Grimm's teutonic mythology

This monumental and pioneering work covers the whole range of the subject of mythology, from the very first recorded evidence to the late nineteenth century.

Teutonic mythology is composed of a body of stories, on natural or supernatural and social phenomena, based on the religion of the ancient Teutons - a group that includes Germans, Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians, Goths and other northern European peoples.

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), one of the famous Grimm brothers, is best known as a mythologist and etymologist.

Here he traces fairy tales in the pre-Christian era, in the ancient faith and superstitions of the Teutonic peoples.

This archaic pre-medieval period was viewed as a golden age of innocence, harmony and happiness and this romantic view had an important influence on modern literature and culture, perhaps most notably in the operas of Wagner.

Teutonic Mythology is an immensely scholarly work of wide interdisciplinary interest. Grimm's in-depth knowledge of Teutonic language and literature, and his mastery of the principles of philology, which he was the first to establish on a firm scientific basis, made him perhaps the only person capable of constructing such a detailed study.

The four-volume work contains prefaces by the translator, a supplement collecting the author's posthumous manuscript notes, and an appendix taken from the first edition.