The Masks of God
This four-volume magnum opus was Campbell’s most comprehensive attempt to lay out his theories of the history of myth and religion.
Published between 1959 and 1968, Campbell’s The Masks of God covers mythology from around the world, from ancient to modern. Where The Hero with a Thousand Faces focused on the commonality of mythology (the “elementary ideas”), the Masks of God books focus upon historical and cultural variations the monomyth takes on (the “folk ideas”). In other words, where The Hero with a Thousand Faces draws perhaps more from psychology, the Masks of God books draw more from anthropology and history. The four volumes of Masks of God are as follows: Primitive Mythology, Oriental Mythology, Occidental Mythology, and Creative Mythology.
| Cover | Title | Description | Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
 | The Masks of God™ 4: Creative Mythology | Explore the power of myth as it exploded from twelfth century Europe into the modern world. Creative Mythology is the fourth and final volume of Joseph Campbell’s major work of comparative mythology, The Masks of God™. In this installment, the pre-eminent mythologist looks at the European mythology of individualism as it took flower in medieval Europe and spread, through the Renaissance, to influence modernist thought, art, and literature. The Masks of God™ is a four-volume study of world religion and myth that stands as one of Joseph Campbell’s masterworks. On completing it, he wrote: Its main result for me has … | audio book, book, ebook |
 | The Masks of God™ Volume 3: Occidental Mythology | The Masks of God™ Volume 3: Occidental Mythology “The high function of Occidental myth and ritual . . . is to establish a means of relationship—of God to Man and Man to God”. — Joseph Campbell. Occidental Mythology is a systematic and fascinating comparison of the themes that underlie the art, worship, and literature of the western world. The Masks of God is a four-volume study of world religion and myth that stands as one of Joseph Campbell’s masterworks. On completing it, he wrote: “Its main result for me has been the confirmation of a thought I have long and … | audio book, book, ebook |
 | The Masks of God™ Volume 2: Oriental Mythology | The Masks of God™ Volume 4: Creative Mythology “The myth of eternal return, which is still basic to Oriental life, displays an order of fixed forms that appear and disappear through all time.” – Joseph Campbell Explore the power of myth as it flowered in Asia In this second volume of The Masks of God – Joseph Campbell’s major work of comparative mythology – the preeminent mythologist looks at Asian mythology as it developed over the course of five thousand years into the distinctive religions of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, and Japan. The Masks of God is a four-volume study … | audio book, book, ebook |
 | The Masks of God™ Volume 1: Primitive Mythology | Masks of God™ Volume 1: Primitive Mythology In this first volume of The Masks of God — Joseph Campbell’s major work of comparative mythology — the preeminent mythologist looks at the wellsprings of myth. From the earliest expressions of religious awe in pre-modern humans to the rites and art of contemporary primal tribes, myth has informed humankind’s understanding of the world, seen and unseen. Exploring these archetypal mythic images and practices, Campbell examines the basic concepts that underlie all human myth, even to this day. The Masks of God is a four-volume study of world religion and myth that stands … | audio book, book, ebook |