The English language draws from a linguistic melting pot of many ages and cultures. Few can master all of the languages from which English draws proverbial wisdom and bon mots; fortunately for the rest of us, there is now The World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions.

Theories of Myth, a companion to the author's World Mythology: An Annotated Guide to Collections and Anthologies (Scarecrow Press and Salem Press, 1996), has been written to serve the needs of college undergraduates, high school students, and general readers approaching the study of myth for the first time. Whereas the earlier volume describes the plethora of anthologies, collections, and general introductions to myth from around the world, Theories of Myth lists the most important English-language studies of myth theory, which attempt to answer the questions: What is "myth?" How does it function in human society, and how is it to be interpreted? Here the reader will find the most significant theoretical studies of traditional stories, legends, tales and sagas from around the world, which attempt to address such questions from a variety of perspectives. Includes an author/editor index and a subject index.