Folklore studies / Study of myth Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An authoritative take on the history of the vampire."—New York Times Book Review"Nick Groom concludes this invigorating study of vampires by suggesting that we should try to be a bit more like them. Thankfully this doesn’t entail hanging shiftily around blood donor banks . . . Rather, Groom wants us to think about vampires as a way of re-enchanting the contemporary human condition."—Kathryn Hughes, Guardian (Book of the Day)‘Colossally smart. . . Groom is interested in undead Byron, but he is more interested in the aspects of vampirology that pop culture tends to neglect. . . It is a great relief to meet Groom’s vampire, still icy from the void and unburdened by the aesthetic of Gothic nightingale-lite. When it materializes, on the threshold of a worrisome dream, it looks nothing like what one expected. . ."—Katy Waldman, New Yorker"Groom impressively manages to analyze vampires’ influence on almost every facet of private and public life—social, theological political, medical, cultural, sexual, literary—over the span of four centuries."—Regina Munch, Commonweal“Formidably well-researched study” — Kevin Jackson, Literary Review“With the unflappable pace of a phantom coachman, Groom takes us to year zero - an outbreak of vampire panics stemming from the Serbian communities of the Austrian Empire's newly acquired Balkan marches.” —All About History“Printed with a number of vibrant and shocking illustrations and plates, this is a fascinating work of both cultural history and literary criticism.” —Seán Hewitt, Irish Times“The historical sections of this study are wonderfully nuanced, carefully argued takes on the vampire as a specific monstrous manifestation…Groom’s contention that the vampire cannot and should not be conflated with other monsters and his evidence against an inaccurate history of it as an ancient folkloric superstition are groundbreaking and refreshing.”—Elizabeth Bridgham, Wilkie Collins Journal “In this erudite and engaging history of the vampire Nick Groom explores the blood sucker’s journey through the European Enlightenment and beyond, illuminating broader aspects of religion, medicine and culture on the way. In doing so, Groom provides us with a valuable prehistory of the literary Dracula.”—Owen Davies, author of Grimoires“Groom succeeds in contextualising the vampire thoroughly, for the first time, in the changing cultures of two hundred years of European history: a remarkable achievement.”—Ronald Hutton, author of The Witch“Likely to be the definitive history of the vampire for years to come. In an accessible yet deeply scholarly dive into the archives of medicine, folk-lore, travel writing, theology, politics and literature, Groom produces a compelling account of the vampire as the product of the Enlightenment’s clash with its superstitious Eastern other from the seventeenth century onwards. A blood feast that will sustain every kind of vampirologist, from teen Goth up to Professor Van Helsing.”—Roger Luckhurst, author of Zombies"Our centuries-long fascination with the living dead is given a fresh and welcome consideration by Nick Groom, who mines historical reality—and unreality—with a keen appreciation of cultural meaning and metaphor."—David J. Skal, author of Something in the Blood

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Book SynopsisEver wondered how the Zebra got his wonderful coat of stripes. This story adapted from an original African folklore tale will tell you! This paperback book comes complete with stickers for interactive storytelling which your little one can get involved in the story.

