Explores how the human mind shapes myth Why were Prometheus and Loki envisioned as chained to rocks? What was the Golden Calf? Why are mirrors believed to carry bad luck? This book shows that myths originally transmitted real information about real events and observations, preserving the information sometimes for millennia within nonliterate societies. List of Illustrations xi Acknowledgments xvii Time Capsules 1(4) The Memory Crunch: How Long a Pipeline? 5(12) The Silence Principle: Of Lethe and the Golden Calf 17(9) More Silence: Movie Reels from Snapshots 26(8) Analogy: Our Brain's Best Talent 34(7) Willfulness: The Atom or Thou 41(12) Multiple Aspects: The More the Merrier 53(18) Multiple Viewpoints: Ear, Trunk, or Tail 71(18) Views through Biased Lenses 89(7) Metaphoric Reality: Magic and Dreams 96(17) Compression: Methuselah and the Eponymous Heroes 113(16) Post Hocus Ergo Pocus: Space Aliens Mutilate Cows! 129(10) Restructuring: New Patterns for Old 139(14) Mnemonics: Behind the Silliness 153(9) The Spirit World: A Realm Reversed 162(14) Of Sky and Time 176(42) Prometheus 218(13) Fire-Breathing Dragons 231(14) Appendix: Index of Myth Principles 245(8) Bibliography 253(12) Index 265