The Gods of Man: A Small Dictionary of Pagan Gods and Goddesses
by D.W. Owen
1994

Review

The polytheistic heritage of man is a rich and often neglected source of insight into the human condition. These traditions, often only barely surviving millennia of hostilities from the "major" monotheistic religions, provide the reader with a kind of a window to the collective unconscious, the realm where the archetypes of the God-forms still influence many in the world. The Gods Of Man provides a quick guide to many of these deities. The product of many years of research by David Owens, the readers will find the major deities of fifteen different cultures, regions, and nations. The Gods Of Man surveys African, Aztec, Celtic, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, Mesopotamian, Norse, Native American, Oceanian, Roman, Santerian, Slavic, South American, and Central American pantheons. To browse through these pages is to take a walk through the history of the human search of understanding of the natural forces around (and within) them. Some of the Gods and Goddesses described in The Gods Of Man are familiar to anyone versed in Western civilization, others offer glimpses into obscure corners of human history. This slender volume will be valued by any non-specialist general reader who is interested in the evolution of the human interpretations and personifications of nature, natural forces and events. -- Midwest Book Review