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Book SynopsisThe first international English-language publication of Hampate Ba's acclaimed novel.Trade Review"I think this is perhaps the best African novel on colonialism and it draws very richly on various modes of oral literature." Ralph Austen, University of Chicago "It is a wonderful introduction to colonial rule as experienced by Africans, and in particular, to the rule of African middlemen." Martin A. Klein, University of Toronto "The Fortunes of Wangrin is not only a wonderful novel by one of Africa's most renowned intellectuals, it is also literally filled with information about French colonization and its impact on traditional African societies, African resistance and collaboration to colonization, the impact of French education in Africa, and a host of other subjects of interest." Francois Manchuelle, New York UniversityTable of ContentsForewordOverture1. The Birth2. Diagaramba3. First Confrontation4. The Beginning of a Career5. Where the Calamities of Some. . .6. The Storm Breaks7. The Count's Messenger8. The Trial9. The Donkey Who Drank Honey10. Romo's Son and Beautiful Pugubila11. The Death of a Great Chief and What Came Out of It12. The Ambush13. The Calamitous Bird's Eggs14. A Cumbersome Turban15. Where Each Gets His Due16. The Dream of the Fulbe Shepherdess17. Pretty Much in the Lion's Jaws18. Where Wangrin is Off Once Again to a Good Start19. A Profitable Pledge20. The Reconversion21. An Elephant's Tale22. A Disquieting Arrival23. Pretty Doe of the Markets24. Two Birds with One Stone25. A Narrow Escape26. . . . In Which Romo Keeps His Promise. . .and Wangrin His27. A Souvenir That Bears Wangrin's Trademark28. First Warning: The Hausa Geomancer29. Madame White-White30. Second and Third Warnings: A Fatal Oversight and the Sacred Python31. Madame "Good Offices"32. The Irreparable Loss33. Last Warning: The Dove with a Black Ring Circling Half Her Neck34. Philosopher Tramp35. The Three Bloods and Death36. Adieu

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Book SynopsisYou think you know these stories, don't you?You are wrong.You don't know them at all.Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that free hearts long kept tame, truths that explore life . . . and death.A prince has a surprising awakening . . .A beauty fights like a beast . . .A boy refuses to become prey . . .A path to happiness is lost . . . then found again.New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani respins old stories into fresh fairy tales for a new era and creates a world like no other. These stories know you. They understand you. They reflect you. They are tales for our times. So read on, if you dare.Trade Review‘Terrifying, chilling, unexpected, and glorious. A must-read for any fairy tale devotee who wants to view classic stories through a new lens’ Medium ‘Sly, subversive and full of teeth – Chainani's reimagining of classic fairytales is an unsettling homage that transports its readers through tales both horrifying and humorous, sweet and scary, and, of course…beastly and beautiful’ Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Wolves ‘These stories cut straight to the heart and will leave you begging to stay in their shadows just a few pages longer. Prepare to rethink all those happily ever afters . . . and love every minute of it’ Alexandra Bracken, author of Lore and the Darkest Minds series ‘This is what happens when fairytales grow up. Fierce, frightening, satisfying, and empowering, teens will devour this . . . unless it devours them first. I love this book’ Adam Gidwitz, author of_A Tale Dark and Grimm ‘A brillaint reinvention of tales we thought we knew. Soman Chainani gives us the fairy tales we need today. A vibrant and necessary addition to every modern collection’ Tahereh Mafi, author of the Shatter Me series ‘Chainani takes 12 time-honored tales and overhauls their traditional tellings, adding an astonishing amount of depth and beauty in the process. Lush, transporting, and occasionally eerie, easily conjuring fantastical worlds … An intriguing and inclusive update for modern audiences’ Booklist ‘A volume that transports readers to a place where the lines between beastly natures and beautiful appearances can be difficult to discern. Expertly crafted … For any lover of fairy tales who seeks alternative endings’ Kirkus

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Book SynopsisProvides a comprehensive guide through the contested terrain of outsider art and the related domains of art brut, visionary art, “art of the insane”, and folk art. The book examines the history and primary issues of the field as well as explores the intersection between culture and individual creativity that is at the very heart of outsider art definitions and debates.Trade ReviewLavishly illustrated, many of the images never before seen by the public, this indispensable volume is steeped in details about the lives of outsider and visionary artists. Authoritative, informative, and accessible, this groundbreaking volume is a work of art itself as well as a monumental achievement in scholarship, one that forces us to rethink conventional notions of art and creativity."" - Michael Owen Jones, professor emeritus, Department of World Arts and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles.""By exploring personal histories and traumatic experiences of creative people sometimes living at the fringe of society, Daniel Wojcik brings new insights into the phenomenon of outsider art. This comprehensive study will influence how outsider art is now seen and evaluated; it blurs the boundaries between insiders and outsiders and contributes to our understanding of art today. Engagingly written and wonderfully illustrated - in full color! - this is an essential resource that takes the reader on a mesmerizing and inspiring journey. Where are my paint brushes?"" - Peter Jan Margry, professor of European ethnology, University of Amsterdam.""Wojcik's new book seems destined to become an essential text for understanding the field today. Outsider Art: Visionary Worlds and Trauma now brings a great deal of clarity and understanding not only to one of the major hotbeds of activity in the international art market, but to the creative act itself. It is a must-read for anyone serious about better understanding this fascinating subject."" - Roger Manley, director of the Gregg Museum of Art & Design at North Carolina State University and curator of exhibitions of self-taught art at more than forty other institutions, including the American Visionary Art Museum.""Wojcik's informed writing - demonstrated by an almost encyclopedic knowledge of self-taught and outsider art and history - his original research, his balanced and nuanced thinking, the representative examples he discusses, and his ability to articulate his findings make this book required reading for anyone interested in outsider, self-taught, or contemporary folk art."" - Carol Crown, professor emerita, University of Memphis, and coeditor of Sacred and Profane: Voice and Vision in Southern Self-Taught Art

