Theories of Myth: An Annotated Bibliography

Theories of Myth: An Annotated Bibliography. By Thomas J. Sienkewicz. Magill Bibliographies. New York: Scarecrow Press, 1997. xi + 225pp. 30.40 [pounds sterling]. ISBN 0 8108 3388 3

This companion to the author's Index to World Mythology, which was reviewed in the last issue, covers both interpretations and theories of myth. It is aimed at a specific readership, namely college undergraduates, advanced high school students (there is a distinctly American slant here as well), and the general reader approaching the topic for the first time. The author limits himself to English resources and admits that his work is neither comprehensive nor aimed at a specialist audience. He deals briefly with the problems of definitions due to the semantic range of the English word "myth." However, there are somewhat worrying limits to this bibliography. The problems of definition and range of semantic meaning in English are common to other European languages as well, with the result that limiting citations to English, while understandable, serves to underscore the fact that this is a work which sees myth very much in terms of the European discourses which defined and directed its early study. The author never quite gets out from under this limit, and, despite a range of articles from the last twenty years, there is still a '60s feel about this work. Why, for example, is there an entire chapter on structuralist approaches to myth and not one on postmodern theories which reveal and highlight in a useful way the Europocentric nature of much of the historical material?

Nevertheless, this bibliography is a useful one. As I was writing this review, I was also preparing to teach an introductory course on myth, and many of the citations proved adequate for an introductory course.

Juliette Wood, University of Wales, Cardiff

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