Nectar & ambrosia : an encyclopedia of food in world mythology
In the ancient world, there were salmon that granted wisdom, drinks that ensured immortality, and animals and vegetables that bestowed other powers. It was believed that fortune bestowed other powers. It was believed that fortune and famine were controlled by supernatural forces and food was the focus of life, myth and ritual. Now for the first time, the magic and symbolic properties and uses of food by both mortals and immortals as mentioned in the worldʼs myths and legends are brought together and explained in Nectar and Ambrosia. The book covers the major food groups, beverages, herbs and spices; mythological concoctions such as Soma, the immortal drink of Indian legend; and foods of myth, such as Chinese moon cakes. A valuable introduction explains the connections among myth, food and ancient cultures; the rites and rituals of hunting, planting and harvesting; and taboo foods, edible offerings, forbidden fruits, fasts and feasts
Print Book, English, ©2000
ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, Calif., ©2000