Asian Mythology

A Dictionary of Asian Mythology, by David Leeming, Oxford University Press

This dictionary features stories of revered deities, sacred places, key events and epics of the regions we now call India, China, Tibet, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Japan. Meet the supreme Gautama Buddha, the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesa, and Chang O, the Lunar Toad who is Chinese goddess of the Moon. Journey to the sacred Cambodian ruins of Angkor and golden Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods. Discover myths like the Stone and the Banana and the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, and explore archetypal themes such as the hero quest, sacrifice, and descent to the underworld.