Chapter 1, Introduction to the Myths Summary and Analysis

These stories are all creation tales. Prior to the enshrinement of the written word and even after it, there is a longstanding effort to answer the basic questions of where it all comes from - how did the world start, from whence has the human species emerged? Myth and science have both endeavored to answer this question. The answer is elusive. Amongst the first factors the editor explains is that in reality, there are thirteen lunar months to the year. This has associations with both women and with the Moon, since women's menstrual cycles tend to roll on a twenty-eight day long month, of which there are thirteen. These were used by Europeans as 'common-law months' for one thousand years after the Julian Solar calendar was introduced.

The editor addresses matriarchy. He seems...