The Meaning of Myth: With 12 Greek Myths Retold and Interpreted by a Psychiatrist

Not just the stories, but what they mean. Are myths really the repositories of deep wisdom and mystical secrets?

Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner

What is myth, and why does it have such a hold on the human mind? How does myth relate to near forms such as legend and fairy tale, and to other modes of understanding such as religion and science? What is a hero, what is a monster, and what function does magic serve? How has our relationship with myth and mythology changed over the centuries? And are there any modern myths?

These are a few of the fascinating questions that psychiatrist and philosopher Neel Burton explores in the first part of this book. In the second part, he puts theory into practice to unravel 12 of the most captivating Greek myths, including Echo and Narcissus, Eros and Psyche, and Prometheus and Pandora (see the full contents list below).

These myths have been haunting us for millennia, but are they really, as has been claimed, the repositories of deep wisdom and mystical secrets? Get your copy now to find out.

Staggeringly exquisite… The Meaning of Myth by Neel Burton is teaching and writing at its most superb and is as entertaining as you could ever wish for. —Readers' Favorite ★★★★★

In this fascinating read, psychiatrist and philosopher Neel Burton unpacks 12 popular tales—from Eros and Psyche to Orpheus and Eurydice—to explore the meaning of myth in today’s society and its relation to life, science, and religion. —BookBub (Featured New Release)

Burton’s erudition is apparent throughout this highly readable construction, balanced by a personable style and subtle humor. —The US Review of Books (Recommended)

Accessible and entertaining... Burton expounds some of the most intriguing Greek myths to shed light on this fascinating expression of the human imagination. —Armand D'Angour, classical scholar and author of Socrates in Love

Burton is never short of an interesting and sharp judgment. —Prof Peter Toohey, Psychology Today

Burton’s writing blends deep knowledge of his subject with lively anecdote and a genuine concern for how we might draw on the insights of psychology and philosophy to live a better life. Highly recommended! —Dr Gareth Southwell, philosopher and writer

About the author

Dr Neel Burton FRSA is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and wine-lover who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the recipient of the Society of Authors’ Richard Asher Prize, the British Medical Association’s Young Authors’ Award, the Medical Journalists’ Association Open Book Award, and a Best in the World Gourmand Award. His work has featured in the likes of Aeon, the Spectator, and the Times, and been translated into several languages.

Contents

Part I: The Meaning of Myth

1. In the beginning was the word
2. Myth, legend, fable, and fairy tale
3. Myth, religion, and ritual
4. Myth and science
5. The history of myth and mythology
6. Myth, metaphor, and allegory
7. Plato’s myths
8. Magic
9. Heroes
10. Monsters
11. Misogyny
12. Myth in the modern world

Part II: 12 Myths Decoded

13. Echo and Narcissus
14. Eros and Psyche
15. Seers and oracles: Teiresias, Cassandra, and Laocoön
16. Chiron, the wounded healer
17. Pygmalion, the passionate artist
18. Prometheus, the fallen rebel
19. Orpheus and Eurydice
20. Mother goddesses: Demeter and Persephone
21. Perseus and Medusa
22. Theseus and the Minotaur
23. Dionysus, the twice-born liberator
24. Plato’s Myth of Er

Dr Neel Burton is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and wine-lover who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the recipient of the Society of Authors' Richard Asher Prize, the British Medical Association's Young Authors' Award, the Medical Journalists' Association Open Book Award, and a Best in the World Gourmand Award. His work has featured in the likes of Aeon, the Spectator, and the Times, and been translated into several languages.