The Saturn Myth: A Reinterpretation of Rites and Symbols Illuminating Some of the Dark Corners of Primordial Society

By David N. Talbott

Book Overview

"In the earliest age recalled by the ancients, the planet - or proto-planet - came forth from the cosmic sea to establish dominion over the entire world. The planet-god ruled as the solitary, central... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385113765
• ISBN13: 9780385113762
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 419 Pages
• Weight: 2.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Myth as Mystery

David Talbott has written a well-researched, interesting, and provocative book. At one time Saturn was much more visible than it is now; it rivaled the sun in its visual splendor and thereby tugged on the human imagination with comparable force. The difficulty with this picture of the past is that Talbott never explains how Saturn subsequently ended up as a small point in the sky lacking all the grandeur it supposedly once possessed. One can only guess at a Velikovsky-type scenario, but this is not plausible from an astronomical point of view. Talbott, with much learning, seems to be writing between the cracks of ancient Near East history and modern physical science, and his thesis lacks scientific backing. I suspect it also fails to persuade Egyptologists and ancient Mesopotamian scholars--those best situated to pass judgement on its historical and mythic content. This is to say that it is highly idiosyncratic. Still, it is much more stimulating and responsible than Velikovsky and von Daniken. Sometimes its fun to turn the kaleidoscope and Talbott lets you do that.

foundations for a new comprehensive religious theory

Talbott has laid the cornerstone for a revolutionary and brilliant approach towards explaining mythology and ritual from a historical point of view. His work is clear and convincing, though several details cannot be maintained. Unlike Velikovsky's he works his ideas out in detail and opens the way for multitudes of new ideas. This book might even exceed Velikovsky's work in importance as it does certainly so in scope.