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Few archaeologists would venture into as many regions or across as many disciplinary boundaries as David Wengrow does in his eloquent and ambition analysis."---Christina Riggs, Times Literary Supplement"The Origins of Monsters is a fascinating exposition of the archaeology of the ancient world as a topic that has current resonance. Well written and presented, wonderfully informed and confident, it is well placed to achieve Wengrow's worthy ambition to start a particular dialogue between disciplinary approaches to the topic of monsters."---Michael Punt, Leonardo Reviews

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Book SynopsisAn accessible exploration of how diverse cultures have explained humanity’s origins through narratives about the natural environmentTrade Review“Anthony Aveni has produced an absolutely amazing survey that fully documents Creation stories from multiple civilizations. His achievement is staggering, the fruit of decades of research.”—Simon Mitton, University of Cambridge "Tony Aveni has given us a unique survey of origin stories in many ancient societies written with eloquent skill. This important book will appeal to experts and general readers alike."—Brian Fagan, author of Fishing: How the Sea Fed Civilization“TonyAveni shares imaginative stories of violent struggles to create an orderly universe, of our landscapes' emerging, transforming and metamorphosing, in humanity’s timeless search for meaning and purpose: an anthological gem!”—Ian Mursell, co-founder and director of Mexicolore “Whether there was first darkness on the face of the deep, a void of nothing between fire and ice, or an optically opaque primordial chaos, Anthony Aveni takes us on a worldwide expedition illuminating the mysteries of Creation.”—Dr. E.C. Krupp, Director, Griffith Observatory “In this fascinating book Anthony Aveni turns his forensic gaze to the ultimate question of existence: where do we come from? Exploring creation stories from across the world, this book opens new perspectives on our relationship with time and space.”—Nicholas Campion, author of Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions

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Book SynopsisThese stories have been told for 2,000 years. At their heart stands the great Ulster hero, Cúchulainn and on his shoulder sits a dark goddess in the form of a crow. She is the mistress of chaos, surveying the slaughter as he whirls in fury through an ancient yet still familiar world. Their dynamic force has helped shape the history of Ireland – its tribes, its warrior queens, its dispossessed kings. Harnessing the imagination of a modern storyteller, using often overlooked material, this work is an exhilarating retelling of an epic journey – following our champion from a disputed birth through to the battle of the bulls and beyond.

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Book SynopsisThere are some writings that transcend time and tradition and speak to the ever-present heart of the human experience. Simple yet profound, challenging yet compassionate, the Song of Ribhu is one such example of this. In the same tradition as the Bhagavad Gita or the Ashtavakra Gita, the Ribhu Gita, literally the Song of Ribhu represents the highest declaration of Advaita Vedanta, spoken by the enlightened sage Ribhu to his disciple Nidagha on the slopes of Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. Some 2,500 years later, another awakened master, Sri Ramana Maharshi was touched by these same words, considering them to be one of the most sublime expressions of the awakened state that humanity had ever produced. He spoke of it reverently and would even give copies to his devotees to read. The version that follows is a selection, made by Sri Ramana Maharshi himself, of 45 verses that capture the very essence of the Ribhu Gita - an essence that this fresh and masterful modern translation manages to communicate in simple and elegant English, perfectly adapted to the Western reader. The book also contains the story of Ribhu and Nidagha as told by Sri Ramana Maharshi, as well as excerpts from informal talks with his students to further clarify the themes.

