A handy dictionary of mythology

Printed by R. & R. Clark, Edinburgh.

PREFACE.

This Handy Dictionary of Mythology is intended to supply the everyday reader with concise accounts of the gods and goddesses of the ancients in an accessible form.

Besides confronting us at every turn in the museums and picture galleries, these deities and heroes are constantly mentioned by poets and portrayed by painters and sculptors, and they are used for the purpose of illustration in the literature of the day. Nothing is more common than to find the comic newspapers resorting to Mythology for subjects for their pictures; and quite recently Punch has given us some delightful cartoons by Tenniel, which, apart from the admirable drawing, are intensely amusing to people who know enough of Mythology to see the drift of the artist. For example, there is a cartoon representing Æacus, Minos, and Rhadamanthus sitting in judgment on the unlucky electioneering bribers, and underneath is the word “Nemesis.” Again, there was a capital cartoon representing the “Judgment of Paris,” in which the Duke of Richmond, Earl Cairns, and Lord Salisbury figure as Juno, Minerva, and Venus. This had reference to the selection of a Conservative Leader for the House of Lords, and was very popular. In order fully to enjoy similar works, and to appreciate the allusions, it is necessary that we should be able to find out readily something about these mythological beings. But to ascertain this “something” we do not want to waste time in wading through such a number of volumes as the compiler has used in making this Dictionary, even if it were possible to get access to them.

It has been a matter of astonishment to him to find how many different versions there are of the same fable, and to see how often various writers attribute the same actions to different gods or heroes. In fact, it has frequently been a difficult task to decide which version should be adopted,—which authority accepted. It may therefore be desirable to state that where doubts have arisen, either the various versions are given, or else Lempriere’s Classical Dictionary has been referred to, to decide the questions. Besides Lempriere, the following works, with many others of less authority, have been consulted in compiling this Dictionary:—

Now, supposing that all these books were accessible to the general reader, it would still be in many instances impossible for him, without considerable labour, to find therein much of the information contained in this Dictionary, for some of the best of them have no index, but this book is an index to them all.

The proper pronunciation of the names being important, the accent is always marked; and the illustrative quotations from the poets have been specially selected with the intention of assisting the reader in finding out the number of syllables in a name, and by this means fixing the pronunciation.

It will be seen that the compiler has not confined himself to Greek and Roman Mythology, but has included the more important of the Egyptian, Scandinavian, and Hindoo deities, references to which often occur in modern literature.

The limited space at command has made it necessary to be as concise as possible, but every name connected with Mythology, of any note at all, has, it is hoped, been included, and care has been taken to avoid repetitions as much as possible. Where two or three names occur in connection with one fable, the tale is told once, and reference is made to it under the name of the other deities concerned therein.

There are a few names inserted which, though not strictly mythological, are mentioned because it frequently happens that in the history of ancient heroes there is something fabulous in the tales told concerning them.

As to some of the gods and heroes, the Handy Classical Dictionary and Plutarch’s Lives (part of this Series of Handy Books) may be consulted with advantage for fuller information; and it is hoped that the popularity of those two books will be at least equalled by the Dictionary of Mythology.