In the essay that follows, Littleton studies various versions of the widespread and pervasive motif of the divine king, and concludes that the theme does not have a single Indo-European origin.

In the essay that follows, Puhvel discusses the ancient epics of India—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata—considering in particular the intermingling of myth and history in these complex narratives.

In the following essay, Kelsey examines the use of the snake figure in Buddhist and Shinto narratives of evil and redemption.

In the following essay, Gadd explores the network of Babylonian rituals centering around the motif of renewal and suggests that it reflects existential concerns.

In the following essay, originally published in 1989, Schulman recounts the central theme of the divine king in Egyptian mythology and contends that scholars need to be more critical in their study of the information contained in ancient documents in order to ground historical speculation on more objective foundations.

In the essay that follows, Irani contends that the central theme of conflict between gods in Indo-European mythology reflects a broad worldview linked to socioeconomic conditions.