As the title implies, The Meaning of Myth in World Cultures is an ambitious book, one which introduces readers to myths from numerous and varied traditions from across the globe, as well offering both a history and theoretical study of mythology. Additionally, lengthy sections seem aimed towards the goal of understanding humanity, generally, in terms of evolution, psychology, and social structures. In short, this book offers to the reader a view of humanity through the prism of world mythology.
There is much to recommend in this book. The worldwide sweep of mythic narratives is resplendent in its presentations—in terms of the narratives themselves, as well as their roles in the cultures and societies that tell them. The “usual suspects” of mythic research are well covered—the links to ritual, to economy, to politics, to religion, are all carefully elaborated and examined in site-specific contexts. For example, the San myth of Beautiful Python Girl is located in San society, with its focus on egalitarianism, animism, and the physical environment, and the presentation of the myth is detailed and nuanced, allowing the reader to grasp the fundamental elements of San life through the appreciation of the narrative.
The variety of myths and cultures covered is impressive if, at times, overwhelming. On my initial read, I was a bit confused as to the placement of examples: one sentence discusses a myth in Africa, for instance, and the next takes the reader to the Inuit. On closer examination, I believe this stems from the major theoretical orientation of the work, which can be reasonably described as “Campbellian,” albeit of a modified variety. This theoretical orientation is ultimately revealed in the conclusion (although there are hints along the way), where Michael Buonanno embraces a mystical explanation of myth, that perhaps there is a “divine spark, a kind of celestial energy, setting everything in motion: a force…that we can tap into and, thereby, create our various communities” (289). He continues that “Perhaps this force is…the sum total of all consciousness—not only that of deities and humans but even plants and animals, rocks and stars—coming together and communicating to one another.” This is, ultimately, a spiritual, and not a scholarly, view. To a certain extent, such existential musings are merely that, yet in other ways this theoretical orientation shapes much of the structure of the book.
The Campbellian orientation of universal archetypes is given voice throughout the work (“our common mythic heritage is shot through with numerous points of contiguity,” page 286), and seems to explain the throwing together of multiple myths from around the world throughout the text. For example, Buonnano interprets the San Beautiful Python Girl myth as related to the Earth Diver Myth (most commonly found in northern parts of America) since, at one point in the story, Beautiful Python Girl falls into a spring, and is rescued by Giraffe. If one were to assume these myths to be connected, then indeed one would be left with only mystical explanations of how this possibly could have come to be. But there is a much easier, more prosaic, and more scholarly (if perhaps less exciting) approach, which is to recognize that these are not the same story at all. Simply because a character falls into water does not mean that all myths where characters fall into water are somehow connected (historically or mystically).
The well-known and widespread critiques of Campbell’s approach are never broached.[1] For me, the greatest disappointment is that this Campbellian orientation is not at all necessary given the rich overview of mythology that Buonanno otherwise presents. There is simply no need to rely on a mystical cosmic connection with such detail given to local, variegated approaches to mythology.
This is by far the largest problem with the book, but it is not the only one. At times the book seems to wander away from mythology—for example, his “Origins” section deals mostly with the evolution of humans, and the development of human civilizations, with scant attention to mythology. The conclusion is mostly centered on discussions of anti-semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and Pan-Indian identity, which do not naturally flow from the rest of the structure of the book.
Additionally, the wide expanse of areas, times, and topics covered leads the author out of his areas of expertise. For example, he seems to state that the Irish (Gaelic) language is no longer spoken (165), and his synopsis (166) of the Christianization of Europe as it applies to Ireland is woefully glib, and ultimately misleading.
Finally, aside from the above, I would have liked there to be more explicit references and citations, particularly in giving examples of myths. These are for the most part retold by Buonanno, and without context or citations, it is difficult if not impossible to trace his retellings back to their origins, rendering his version of the myths unsuited for scholarly citations, which is a shame, since the book is filled with truly wondrous stories.
In short, Buonanno could have succeeded in creating perhaps the single best introductory book to world mythologies, but was prevented from this largely due to the mystical, modified Campbellian orientation. Perhaps at some point this work could be revised for another edition—without relying on a mystical explanation, Buonanno’s exploration and celebration of mythologies from around the world, lodged and crafted in specific communities, could be a most welcome and helpful introduction to the study of world mythologies.
[1] E.g., Robert Segal, Joseph Campbell: An Introduction (New York: Garland, 1987). See also Alan Dundes, “Folkloristics in the Twenty-First Century (AFS Invited Presidential Plenary Address, 2004),” Journal of American Folklore 118 (2005):385–410.
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[Review length: 933 words • Review posted on February 13, 2020]