The Myth and Ritual provides the first sourcebook for one of the most influential theories of myth, the theory which connects myth to rituals. Both classic and contemporary readings are brought together in this unique volume. The selections cover the theory from its origin in biblical and classical studies to its spread of the study of religions worldwide and to its extensions to literature and the social sciences. Critics as well as exponents of the theory are well represented. In his lucid introduction, Robert A. Segal, a leading authority on the theories of myth, systematically charts the history of the theory from its beginnings to the present.