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Book SynopsisThis study examines medieval religious culture and the significance of the widespread belief in ghosts, revealing the ways in which the dead and the living related to each other during the Middle Ages. It discusses Augustine's influence on medieval authors, and monastic visions and folklore.Table of ContentsThe rejection of ghosts; dreaming of the dead; the invasion of ghosts; the marvelous dead; Hellequin's hunt; the imaginary tamed?; the dead and power; time, space, and society; describing ghosts.

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Book SynopsisWhy certain groups tell jokes about other groupsTrade ReviewI recommend Jokes and Targets as a valuable scholarly study where thoughtul analysis is brought to bear on a wide variety of significant materials and the writing style is pleasantly engaging. * Studies in American Humor *Jokes and Targets deserves a wide readership among persons interested in humour as well as comparative and cultural sociology. Davies shows that cross-national comparison can produce good theory and rigorous analysis, without losing sight of cultural specificities. * Sociology *Christie Davies' Jokes and Targets is a well-written and well-researched book. * H-France Review *Jokes and Targets, being an excellent piece of scholarship, helps to further clarify why certain targets have become conventional and what are the rules that govern target choice. * Folklore *Jokes and Targets is well worth the price of admission. It is a valuable addition to Davies's existing and esteemed corpus of humor research. * Cultural Analysis *[J]okes and Targets is an important addition to Davies' significant previous research on various categories of verbal joke. . . [T]his book, like Davies' previous work, contains a valuable repertoire of jokes from important contemporary joke cycles. These important and sometimes hard-to-find examples will be a rich source for other scholars. Vol. 11.1 2013 * New Directions in Folklore *Davies maintains a lively, provocative style—refreshing in a genre that is all too commonly soulless. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Christie Davies has a very good claim to be the scholar to consult on the universal phenomenon of the joke, with the added bonus that he offers plenty of hilarious examples. * Journal of Contemporary Religion *This is a serious book, clearly written (no sociological jargon from this sociologist!), about something that makes no political difference . . . but that is, after all, deeply embedded in us to the extent that we are social creatures. * Chronicles *Table of ContentsContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Why Study Jokes and Targets?1. Mind over Matter: A General Theory of Jokes about the Stupid and the Canny2. Blondes, Sex, and the French3. Jewish Women and Jewish Men4. Sex between Men: Places, Occupations, and Classes5. The Great American Lawyer Joke Cycle6. The Rise of the Soviet Joke and the Fall of the Soviet UnionConclusionReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisIn all the world there is said to be nothing more beautiful than the Firebird. When Ivan-Tsarevitch, youngest son of the Tsar, goes on a quest for the amazing bird, he finds himself flying over mountains and woods on a talking wolf, confronting a wicked Baba Yaga, and rescuing an enchanted princess from Koshchei the Immortal. But when he returns from his magical journey, he brings home the most precious treasure of all.Gennady Spirin brings this original version of the Firebird tale from his native Russia and has illustrated it in his trademark rich, luminous style. This retelling of a classic is sure to become the new standard.

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Book SynopsisGeoffrey Ashe''s book on this legendary figure offers a succession of surprises. The Merlin of legend was born to be a magician. He was ''immaculately'' conceived and was able to interpret dreams and utter prophecies. Even his fate was imbued with magic. Like Arthur, he acquired immortality and sleeps on Bardsey Island, in a subterranean chamber with nine companions. Ashe reveals the man behind the myth, establishing beyond doubt the historicity of a Welsh prophet called Myrddin Emrys. Despite his ''supernatural'' status it is Merlin, of all the great characters of the Arthurian world, who has the strongest claim to have existed.

