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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0879232153/o/qid=940347710/sr=8-1/002
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Hamlet's Mill : An Essay on Myth and the Frame of Time
by Giorgio De Santillana, Hertha Von Dechend
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Paperback Reissue edition (August 1992)
David R Godine; ISBN: 0879232153
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 16,158
Avg. Customer Review:
Number of Reviews: 6
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Jonathan Mc Aneney ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) from Northern Ireland, October
18, 1999
For dedicated scholars only
The Reader will find that this book is quoted in the bibliography of many if
not all recent books concerning the origins of human civilisation and the
extent of knowledge possesed by our ancestors, that it has almost become a
bible to modern researchers in this field. However, upon reading, it is not
hard to see why this should be.
The authors show compelling evidence that myth was a way of handing down
complex information in easy to manage packages within stories, and that
modern man has lost all understanding of the true nature of the myth. They
also boldly state that the majority of this information pertains primarily
to the mechanics of celestial movements and the precessional cycle.
However, it can be at times a very heavy text and can indeed be hard to
understand upon first reading, but perseverence is most rewarding. At times
the text is interupted by periodic quotes of German, Latin or French which,
if one does not know the language can cause the reader to feel that he/she
has missed some major point of the argument. Having been published in 1969,
this book is beginning to feel its age especially with the help of modern
authors explaining many of its main arguments in a much more simple and
effective way.
It is an excellent book, and one that you may go back upon in future to
study again and again. However, it is not advised for the casual reader, and
most definately not for any one with a less than passing interest in myth.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] from Wulai, Taiwan, ROC , July 18, 1999
A great, but flawed book
This book reminds me of the cowboy who jumped on his horse and rode off in
all directions. The authors try to say everything at once. By the time they
inserted their twentieth appendix (each such digression full of more
digressions in the footnotes), you'd think they would have considered
overhauling their framework and integrating everything more smoothly. Sorry.
I got tired of trying to hold onto the train of thought in the text while
wading through appendices -- 39 in all. Sloppy editing here, too, because
some appendices appear without any reference in the text. In revenge on such
authors who fill their books with untranslated quotes in German and Latin,
some day I am going to write a book full of quotes in Chinese -- in the
original archaic characters, or course -- Viet Namese, and Tayal: ima maniq
mami qaniy! I am somewhat perplexed by the authors' hostility to psychology
and practically deliberate misreading of evolution. It is more intriguing to
me to find that the same symbol is valid both psychologically and
astrologically. However, the authors insist that theirs is the one and only
possible interpretation. Too bad. The book focuses on astronomical events,
but gives us only two hard dates, in the final pages. William Sullivan's
Secret of the Incas, inspired by Hamlet's Mill, by far surpasses it in every
way. If Hamlet's Mill interests you, I urge you to read Secret of the Incas,
too. There, I have told you all the bad points about Hamlet's Mill. Were I
asked, "Should I read this book?" I would answer unequivocally, imperitively
even, Yes, absolutely yes, there's gold in these pages.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] from Santa Fe, NM , February 4, 1999
Excellent starting point for study of mythic-astronomy
This book is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in
archeo/ethno/astronomy. While there are many fine initial texts on
archeoastronomy (e.g., Krupp, Williamson), this effort demonstrates the fine
art and the complexity of interpretation of such manifestations relating to
the myth-structures of the scrutinized cultures. Some have interpreted this
effort as posing uni-modal answers (precession) to all such questions,
however, the multi-vocal aspect of myth is clearly represented to those who
will look carefully. Ten stars!
A reader from US , January 12, 1999
Leaves Much To Be Desired
If one is looking for documented back-up that the ancients of pre-history
were aware of the precession of the equinoxes, and that this knowledge is
embedded and encoded in world mythology, Hamlet's Mill does the job.
However-- the authors seem to be of the notion that the primary purpose and
interpretation of myth is to convey astronomical information. In reality,
myths are the residue of ancient mystical teachings and of real events and
beings of pre-history. The fairy tales of Europe, the Hindu scriptures, Sufi
tales of the mystic east, Greek and Egyptian mythology all are rooted in
this ancient essence, to which the authors give short shrift. If one is
seeking the truth that lies behind myth--aside from the precession thing-
seek elsewhere than in Hamlet's Mill, which takes a very worldly, mundane
view.
Peter Weeda ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) from Australia , August 7, 1998
A work of extraordinarily detailed research.
De Santillana and Von Deschend have pieced together an amazing amount of
data into an erudite and convincing piece of archaeo-astronomy. Their
crusade in comparative mythology leads the reader to an understanding of
ancient world myths way outside the mainstream of interpretation. I highly
recommend Hamlet's Mill to anyone who is remotely serious about
understanding and interpreting ancient myths, as well as grasping some of
the more obscure Platonic concepts. It concludes with a dissertation that
considers the differences between the current scientific observance of
'eternal progress', whereby humans endevour to master Nature, and the
ancient scientific observance of 'eternal cycles', whereby humans endevoured
to be one with Nature.
A reader , March 30, 1997
Amazing treatment of mythology as coded archaic astronomy.
I found this book to be an amazing analysis of world mythological systems.
The authors are two historians of science that make a convincing argument
(in my opinion) that myths and mythical stories are, in fact, how archaic
astronomy had been past from generation to generation. They reinterperet
catastrophic mythical events as reference to the precession of the
equinoxes. Mythical personage (Gods, Titans, Dragons, Heroes etc.) from
China to Ancient Egypt to Greece to Meso-America are shown to be, in fact,
referencing constellations and their positions as these changed due to the
precession of Earth's axis over centuries. Moreover, the authors discuss
myths from linguistically, culturally, temporally distinct societies and
show the astonishing commonality of names, events, and motifs. They make a
cogent argument that the knowledge base of archaic people was far deeper and
wider; that the archaic people have had empirical knowledge of the
precession of equinoxes-a knowledge that requires at least a couple of
hundred years of continuous observation to arrive at-and that they encoded
their knowledge in the language of myths. This was knowledge for the elect
and unlike our contemporary sciences it was not for everyone. In addition,
the authors claim that these myths are tatters of an archaic World-View that
placed man in an orderely universe of change. A world view whose echoes may
still be heard in the Illiad & Odyssey, Shahnameh,Timeaus, Mahabaharata, and
Nihon-gi. It is remarkable that this book, first published in 1968, has not
made any waves in those circles that value such understanding. It is also
remarkable that how much more convincing the author's arguments have become
in the light of the discovires chronicled by E. C. Krupp in his marvelous
volume "Echoes of the Ancient Skies". I shall never again look at the myths
in the way I used to look at before reading this book, i.e. as just-so
stories.
Customers who bought titles by Giorgio De Santillana also bought titles by
these authors:
R. A. Schwaller De Lubicz
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E. C., Dr. Krupp
Charles H. Hapgood
Rand Flem-Ath
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