Japanese Mythology
Matthieu Felt
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$45.95 AUD
- ISBN:
- 9780197686041
- Published:
- 10 Jul 2026
- Availability:
- 20
Japanese myths present a significant barrier to entry for the Western reader. The primary sources are arcane, and their translations are not accessible to the non-specialist. Japanese deities (kami) have multiple, long names, and the myths exist in different and conflicting versions. Finally, the sheer number of kami makes grasping the pantheon difficult.
Japanese Mythology: A Guide presents key Japanese myths in a format that is both
rigorous and readable. Matthieu Felt brings together Japanese myths as they appear in the oldest extant sources and the various methodologies that have been used to study these myths during the twentieth and
twenty-first centuries. Sources are indicated for readers wishing to do further research with original texts or to use Japanese myths in a comparative capacity.
Acknowledgments
List of Maps, Figures, and Tables
Introduction
1: The Yamato Cycle
2: The Izumo Cycle
3: Foundation Myths for the Japanese Empire
4: Mythology and the Japanese State
5: The History of Mythology in Japan
Glossary of Kami Mentioned in this Book
References
Index
Matthieu Felt , Associate Professor of Japanese, University of Florida
Matthieu Felt is Associate Professor of Japanese at the University of Florida. He is the translator of The Chronicles of Japan (the Nihon Shoki), part of the Hsu-Tang Library of Classical Chinese Literature series.