be goddesses controlling various aspects of the envi‐ true--a convenient, one-volume encyclopedia of ronment. the world's nature myths? What a boon that The book's subtitle, "An Encyclopedia of Na‐ would be to folklorists, storytellers, and anyone ture Myths," led me to expect a far broader range else interested in the ways that various cultures of coverage than the book actually provides. For have invested meaning in the natural world instance, I had hoped for brief sketches of myths around them, or applied lessons learned "in the about diferent animals from diferent culture ar‐ wild" to human society. Unfortunately, as my eas; however, animal myths are covered here mother told me long ago, if something seems too only if Andrews believes they relate in some way good to be true, it all too often is. to nonliving phenomena. For instance, while Which is not to say that this is a bad book, there is no entry for "Wolves," there is one for provided one approaches it with appropriately "Birds," because they "appeared in myths as sym‐ limited expectations. Andrews writes in her pref‐ bols of celestial power" (p. 27). ace that she has "limit[ed] the scope of the ency‐ Each entry begins with several paragraphs, or clopedia to a discussion of natural phenomena, in many cases a full page, of description that gives and specifcally to nonliving phenomena, such as an extended discussion of myths related to the wind, clouds, meteors, and tides. . . . The types of term, the gist of which is summarized for quick entries in the encyclopedia include natural forces, reference in the frst sentence. Often Andrews gods and goddesses of natural forces, and broad retells one or more relevant myths in sketch form geographical areas" (p. vii). Myths from cultures in this section. At the end of the entry, two to with monotheistic religions are also excluded, be‐ three references (very rarely more than that) are cause these philosophies "rely on the existence of cited, and a list of related terms is provided in a one being with total control over natural forces" "See also" section. Many black and white H-Net Reviews halftones illustrate the entries; there is usually at was so fat, and Mosquito replied that he sucked least one halftone every fve pages or so. on trees. He didn't want to admit that he really For instance, the entry for "Thunder and sucked on people, because he didn't want thunder Thunder Gods" is roughly a page long. Beginning to eat up all the people and deny him of his prey. by stating that "Thunder is evidence of sky power" Mosquito's plan worked, and his story explained (p. 240), Andrews proceeds to describe how "the why thunder now shoots trees instead of people" ancients" held two seemingly contradictory sets of (p. 241). beliefs about thunder. On the one hand, "the sky Two references are listed at the end of the en‐ gods used their weapons in anger," hurling thun‐ try for "Thunder and Thunder Gods," and then the derbolts to punish misdeeds, but on the other, reader is referred to the following terms under "with rumbling noise and sailing lightning bolts, the "See also" section: Hammers, Lightning, Mete‐ they heralded the coming of spring and the rains" ors and Meteorites, Perun/Perkunas, Rain and (p. 240). Because of this fertility aspect of thunder, Rain Gods, Storms and Tempests, Thor, Thunder‐ which often arrived with the nourishing rains in birds, Zeus. the spring, many cultures saw their thunder gods Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky contains as benevolent beings: "The Iroquois considered hundreds of such entries; I can't tell you exactly their thunder god, Hino, benevolent. With his how many, because a count is not provided, nor is companion, Oshadagea, the dew eagle, he brought there a master list of terms or even a Table of moisture back to the earth. In India, Parjanya, a Contents. There is a useful Subject Index, which rain and thunder deity who preceded Indra, was lists both terms and major subjects mentioned also considered benevolent, and so were the drag‐ within the entries (for instance, "Mosquito" is list‐ ons of Chinese and Japanese myths" (p. 241). But ed in the subject index, even though there is no Zeus and Perun, high gods of the Slavic and an‐ separate entry for it in the text, because it is men‐ cient Greek pantheons, respectively, demonstrat‐ tioned under the entry for "Thunder"), and a Cul‐ ed the destructive power of thunder when they ture Index, which lists terms by geographical hurled their thunderbolts crashing down to the area. A Bibliography is included, though it is only earth below. eight pages long, which seems rather skimpy for Andrews then moves from a discussion of "an encyclopedia of nature myths." The "Appen‐ thunder gods to myths about the origins of the dix: Guide to Primary Sources" displays a similar sound of the thunder itself, which various cul‐ lack of depth; for instance, instead of listing the tures heard as "the bellowing of a ram, the howl‐ major folklore collections for the myths and leg‐ ing of a dog, or the hissing of worms or serpents ends of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, the ap‐ in the beak of Raven" (p. 241). She closes by noting pendix simply refers the reader "to the entries for the associations of thunder with trees, both be‐ each geographical area in Mircea Eliade's Encyclo‐ cause thunder made the leaves rustle, and be‐ pedia of Religion" (p. 279). cause the thunderbolts often hit the trees, striking Although it may seem perverse to delve into fre from them just as people kindled fre from just one entry from an encyclopedia in such de‐ wood in their hearths. tail, the listing for "Thunder" highlights many im‐ In the course of the entry on "Thunder," An‐ portant aspects of this book. First and foremost, drews retells several myths, my favorite being one is struck by the clear and concise writing this explanation of why thunderbolts hit trees: style, and the frequently quite colorful lan‐ According to the Thompson River Indians of guage--"rumbling noise and sailing lightning North America, Thunder asked Mosquito why he bolts" (p. 240), for example--that makes the book
