Web links for Mythology Basics ?

Khandoma

Namaste Friends,

I am looking for websites that tell the stories of the Gods and the Myths of India.

Preferably in a way that I can understand them.
That means, I have no use for 37 references to 852 text variants and interpretations for every third word.

Also, preferably in a way that I can use them.
I am a screenwriter. Myths are my staple food. I need elaborate enough versions of the myths, so that I can use details. Also, I am looking for these stories told with an Indian angle. Many websites that I found, Wikis et al, have a very Western / Judeo-Christian approach to the myths, and sometimes they just miss a point for lack of the right reading grid.

I have found websites that tell a very compact version of the stories, for children ; Wikipedia, for instance, is much too succint for my interets. And I have found websites for people who devote a lifetime of thinking to the analysis and understanding of the myths, bless them. What I am looking for is something in between.

You will tell me to read the Ramayana. I have - well, a shortened version of it. It only partly meets my needs. I need the myths in a more linear version, but I also need them to be accessible at a click, as opposed to browsing trough 900 pages. So, a "Myths database" would really make my day. (Which kinda tells you what the world has come to these days, but that's another conversation, isn't it ?)

This is for work, so I'm particularly grateful for your help.

Many thanks,

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Khandoma
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machadinha

Hi Khandoma, bit of a long shot this, but in the "links" link in my signature you'll find some links to further reading and viewing material in the historical/artistic/religious field, particularly under the headings "India reading" and "miscellaneous," but strewn about elsewhere in that post too, I guess. May not be precisely what you're looking for, but maybe it'll be of some help.

Good luck with it. The Sacred Texts Archive featured there is particularly good, that's mostly the original works though I think. Anyway there's a couple of other sites listed there that might interest you.

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Khandoma

Thanks very much, Machadinha. I will look up these resources now. All options are helpful, and the shortest road isn't necessarily the best. (Early morning wisdom, don't worry, it'll pass...).

Can't help but notice mythology is a rather less popular topic than safety pins... Strange planet this... Thanks a lot for answering !

P.S. Just looked up the Sacred Text Archive. Brilliant ! But as you rightly felt, these are the original texts (Vedas, Upanishads...). They are wonderful texts, but it's a lot of work for me to search through them, as opposed to, say, click on Ganesh and read the legend(s) of my beloved Ganesh. So, if members can help, I'm still hunting.

Nick-H

There is a rich and deep mythology associated with safety pins!

On this site, at least

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Khandoma

Gosh, Nick, you're so right. I should start my own cult. Bringing together the end-of-millenium symbolism of the Sex Pistols and the eternal expertise of the international housewife (no offense meant to the great gals who answered me there) should give this new spiritual trend a large popular basis. Our philosophy would revolve around concepts of closed and open, of personal safety vs. punctured fingers, and of losing one's clothes in public as the ultimate solace. Our arch-enemy, obviously, is the elastic band, the shapeless, shifting, deceiving image of modern tranquility. And with the joint efforts of our members worldwide, we would build a giant safety pin that would hook the Earth with the Moon !

(Okay, I hope I didn't hurt anybody's feelings here ; if I did then I'm truly sorry. Sects per se are no laughing matter. This is just an innocent joke from an overworked brain).

Anyway, it's clear I'm not headed for 99 answers on this thread. Still, a few leads would be great. Let's now join hands and pray the giant Pin in the Sky...

Nick-H

Holding up the salwar of the universe?

crvlvr

Try this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_mythology and then click on the link "List of Hindu Dieties"

ChocolatNY

http://www.webonautics.com/mythology/

has just enough detail, chk it out..

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Khandoma

Thank you, ChocolatNY ! This is a very cool site, and exactly what I was looking for. Lots of details but sorted out clearly, very limpid narration as far as I can tell ; important stuff is even highlighted, for screenwriters in a hurry, I presume . And on top of it all they have nice pictures. Just great.

Crvlvr : thanks for suggesting it. As I mentioned in my OP, Wikipedia does not offer either the level of detail I'm looking for, nor the insider's feeling. These pages are a good intro, but what I am looking for is a site that details each story step by step, so I can use it to structure my own story along its lines. Like, for instance, The Matrix is structured along the New Testament ; episodes such as Maria Magdalena / Trinity washing Jesus's (Neo's) feet are the milestones around which the film is constructed, even though in apparence it's a whole different story. The "feet washing" episode is the level of detail I'm interested in.
(Also, out of respect for members as much as out of habit, I always do a basic Google + Wiki search before posting questions here).

Many thanks to you both !

Oh, and Nick, it's a sari, of course :-)

ChocolatNY

you're welcome!
and if u need further detail or clarification on a certain point, ask away... i may be able to help.

@ your reason for editing!

Nick-H

What's a sari?


(And don't say, It's six yards of material that Indian women wear as a dress!)

Khandoma

Referring to your earlier post. In my view, the Universe wears a sari, not a salwar. Much more elegant when It dances.

Nick-H

Ahhh... right!

xiaojie

Hi Khandoma,

You can check out http://hinduism.suite101.com/ for some interesting articles on Hindu mythology.

Khandoma

Hello Xiaojie,

Very helpful site ! Thank you very much for pointing it out. And I apologize for my belated answer.
Take care,