Scholastic Canada - Look & Wonder: Gods & Goddesses

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Scholastic Canada Ltd.
ISBN 0-590-12492-7
45 pages
Ages 10-14

by Jacqueline Morley

The fierce and the friendly, providers and protectors, shamans and oracles, gods and goddesses from creation to destruction. . . they're all here in this second title of the LOOK & WONDER series. Offering fascinating insight into how human beings throughout time have tried to make sense of the mystery of life, Gods & Goddesses looks at the facts behind the fiction to present a global view on the subject.

Stunning illustrations and intriguing text bring the worlds of myth and legend to life. Children will be so drawn in by the stories, they may not even realize that they're learning about belief systems. They'll discover gods from the past, goddesses of the present, and age-old myths that never die. If they need a quick reference, the facts and glossary pages at the back will show them the way. Through it all, children will come to understand that the astounding power of the human imagination is responsible for these wonderful and timeless stories.


	Look & Wonder: Gods & Goddesses


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Spread from LOOK & WONDER: GODS & GODDESSES
by Jacqueline Morley

Shamans and Oracles

At times of crisis people sought the gods' advice. One way of obtaining it was by examining omens. The flight pattern of birds, the way dice fell, the state of the entrails of animal sacrifices - these were just a few of the things that gave clues about whether the gods were pleased or not. Priests of the oracle of Zeus at Dodona decoded his messages from the rustlings of sacred oak trees. The messages of oracles were often so vague that whatever happened they were right. King Croesus of Lydia asked whether he should go to war with Persia and was told that if he did so he would destroy a great kingdom. He did wage war and succeeded in destroying his own kingdom.

In some cultures, people with a special ability to go into a trance were believed to leave their bodies and travel to the spirit world. Such masters of magic, known as shamans, could heal the sick, influence the weather and the movement of animals, foresee the future and even bring back people from the dead.

From Look & Wonder: Gods & Goddesses, copyright © 1999 by The Salariya Book Company Ltd.

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