Product Description

Drawing from Eastern and Western literatures, Heinrich Zimmer presents a selection of stories linked together by their common concern for the problem of our eternal conflict with the forces of evil. Beginning with a tale from the Arabian Nights, this theme unfolds in legends from Irish paganism, medieval Christianity, the Arthurian cycle, and early Hinduism. In the retelling of these tales, Zimmer discloses the meanings within their seemingly unrelated symbols and suggests the philosophical wholeness of this assortment of myth.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #258329 in Books
• Published on: 1971-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
This handsome volume of essays . . . is the yield of what can be called an Indologist's holiday. . . . Expertly edited by Joseph Campbell, these essays rest upon Zimmer's belief--a belief which he shares with Jung and others--that the spiritual heritage of archaic man still survives in "the deeper unconscious layers of our soul.' -- Review

Review
This handsome volume of essays . . . is the yield of what can be called an Indologist's holiday. . . . Expertly edited by Joseph Campbell, these essays rest upon Zimmer's belief--a belief which he shares with Jung and others--that the spiritual heritage of archaic man still survives in "the deeper unconscious layers of our soul.'
(Saturday Review of Literature )

About the Author
The noted Indologist "Heinrich Zimmer", born in Germany in 1890, came to the United States in 1940, at the height of his career, and was lecturing at Columbia University when he died in 1943. His other works in the Bollingen series include "Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization" and "Philosophies of India".

Customer Reviews

Shimmering Zimmer
In the tradition of Johann Jacob Bachhofen and in league with those such as Joseph Campbell, Heinrich Zimmer"s "The King and The Corpse" gets about as good as you will find with respect to comparative mythology. I highly recommend any Jung readers to visit Zimmer's brilliant pages. I also find the melding of Western and Eastern myth systems to be superb. Here is an adventurous path to follow.

the tales that teach
I just love this book. The story from which the book takes its title profoundly affected me the first time I read it: it is the story of an Indian king who has to take part in a quest.This turns out to be an unexpected and thoroughly comprehensive lesson in life and the king emerges from it as a new and wiser person. You will also feel different after reading it. All the stories related in this book are incredibly old but can still connect with the deepest part of our souls. A book to reread.

Shimmering Zimmer
In the tradition of Johann Jacob Bachhofen and in league with those such as Joseph Campbell, Heinrich Zimmer"s "The King and The Corpse" gets about as good as you will find with respect to comparative mythology. I highly recommend any Jung readers to visit Zimmer's brilliant pages. I also find the melding of Western and Eastern myth systems to be superb. Here is an adventurous path to follow.