Part II: Chapters 1-3 Summary and Analysis

Regardless of a culture's definition of a Supreme Being, all mythology tends to be dominated by the concept of God and Goddess, whether the Supreme Being's name is God or Yahweh or Allah or Gaia. The gods are immortal beings and are a personification of the need to overcome the physical laws of life that bring about inevitable death. Leeming states the gods and goddesses are actually metaphors for the various elements of society. Zeus is seen as a patriarch, a husband and father; Hera is a wife and mother. Zeus is known as a philanderer and Hera is often jealous, traits which are generally attributed to humans. The gods are also representative of various elements such as earth, air, wind or fire, as well as human emotions such as jealousy, hatred or love.

Leeming...