--- product_id: 8040159 title: "Oriental Mythology (The Masks of God) Paperback – November 1, 1991" brand: "joseph campbell" price: "VT12868" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/8040159-oriental-mythology-the-masks-of-god-paperback-november-1-1991 store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Oriental Mythology (The Masks of God) Paperback – November 1, 1991 **Brand:** joseph campbell **Price:** VT12868 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Oriental Mythology (The Masks of God) Paperback – November 1, 1991 by joseph campbell - **How much does it cost?** VT12868 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/8040159-oriental-mythology-the-masks-of-god-paperback-november-1-1991) ## Best For - joseph campbell enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted joseph campbell brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Oriental Mythology (The Masks of God) Paperback – November 1, 1991 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41dt3gSH8JL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five Stars *by G***I on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 5, 2018* Excelente libro, profundo y esclarecedor. A very enlightening book. People interested in religions must read this book. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Masks of Men *by D***R on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 15, 2019* Joseph Campbell was never considered on the cutting edge of scholarship. Popular in the late 1980's for his PBS special with Bill Moyers 'The Power of Myth', he's been criticized for his generalist appeal, and lack of a specialized approach. Ditching a PhD pursuit at Columbia U. in 1929, he spent five years during the Great Depression in a shack in Woodstock reading sixteen hours a day. Campbell was friends with John Steinbeck and Heinrich Zimmer, completing the latter's posthumous works on Indian art and philosophy. He lived in a Greenwich Village apartment with his wife for fifty years, teaching literature at a liberal arts college.Campbell's contributions were in the arenas of comparitive mythology and religion, and the idea that all myths are variations of the same story, 'the Hero's Journey'. He incorporated aspects of Freud and Jung into his understanding of the subconscious symbology within myths. His theory on the evolution of myth spanned primitive animal spirit worship, mother goddess cults, astrological priesthoods and modern romantic idealism. He saw Thomas Mann and James Joyce embodying the artist as makers of contemporary myth. His often repeated phrase 'follow your bliss' was meant to convey a connection with an inner spirit.The Masks of God is a lengthy exposition of Campbell's ideas on mythology and religion, from west to east. Primal beliefs in human sacrifice and reincarnation are superseded by the battle of good over evil and imperatives for heathen conversion. The western and masculine forces of Zoroastrianism and the Abrahamic religions are seen as subverting earlier eastern worship of feminine fertility. Ancient Egyptian and Hindu polytheism are swept away by monotheism and non-dualistic Hinduism. In the far east, Confucian moral philosophy and Taoist magic are challenged by Buddhism imported over Silk Road trade routes.Campbell's widely discursive style is sometimes entertaining, and otherwise trying. If you are familiar with the people and places he bounces between, it may be a stimulating montage of history and religion. If not, it will likely be disconcerting. Published in 1963, the research and sources are from the mid-20th century and earlier, and seem quite dated. Reading quotes from Mortimer Wheeler on archaeology, or Heinrich Zimmer on Indology are fun from a historical standpoint, but should be augmented with more recent interpretations. These shortcomings are partly mitigated by Campbell's keen perception and wit. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Comprehensive Look At Eastern Religion And Myth *by G***M on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 4, 2016* After examining the mythology of "primitive" societies in his previous volume, here Joseph Campbell turns his examination of mythology to the East, the Orient. He begins with ancient Egypt, before devoting the bulk of his text to the development of various movements (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism) in India, concluding with relatively short chapters on China, Japan, and Tibet.Egypt being included in this volume, while the Middle East is included in the succeeding volume on occidental mythology, shows that Campbell is not above glossing over the finer details in pursuit of making the case he wants to make. In this case, the second volume of Masks of God is where Campbell begins to make his argument that Eastern religion drives its adherents to turn away from the world, accepting one's place in the social strata while seeking to end the cycle of death and rebirth by detachment. That Campbell thinks Western religion drives its adherents to focus on what they can achieve with their single life, and is therefore ultimately superior to Eastern religion, isn't laid on super thick but is definitely obvious.But what we get through that sometimes distasteful bent is a well-researched and interesting examination of the development of Eastern religion. The largest portion of the text is devoted to Buddhism and reading about how it developed, grew in India, and then was pushed out to China, Japan, and Tibet (with mutations in each culture that reflect its unique perspective) is genuinely compelling. The chapter regarding Tibet does not shy away from the atrocities committed against the monks there by the Chinese, but one of Campbell's strengths is that he's not afraid to be critical. He certainly has no problem puncturing the ideals that religions would like you to believe about them by discussing the historical realities of how they actually functioned.There is a similar psychoanalytic frame of reference here as in the first volume, but it's not as prominent (probably because there's more substance here to work from than there was with the first) and so it's not as problematic. Indeed, this volume is superior to the first all around. It's still thick, and fact-dense, and reads like a textbook, but Oriental Mythology is a more rewarding read, both in information and readability (it's still very slow, though) than its antecedent. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/8040159-oriental-mythology-the-masks-of-god-paperback-november-1-1991](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/8040159-oriental-mythology-the-masks-of-god-paperback-november-1-1991) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-08*