The Raw and the Cooked: Introduction to a Science of Mythology

Examines the myths of the South American Indians and demonstrates how these can be reduced to a comprehensible psychological pattern. There is, he argues, no fundamental break between the primitive mind and more evolved attitudes. To prove this argument, the author analyzes 250 myths to demonstrate their interrelation and basic structure. By constant cross-referencing to European customs, he succeeds in setting myths is a general cultural context.