From Aesop's Fables to Mockingjay, animals have always played a pivotal role in human culture. Even today, animals wield symbolic powers as varied as the cultures that embrace them. Sacred cows, wily serpents, fearsome lions, elegant swans, busy bees, and sly foxes--all are caricatures of the creatures themselves, yet they reflect not only how different cultures see the natural world around them but also how such cultures make use of their native animals. In this fun and thought-provoking book, historian and animal enthusiast Boria Sax argues for a classification of animals that goes beyond the biological to encompass a more meaningful distinction: tradition. From ants and elephants to tigers and tortoises, The Mythical Zoo weaves together a crosscultural tapestry encompassing mythology, history, art, science, philosophy, and literature. The result is a beautifully illustrated, masterfully composed love letter to the animal kingdom.

The Mythical Zoo

Sax, Boria

Gerald Duckworth Co Ltd

This book traces the roots of East German poetry in the tradition of German Romanticism. In the initial chapters, it examines the way in which Romantic traditions have exerted a continuing influence on Marxist theory. It continues with a close analysis of poems by leading East German authors such as Becher, Brecht and Maurer. A fundamental tension is uncovered in this poetry. There is the Romantic tendency to view erotic love as a source of salvation. There is also pressure in a Socialist state to subordinate personal feelings--including love--to collective priorities. While the poets have attempted to resolve this contradiction in highly original ways, none appears entirely successful.

The Romantic Heritage of Marxism: A Study of East German Love Poetry (Studies in Modern German Literature)

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers

Animals in the Third Reich: Pets, Scapegoats, and the Holocaust

This book is a must for all collections in German history and animal rights. It is a deep and profound reflection on the complex and perplexing ways that animals can shape human culture and politics.—&gt;

History

Europe

Continuum Intl Pub Group

This book is a must for all collections in German history and animal rights. It is a deep and profound reflection on the complex and perplexing ways that animals can shape human culture and politics.—>

REA's MAXnotes for Thomas Mann's Death in VeniceMAXnotes offer a fresh look at masterpieces of literature, presented in a lively and interesting fashion. Written by literary experts who currently teach the subject, MAXnotes will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the work. MAXnotes are designed to stimulate independent thought about the literary work by raising various issues and thought-provoking ideas and questions.MAXnotes cover the essentials of what one should know about each work, including an overall summary, character lists, an explanation and discussion of the plot, the work's historical context, illustrations to convey the mood of the work, and a biography of the author. Each chapter is individually summarized and analyzed, and has study questions and answers.

Death in Venice (MAXNotes Literature Guides)

Research & Education Association

This important book explores the relationship between the Third Reich and animals -- as symbols, as myths, and as living creatures. From a review in Choice: "Rarely does a book contribute to two fields so significantly as this one. Sax, an independent scholar and consultant to various human rights organizations, has written the first book to explore thoroughly the Nazi cult of animals. In a way, this book reads like a mystery novel, as it uncovers some of the chief paradoxes of Nazi ideology. The Nazis promoted vegetarianism and passed the most progressive anti-cruelty laws the world has ever known. Yet they also developed a mystical technocracy that reduced morality to the crudest version of a biological struggle for survival...This book is a must for all collections in German history and in animal rights. It is a deep and profound reflection on the complex and perplexing ways that animals can shape human culture and politics." (S.H. Webb). This second, expanded edition includes a new essay on "Nazi Totemism."

Animals in the Third Reich

Yogh & Thorn Press

The Serpent and the Swan is a history and analysis of animal bride tales from antiquity to the present. The animal bride tale, the author argues, is an enduring expression of humankind's need to remain close to and a part of nature. Boria Sax traces the idea of the animal bride through history by drawing upon legends and literary works from throughout the world. He pays particular attention to Eurasian sources which support his thesis that the animal bride theme originated among the serpent cults of Mesopotamia and southeastern Europe. Through time, the details of the animal bride theme changed as a result of mankind's changing perceptions of the natural world. In general, this study is an account of myths and beliefs that have surrounded animals—and women—during the rise of modern humankind. The Serpent and the Swan identifies and explains images of the animal bride that pervade, enliven, and enrich our culture. The bride becomes Eve taking an apple from the serpent, Medea casting spells, Cinderella riding to the royal ball in a pumpkin coach, and the Little Mermaid rising from the waves. The Author: Boria Sax, who holds a doctorate in German and intellectual history, is the author of The Frog King and The Parliament of Animals, among other books.

The Serpent and the Swan: The Animal Bride in Folklore and Literature

Univ Tennessee Press

Sacred cows, wily serpents, fearsome lions, elegant swans, busy bees, and sly foxes--all are caricatures of the creatures themselves, yet they reflect not only how different cultures see the natural world around them but also how such cultures make use of their native animals. In this fun and thought-provoking book, historian and animal enthusiast Boria Sax argues for a classification of animals that goes beyond the biological to encompass a more meaningful distinction: tradition. From ants and elephants to tigers and tortoises, The Mythical Zoo weaves together a crosscultural tapestry encompassing mythology, history, art, science, philosophy, and literature. The result is a beautifully illustrated, masterfully composed love letter to the animal kingdom.

Mythical Zoo: Animals in Life, Legend, and Literature

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Abrams Press

A varied and insightful compendium of animals and the relationships between humans and animals.
 • Includes over 50 A–Z conversational entries
• Fully illustrated with a variety of images from medieval prints to editorial cartoons and advertisements
• Weaves together a cross-cultural tapestry encompassing mythology, history, art, science, philosophy, and literature while discussing the special significance of animals in human cultures
• Includes relevant quotes from worldwide texts preceding each entry

The Mythical Zoo: An Encyclopedia of Animals in World Myth, Legend, and Literature

Historical Study & Educational Resources

ABC-Clio, Inc.

"The tales tell that Charles the Second feared ‘Britain will fall’ if the ravens ever left the Tower of London. Yet the truth is that they arrived in Victorian times as props in gory tales for tourists. The legend began in 1944 when a raven spotted bombers over London. But the ravens’ past has far more high drama. From the plains of the North American Indians to the Arctic tundra, all the way to the Tower of London, they have been symbols of cruelty, of survival through adversity, and a loveable icon. Boria Sax shows how our attitudes to the raven and to the natural world in general have changed enormously over the centuries. By describing the distinct place of this special bird in Anglo-Saxon culture, he shows how blurred the lines between myth and history can be. This is a unique and brilliantly readable story of the entwined lives of people and animals."

City of Ravens: The Extraordinary History of London, the Tower and its Famous Ravens

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Sax, Boria. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Sax, Boria

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Sax, Boria. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Mythical Zoo

The Romantic Heritage of Marxism: A Study of East German Love Poetry (Studies in Modern German Literature)

Animals in the Third Reich: Pets, Scapegoats, and the Holocaust

Animals in the Third Reich: Pets, Scapegoats, and the Holocaust

Death in Venice (MAXNotes Literature Guides)

Animals in the Third Reich

The Serpent and the Swan: The Animal Bride in Folklore and Literature

Mythical Zoo: Animals in Life, Legend, and Literature

The Mythical Zoo: An Encyclopedia of Animals in World Myth, Legend, and Literature

City of Ravens: The Extraordinary History of London, the Tower and its Famous Ravens