John Bierhorst

The best of the American Indian myths are works of art, blending form and content into an organic whole in which the great themes of human experience are interwoven much as they are in a memorable short story or novella. But if the underlying themes are similar, the metaphorical and narrative conventions are vastly different; and it is this aesthetic gap that critic John Bierhorst intends to bridge in this companion volume to his well-known anthology...

Discusses the mythology from Indians of various regions of South America, describing origins, comparing the similar tales, and presenting some of the myths themselves.

A tale shared by the different native peoples of California tells how Coyote and other animals created the world and the people who came to live in it.

A collection of twenty-two traditional tales from the Mayas, including "How Christ Was Chased" and "The Corn in the Rock.".

A description of Inuit culture accompanies a collection of eighteen Inuit folktales from an ancient oral tradition in which animals could take human form and in which magic usually had a part.

A collection of Native American night poems, sleep charms, and other special night songs intended to soothe, heal, bring dreams, or make sleep irresistible.