Focuses on famous clashes and renowned heroes and heroines in folklore and mythology, discussing well-known battle myths from Greece, ancient Rome, and Northern and Celtic Europe as well as myths from sub-Saharan Africa, Native North America, East Asia, the Near East, Oceana, India, Central and South America and Eastern Europe.

List of Frontispiece Photos -- Maps & Mythological Figures -- ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL EUROPE -- OVERVIEWS -- The Celts and Celtic Mythology -- The Anglo-Saxons -- The Gauls -- The Goths -- The Franks -- Frankish Myths of Charlemagne and -- the Age of Chivalry -- The Basque and Iberian Peoples -- STORIES OF BATTLE AND WAR DEITIES -- Aine -- Arawn -- Beowulf's Battle with Grendel -- Beowulf's Final Battle -- Christian Saints Confronting Dragons -- El Cid -- Cuchulainn, at Age Seven, Defeats -- Three Adult Brothers -- Cuchulainn Battles against Calatin and -- His Children -- Cuchulainn Defeats Fer Diad -- Culhwch and Olwen: Hunting the Twrch Trwyth -- The Dagda -- Fer Diad Loses to Cuchulainn -- Fraech, Helped by His Beloved, -- Battles a Water Monster -- Iliach's Clump-Fight -- King Arthur in Le Morte d'Arthur I -- King Arthur in Le Morte D'Arthur II -- King Arthur's Marriage with Guinevere -- Lugh -- The Mabinogion -- Manannan mac Lir -- The Morrigu -- Morrigan -- Oisin's Mother -- Robin Hood -- Roland's Death -- Saint George and the Dragon I -- Saint George and the Dragon II -- Scathach, Goddess of War -- The Son Defeats Satan during the War in Heaven -- NORTHERN EUROPE -- OVERVIEWS -- Norse Mythology -- Religion and Mythology in Medieval Scandinavia -- The Norse Creation of the Cosmos -- STORIES OF BATTLE AND WAR DEITIES -- The Aesir-Vanir War -- The Battle of Bravellir (aka Bravalla) -- Brynhildr, the Norse Valkyrie -- Dietrich and Hildebrand Battle Deadly Giants -- Dietrich Defeats an Evil Magician and -- Rescues the Ice Queen -- Dietrich Wins by Losing -- Fafnir Slain by Sigurd -- Forseti -- Freya -- Freyr -- viii -- Gudrun Kills Atli to Avenge Her Brothers' Deaths -- Heimskringla I -- Heimskringla II: Descriptions of Battles -- Heimskringla III: Descriptions of Fighting -- and Its Aftermath -- King Ortnit Battles Giants and Dragons -- King Tidrich Helps a Lion Battle a Dragon -- The Nibelungenlied -- The Nine Worlds of the Norse -- Odin -- Odin's Discovery of the Runes -- The Otter's Ransom -- Ragnar Lodbrook Weds a Woman Warrior and -- Kills a Giant Serpent -- Ragnarok -- Siegfried Captures King Liudegast -- Siegfried Defeats King Liudeger. Siegfried Is Betrayed and Killed -- Siegfried's Widow Takes Her Revenge -- The Slaying of King Volsung -- Thor -- Thor Battles the Midgard Serpent -- Thor Fights the Giant Hrungnir -- Tyr -- EASTERN EUROPE -- OVERVIEWS -- The Slavs -- STORIES OF BATTLE AND WAR DEITIES -- The Boys with the Golden Stars -- The Dragon and the Prince -- Ilya and the Imperceptive Prince -- Ilya Muromets and the Dragon -- Ilya and Nightingale the Robber -- Ilya and the Terrifying Knight -- Prince Bayaya -- Princess Marvel, the Ogre, and the Prince -- NON-EGYPTIAN AFRICA -- OVERVIEWS -- Ethiopia -- Religion and Mythology in Non-Egyptian Africa -- Folklore in Non-Egyptian Africa -- STORIES OF BATTLE AND WAR DEITIES -- Akoma Mba -- Apedemak -- Bassadjalan Zambele's Battle with Zanke -- Bassadjalan Zambele vs. Didiya Tiekele -- Bayajida -- Da Djera's War against Samaniana Bassi -- Da Monzon's War against Samaniana Bassi -- Diuladjan Diabi and the Cows of Woro -- Diuladjan Diabi and the Forces of Treachery -- Djekoro Bugu and the Rise of Kiban -- Kibuka -- Mboza, Shebuge, Continual War, and -- Lasting Fidelity -- Ogbe Baba Akinyelure, Warrior of Ibode -- Ogedengbe's Drummers -- Ogun -- Olaniyan -- Shango -- The Thunder Bride -- The Women's War -- The War between King Lion and King Elephant -- NATIVE NORTH AMERICA -- OVERVIEWS -- Native American Tribes of North America -- Battles and Warriors in the Mythologies of -- Native North Americans -- STORIES OF BATTLE AND WAR DEITIES -- Aliquipiso's Sacrifice -- Big Turtle on the Warpath -- Brave Woman -- Brief Native American War Legends -- Coyote and Grizzly -- Coyote and the Dragon -- Creation of the Killer Whale -- Dragon Slayers -- The Fight with the Water Monster -- Finding Horses -- Fires at Grave Sites -- Ghost Dance -- The Gigantic Bird -- How the Kiksadi Clan Came to Sitka -- Mink's War with the Sky People -- Pau-puk-kee-wis -- The Peace Pipe -- Pohaha, the Warrior Girl -- The Sacred Pole -- The Search for the Corn Maidens -- The Search for the Middle and the -- Hardening of the World -- Turtle -- War with the Thunderbirds -- The Warlike Seven -- Why the Wolves Help in War -- Winona, the Child-Woman -- CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA -- OVERVIEWS -- The Caribbean Peoples -- The Olmecs -- The Mixtecs -- The Zapotecs. The Mayans -- The Aztecs -- Aztec Myths and Religion -- The Arawaks -- The Incas -- STORIES OF BATTLE AND WAR DEITIES -- Amazons in the Americas -- Aviatsu Pays for His Murders -- The Birth of the War God -- Chichen Itza -- Cihuacoatl as Warrior -- Coatlicue -- Huitzilopochtli -- Hunahpu and Xbalanque Defeat Seven Macaw -- Kinich Ahau -- The Men from the Sea -- Mixcoatl -- Ollantay Rebels against His Incan Ruler -- Tezcatlipoca -- Tonatiuh -- Xipe Totec -- Zipacna Destroys the Four Hundred Boys -- Zipacna Dies, Along with His Brother, Earthquake -- AUSTRALIA AND THE PACIFIC -- OVERVIEWS -- Religion and Mythology in Ancient Australia -- and New Zealand -- Religion and Mythology in the Pacific Islands -- STORIES OF BATTLE AND WAR DEITIES -- Bram-Bram-Bult -- The Children of Heaven and Earth -- A Fight with the Terrible Bird God -- A Giant's Rock-Throwing -- Kamapua'a: Legends of the Hog-God -- Kamapua'a Terrorizes Hawaii -- Kawelo the Mighty Warrior -- Maluae and the Under-World -- A Son Fights His Father -- INDEXES -- Index of Battle Stories -- Index of War Deities -- Chronological Index of Cultural Events and Battles -- General Bibliography -- Sample Lesson Plan -- Mythology in the Classroom -- Subject Index.