Thomas Bulfinch

Thomas Bulfinch – Life, Works, and Enduring Legacy

Uncover the story of Thomas Bulfinch (1796 – 1867), the American writer and mythographer who made classical myths accessible to general readers. Explore his life, major works, style, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Thomas Bulfinch was an American writer and banker best known for creating one of the most enduring popular compilations of myths and legends in English: Bulfinch’s Mythology. Born on July 15, 1796, and passing away on May 27, 1867, he sought to bridge the gap between classical literature and the general public. His retellings of Greek, Roman, Arthurian, and medieval tales made the myths more widely known in 19th-century America, and his works continued to influence readers long afterward.

Early Life and Family

Thomas Bulfinch was born in Newton, Massachusetts on July 15, 1796. He belonged to a well-educated Bostonian family of modest means. His father was Charles Bulfinch, a noted architect who designed the Massachusetts State House in Boston and parts of the U.S. Capitol.

Thomas’s upbringing in a family that valued culture, architecture, and public projects shaped his sensibilities. Though his family was not wealthy, it offered intellectual richness and access to classical education.

Education and Career

Bulfinch received a solid classical education. He attended Boston Latin School, then Phillips Exeter Academy, and later matriculated at Harvard College, graduating in 1814.

After his studies, rather than pursuing a purely literary vocation, Bulfinch took up work in banking. He spent much of his career at the Merchants’ Bank of Boston (sometimes called the Merchants’ Bank) in a clerical or administrative role. He never married, remaining a bachelor, and devoted much of his free time to writing, studying, and retelling myths.

Bulfinch’s dual life—as banker by day, mythographer by passion—helped establish his reputation as a man deeply committed to literary and cultural work even without the institutional support many writers enjoyed.

Major Works and Literary Contribution

Bulfinch’s Mythology (Posthumous Compilation)

Bulfinch’s most famous work, Bulfinch’s Mythology, is not a work he published during his lifetime in that form, but a posthumous compilation (in 1881) of his earlier volumes, assembled by Edward Everett Hale.

The three component volumes are:

1. The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes (1855)

2. The Age of Chivalry, or Legends of King Arthur (1858)

3. Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance of the Middle Ages (1863)

Bulfinch’s Mythology presents retellings of Greek and Roman myths, Arthurian legend, Welsh legends, Norse and Celtic myths, and medieval romances. Bulfinch’s goal was explicitly to write for general readers—not for scholars or theologians—but for anyone wanting to understand the mythological references that abound in literature, public speeches, and conversation.

In his introduction, he wrote:

“Our work is not for the learned, nor for the theologian, nor for the philosopher, but for the reader of English literature, of either sex, who wishes to comprehend the allusions … which occur in polite conversation.”

Thus, Bulfinch saw his retellings as a “classical dictionary for the parlor”—a reference and amusement combined.

Other Works and Lesser-Known Projects

Besides his mythological volumes, Bulfinch also wrote or adapted other works:

• Shakespeare Adapted for Reading Classes (1865)

• Oregon and Eldorado (1866), which deals with a sea expedition to the Pacific Northwest.

• He also produced editions or reorganizations—such as altering the biblical Psalms to connect them to Hebrew history.

Though these works are far less remembered than the mythological texts, they show his appetite for blending storytelling, cultural reference, and accessibility.

Style, Purpose & Impact

Bulfinch’s writing style is characterized by clarity, narrative pacing, and restraint. He generally omits the more graphic, sexual, or morally ambiguous elements of classical myth, in order to suit Victorian sensibilities and to appeal to a family readership.

His purpose was pedagogical (though informal)—to familiarize readers with underlying myths so they could understand literary allusions and cultural references. He conceived of mythology not as dry scholarship, but as an “amusement from study.”

For over a century after its publication, Bulfinch’s Mythology served as the standard English-language introduction to classical myths in America. It was widely reprinted, and by 1987 had more than 100 editions listed in major catalogs. However, in the mid-20th century, alternative works (notably h Hamilton’s Mythology) began to supplant its dominance in school settings.

Bulfinch’s influence lies less in original myth creation and more in adaptation and popularization: he made mythology part of American cultural literacy in his day.

Legacy and Influence

• Cultural literacy: Thanks to Bulfinch, generations of English readers gained a foundation in mythic stories, enabling them to appreciate references in poetry, literature, and public speech.

• Accessibility in scholarship: He showed that learned material could be rendered accessible without blunting its essence—a model for later popularizers.

• Longevity: More than 150 years after his death, Bulfinch’s Mythology remains in print and is still encountered by readers interested in mythology.

• Historically placed in 19th-century America: His works reflect the intellectual ambitions of American readers in his era—melding classicism, moral propriety, and educational uplift.

Notable Quotes

Here are some memorable lines attributed to Thomas Bulfinch, illustrating his views on mythology, literature, and culture:

• “If no other knowledge deserves to be called useful but that which helps to enlarge our possessions or to raise our station in society, then Mythology has no claim to the appellation.”

• “For Mythology is the handmaid of literature; and literature is one of the best allies of virtue and promoters of happiness.”

• “The sunflower is a favorite emblem of constancy.”

• “We thus see that the Greeks of the early ages knew little of any real people except those to the east and south of their own country, or near the coast of the Mediterranean.”

• “Your arrows may strike all things else, Apollo, but mine shall strike you.”

These quotes show Bulfinch’s occasional poetic voice, his advocacy for myth in literature, and his attention to cultural perspective.

Lessons from Thomas Bulfinch

1. Bridging scholarship and general readership: Bulfinch’s success shows how complex cultural material can be reworked into readable, engaging form without losing essential substance.

2. Cultural context matters: By grounding myths within literary and conversational frameworks, he made them relevant to people removed in time and place.

3. Endurance through adaptation: His works endure not because they are the most scholarly, but because they are approachable, well structured, and useful to readers across generations.

4. Purposefulness in authorship: Bulfinch had a clear target audience and mission—educate the reader of English literature in myth—rather than satisfy all critics or specialists.

5. Balancing fidelity and editing: He toned some of the harsher elements of myths to align with his readership’s sensibilities, showing how adaptation often involves careful judgment.

Conclusion

Thomas Bulfinch may not be as universally known today as other literary giants, but his impact on popularizing myths in the English-speaking world remains significant. His work opened doors to classical narratives for readers who might never have encountered them otherwise. Bulfinch’s Mythology continues to serve as a bridge between ancient stories and modern curiosity.

If you’d like, I can provide deeper summaries of each of his major volumes (Greek myths, Arthurian legends, Charlemagne legends) or explore critical reception and modern reinterpretations.