The Oldest Stories in the World

By Theodor Herzl Gaster

Book Overview

This book was assembled by a scholar of language and religion in order to bring together the best collection of the oldest stories known to man. They are older than anything in the Bible, or than... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807057878
• ISBN13: 9780807057872
• Release Date: January 1958
• Publisher: Beacon Press (MA)
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.

Customer Reviews

If you are a storyteller or interested in the oldest art, get this book

Simply put, if you are a student of storytelling, a story teller, actor or even artist, I recommend that you get this book whenever you can find it. I believe it is out of print.

Best Sellers from Millennia Past

T H Gaster's book is a collection of myths and legends from the Ancient Near East from 3500 years ago. There are 5 Babylonian, 5 Hittite, and 4 Canaanite stories. Of course, the first story is the Gilgamesh Epic. Next, among the Hittite stories is the Snaring of the Dragon. Finally, among the Canaanite stories are The Heavenly Bow and The Story of Baal. These have been retranslated and retold for the ease of reading of the modern reader. Each story is followed by comments from Theodor Gaster who uses a comparative folklore method. For example, after the story of how toothache came into the world, Gaster writes that in German the expression "Es wurmt mich" (The worm has gotten to me) is still used. Or better yet, Gaster notes in comments to the Hittite story of the god who disappeared that the Babylonians told a similar story about Tammuz while the Greeks told a similar story about Persephone.Fun reading. However for a more comprehensive picture of what Gaster calls Canaanite stories see Nicolas Wyatt's _Religious Texts from Ugarit_.