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Book SynopsisIn a book based on more than three years of fieldwork, Nils Bubandt argues that cannibal witches for people in the coastal, and predominantly Christian, community of Buli in the Indonesian province of North Maluku are both corporeally real and fundamentally unknowable.Trade ReviewIn this intriguing study of witchcraft in a Buli community in Indonesia, [Bunandt] sets out to explore the complex nature of witchcraft in that community as something that exists but is unseen.... Overall,this well-written and welcome book adds to the understanding of witchcraft in anthropology, especially in regard to doubt and modernity. * CHOICE *Bubandt likens the witch-menace to nuclear war on terrorism: 'a threat that is both real and yet often absents itself from daily experience.' Witchcraft is, therefore, a paradox: it's everywhere and nowhere, real and impossible,hauntingly vivid yet intangible and invisible.... Bubandt describes a characteristic of the human mind that is universal yet not always obvious to those proud of their post-Enlightenment heritage. Our brains are simultaneously full of knowing and not knowing,believing and doubting, fearing and rationally dismissing fears. We know these to be incompatible opposites, but can't help having them both in play at any one time. And so we comfort ourselves with the illusion of singularity, and of secular triumph. One thing we know for sure is that we have to appear to know things, when really we may know nothing at all. -- Malcolm Gaskill * Fortean Times *The Empty Seashell never strays far from the scene of witchcraft, from the myths that offer historical and ontological explanations for the close knit between human life and witchcraft in Buli through accounts of individual lives rent apart by accusations or attacks to the destructive ramifications of such occurrences for the community, including how incidents may reverberate across generations as old grudges or suspicions are resurrected to animate new ones.... Bubandt is to be commended for highlighting the precariousness and forces of world-unmaking that are as much a part of social life as the assumed sturdiness that prevails in social scientific works. -- Patricia Spyer * Anthropological Forum *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Shell of the Nautilus 1. Witchcraft, Doubt, and Aporia 2. The Origins of Witchcraft and the Doubts of Tradition 3. Hope, Conversion, and Millennial Politics 4. Christianity and Deception 5. The Viscerality of Witchcraft and the Corporeality of the World 6. New Order Modern 7. Subjectivity, Exchange, Opacity 8. Technology, Money, and the Futures of Witchcraft Conclusion: Witchcraft beyond BeliefNotes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe spirituality of a fey person may be quite anarchic and entirely private, having no basis in any organised religion. So it can be a secret spirituality that informs the fey type and this may be largely experiential. It has often been perceived as a threat by people who like ideas to be tied down and under control, and by the organisations that such people have created. Meanwhile, in much of today''s world, fey people have been thoroughly marginalized. In this book, Rae Beth suggests ways in which we might understand Otherworldly realities without abandoning commonsense. Drawing upon her knowledge of traditional faerie lore, she shows how fey perceptions and psychic skills can serve and enhance life.

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Book SynopsisMing and Qing China were well populated with foxes, shape changers who transgressed the boundaries of species, gender, and the metaphysical realm. In human form, they were immoral succubi and good wives/good mothers, tricksters and Confucian paragons. Huntington investigates the fox as alien and attempts to establish the boundaries of the human.

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Book SynopsisThe Loch Ness Monster: a creature that should have died out with the dinosaurs, or a legend built on hoaxes and wishful thinking?Sir Peter Scott, internationally renowned naturalist and president of the World Wildlife Fund, was convinced that the Monster existed. So were senior scientists at London''s Natural History Museum and Chicago University; they lost their jobs because they refused to renounce their belief in the creature. For decades, the scientific establishment was determined to quash attempts to investigate Loch Ness - until Nature, the world''s greatest research journal, published an article by Peter Scott featuring underwater photographs of the Monster. Drawing extensively on new material, Gareth Williams takes a wholly original look at what really happened in Loch Ness. A Monstrous Commotion tells the story as never before: a gripping saga populated by colourful characters who do extraordinary things in pursuit of one of evolution''s wildest cardsTrade ReviewA Monstrous Commotion is surely the best and sanest recent book on LNM: readable, informative and fully referenced. -- James Hamilton-Paterson * LITERARY REVIEW *But does he exist? The author plays his cards close to his chest throughout this entertaining...book. -- CRAIG BROWN * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Williams is a staunch skeptic, but he has the good grace not to spoil the fun entirely. He is fascinated by the curious characters drawn to Loch Ness from all over the world; by the skulduggery and the hoaxes; and by the wacky methods employed by those hoping to capture the clinching piece of evidence. -- RUPERT HAWKSLEY * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Gareth William's excellent book isn't about the Loch Ness Monster; it's about the people who have looked for it. -- Mark Mason * THE SPECTATOR *Gareth Williams is the first to provide a non-partisan account of events at the loch ... Williams brings a dry wit and a scientist's illuminating perspective to the endless spectacle of Loch Ness folly. No one has written better about the great Nature debacle ... an entertaining and reasonably comprehensive account of this enduring animal myth -- Ronald Binns * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Williams gleefully exposes the bogus science, the warped facts, and the misunderstanding of evolution. Sifting the evidence, analysing the hearsay, showing the extent of the leg-pulling, he says that Nessie is no more than the action of the wind and the waves. -- Roger Lewis * DAILY MAIL *

