Intoxication in Mythology: A Worldwide Dictionary of Gods, Rites, Intoxicants and PlacesMyths from the ancient world usually have some supernatural element, a component often generated from a particular intoxicant. These substances promoted a variety of states including possession by the gods, liberation of the soul or a communion with the spirit world. From Acan, the Mayan god of intoxicating drinks, to Zagreus, the first incarnation of the Greek god Dionysus, this encyclopedia encompasses intoxicant-related stories from world mythology that explain the origins of a particular intoxicant or how that intoxicant was involved in creating a particular culture. Entries are arranged alphabetically without regard to category (e.g., gods, intoxicants, places, and rites). Different versions of a single myth are presented when pertinent to the overriding theme. Entries record the referenced story, the identity of the culture in which the myth originated, and when applicable, information about related plant sources and pharmacological effects. Cross-references are noted in bold and sources appear at the end of each entry. Appendices group entries by category and by place of origin. |
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Intoxication in mythology: a worldwide dictionary of gods, rites, intoxicants and places
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictHaving written on subjects as diverse as Confederate sheet music and Semitic hereditary diseases, Abel (psychology, Wayne State Univ., Detroit) turns his scholarly attention to the role of intoxicants ... Read full review
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Intoxication in Mythology: A Worldwide Dictionary of Gods, Rites ... Ernest L. Abel Limited preview - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
Aesir alcoholic ambrosia amrta animals Apikunni asked Asuras Asvins Aztec became drunk beer blood body brew brothers called cauldron Centzon Totochtin Ceridwen Coyote created culture hero datura daughter death Demeter demons Devas di›erent Dionysus divine drank drink drunkenness e›ects earth elixir Elwin Enki entheogen father fell fermented fertility Gantz gave giant girl goddess grapes Greek mythology Grimal growing haoma Hera honey Huichol humans husband Icarius immortality Inanna Indian mythology Indra intoxicants intoxicating kava kava plant killed king Kvasir leaves lived magic Mahaprabhu Mayahuel Mayan Mead of Inspiration middle India mythology mother myths Norse mythology o›ered Odin Persephone peyote Price and Kearns psychoactive pulque pulque gods Quetzalcoatl returned Rudgley Schultes and Hofmann seeds shaman smoke snake soma South American spirit story Suttung Thor tobacco Tobacco Origin tobacco plant told took transformed tree Underworld variant vine wife wine woman Zagreus Zeus