David Leeming surveys the role of sex in myth around the world. In 10 chapters he covers the whole ancient world, with some illustrations too. So this is a lightening tour of ancient cultures. There is a bibliography at the end but there are no notes and the book is aimed at a general reader. It is quite a feat to explain these stories in a context that makes sense of them. Leeming plunges into detail very soon, and those who are unfamiliar with world history and culture may find it all very confusing. For example, he starts off with Mesopotamian culture and goes into the story of Gilgamesh and there are many different characters and places. Then we get 12 pages on Egyptian myth. The chapter on Canaan and Israel is longer, but there are also a number of full page illustrations. The same is true for the chapter that covers both Greece and Rome. Chapters on India, Northern Europe, China and Japan, Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceana, and the Americas all follow. Even for people who know a lot about world culture, there is bound to be something new here, and many readers will find a great deal that is informative. Sex in the World of Myth is a book that should lead readers to do further research.  This is an entertaining and interesting read that works well for browsing.

© 2019 Christian Perring

Christian Perring teaches in NYC.