2 H-Net Reviews quite pleasant to read. In fact, I think the writing end of the entry, rather than singly after the myth style is accessible and interesting enough to cap‐ to which they relate, one must look up each refer‐ ture the attention of even grade-school children ence and try to guess which one the tale in ques‐ (at least briefy!). The geographic and cultural tion came from. Because only two references are breadth of coverage is also amply demonstrated; listed at the end of this section, and one of them is this entry include gods and myths from ancient specifc to classical thunder myths, process of Greece, the Iroquois, India, China, Japan, Slavic elimination would lead one to suspect the Mosqui‐ peoples, and Norway, and other descriptions pro‐ to tale comes from the other, a monograph. But vide references to beliefs from Oceania and Africa even here one encounters further frustration, be‐ as well. cause the page number references to where the "Thunder" also showcases Andrews's special tale might be found in the monograph are not list‐ knowledge of celestial lore. She is a former re‐ ed, which would mean one would have to hope search librarian with the McDonald Observatory the book in question had a good index. and the Astronomy Department of the University As mentioned above, most entries contain no of Texas at Austin, and frequently contributed more than two or three references. Perhaps the pieces about star and sky lore to the "Star Date" publisher placed this limitation on the author to public broadcasting show and magazine pro‐ save space, but it is no favor to those wishing to duced at the observatory. Thus, it makes sense use this book for research. It also leads to some that entries on the constellations and other celes‐ puzzling omissions. To take just one example, the tial bodies are some of the best in this encyclope‐ entry for "Serpents and Snakes" does not cite, and dia. Andrews's bibliography does not include, Balaji On the other hand, the listing for "Thunder" Mundkur's 1983 book The Cult of the Serpent: An also displays the irritating lack of consistency in Interdisciplinary Survey of its Manifestations and cross-references that recurs throughout the book. Origins (Albany: State University of New York While the reader is directed to several entries for Press), which is a major publication for those in‐ specifc thunder gods (e.g. Thor and Zeus), the en‐ terested in snake lore. try for "Illapa," the Incan thunder god (p. 113), is Just a cursory check of several references in not mentioned. Under the entry for "Serpents and my library turned up one that was cited incorrect‐ Snakes" (p. 210), the Mesoamerican feathered ser‐ ly in Andrews's bibliography: the citation for The pent and major deity Quetzalcoatl is not listed in Sacred Paw: The Bear in Nature, Myth, and Liter‐ either the description or the "See also" section, ature omits the name of one of the two coauthors even though the encyclopedia does contain an en‐ (Paul Shepard is listed as sole author, even though try for "Quetzalcoatl" (pp. 185-86), and so on. Barry Sanders coauthored the book). A minor er‐ Perhaps the most dismaying aspects of this ror, perhaps, but it leads me to suspect there may encyclopedia from the points of view of a scholar be other errors in the citations as well. wishing to use it as a starting point for research There are also some troubling omissions in or a storyteller wanting to look up the original of the entries themselves. Again taking "Serpents a tale mentioned in it are the reference citation and Snakes" as an example, in addition to not style and the paucity of references overall. In the mentioning myths of Quetzalcoatl in this section, "Thunder" section, for instance, a storyteller Andrews also does not discuss tie-snakes or ukte‐ might wish to look up an original version of the nas, which are important snake-like monsters in tale of how Mosquito tricked Thunder. But be‐ the lore of several southeastern Native American cause the references are listed in a group at the tribes. She also doesn't include myths about the
3 H-Net Reviews ouroboros ("tail-devouring") serpent, a concept en Taaut" (p. 37 in The Serpent Cult, 1988). Philo which probably originated with the Phoenicians. of Byblos, who lived around the frst and second [1] centuries A.D., alludes to the ouroboros serpent in So where does this leave us? On the one hand, his Phoenician History (which he claimed was a Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky is a well-writ‐ translation of the works of Sanchuniathon, com‐ ten and very approachable encyclopedia of myths posed in the second half of the second millennium about nonliving natural phenomena. Even the B.C.; see mention of the snake that "consumes it‐ most experienced folklorist will probably fnd self" at 815:7). Macrobius, a compiler of earlier something new here, and there is plenty of mate‐ scholarship who lived in the fourth century A.D., rial for storytellers to work with. On the other also links the ouroboros serpent and Phoenician hand, the incomplete and frustrating use of refer‐ religious belief in his Saturnalia (1, 9, 12: "hinc et ences, and almost complete lack of citations for Phoenices in sacris imaginem eius exprimentes primary sources, limit the work's usefulness to draconem fnxerunt in orbem redactum cau‐ scholars (while primary source texts are listed for damque suam devorantem, ut appareat mundum areas outside of Africa, Oceania, and the Americ‐ ex se ipso ali et in se revolvi"). as, complete citations are not given, and no specif‐ Copyright (c) 1999 by H-Net, all rights re‐ ic editions are recommended). served. This work may be copied for non-proft All in all, I would recommend this book for educational use if proper credit is given to the au‐ public and school libraries through the high thor and the list. For other permission, please con‐ school level, and for individuals wishing a broad tact [email protected]. but not particularly deep or comprehensive over‐ view of nature myths from a wide variety of cul‐ tures. ABC-CLIO is primarily a reference publish‐ er, and the high price of this book--$65.00--also will limit its accessibility to individuals with limit‐ ed means. What I would dearly love to see, though, is a comprehensive encyclopedia of nature myths about both living creatures and nonliving phe‐ nomena, complete with detailed references keyed to each myth or god/goddess or creature men‐ tioned, and perhaps to audio fles of storytellers performing key myths. Obviously this would be a considerably more daunting undertaking, proba‐ bly requiring the labor of many hands, and per‐ haps better suited to publication on the world wide web rather than in book form. But it would be enormously useful to scholars, storytellers, and the general public alike. Note [1]. K. P. Aravaanan writes that "the Phoeni‐ cians considered the serpents in the form of swal‐ lowing its tail, as the symbol of their God of heav‐
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Citation: Dave Aftandilian. Review of Andrews, Tamra. Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky: An Encyclopedia of Nature Myths. H-Nilas, H-Net Reviews. August, 1999.
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