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Book SynopsisGerry Smyth has gathered together myths and folktales from cultures around the world – Native American, Caribbean, Polynesian, Persian, Indian, Scandinavian and European.

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Book Synopsis“An autobiographical account of how a psychiatric nurse specialist became a folk medicine healer; this also explains the origins and practice of one of the oldest forms of medicine in the New World.″—Kirkus Praise for WOMAN WHO GLOWS IN THE DARK   “This is a book that we’ve been awaiting for years—one that unites the best medicine from the ancient past with the deepest needs of the contemporary heart and soul.”—Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D., author of Women Who Run with the Wolves, The Gift of Story, and Faithful Gardener   “Elena Avila’s book is a combination manual, memoir, and healing chant. I’m so glad these stories and secrets – which have been known orally by our culture for ages – are finally down on paper.” —Julia Alvarez, author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents   “Avila shatters myths about curanderismo and reminds us that it’s just as important today as it was centuries ago.”—The Austin Chronicle   “In this age of impersonal and technologic health care, Elena Avila’s book gives the reader permission to rely on what has all too often been forgotten. Her message—that healing cannot occur without the heart, instincts, wisdom, and compassion of the healer—is given with grace and simplicity.”—Barbara Dossey, R.N., M.S., HNC, FAAN, Director, Holistic Nursing Associates   “Truthful, often painful, always riveting, WOMAN WHO GLOWS IN THE DARK reveals how the practices of curanderismo can heal the soul sickness not addressed by Western medicine.”—Rudolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima “Grounded in the earth, at home in both modern and indigenous medicine, Elena Avila is a true emissary of healing, casting a brilliant glow into the dark of all medicine that denies the soul. As a human, I cherish Elena’s light. As a psychiatrist, I welcome her insight.”—Judith Orloff, M.D., author of Second Sight and The Genius of Empathy   “Avila is entertaining and often humorous...Without climbing on a soapbox, [her] narrative demonstrates what’s missing from most American medical practices, and how many patients could be helped so much more than they are now.”—Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisThose magic words ‘Once upon a time’ have been spoken around the flickering flame of the turf fire by storytellers for thousands of years. In this book, author Tony Locke has gathered together the rich tapestry of stories that make up the folklore, myth and legend of County Mayo. This book will take you on a journey through the rugged landscape of the west coast of Ireland, to its holy mountain, Croagh Patrick, and across the foaming waters of Clew Bay. Here you will read of Gráinne Ní Mháille, the Pirate Queen, the spectre known as the Fír Gorta who roamed the famine villages of west Mayo, the monsters that inhabit the deep waters of Lough Mask and the Matchstick Man of Straide. You will also read of the Love Flower and two young lovers, the land of eternal youth that is Tír na nÓg and the night of the Big Wind. So why not pull up a chair and sit awhile? You know you’re never too old for a story.

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Book SynopsisRevealing the Green Man is designed to impart a practical revelation of a deep and ancient mystery through actual archaeological and historic case studies which point to personal intellectual and spiritual enlightenment affecting everyone alive today. The book is not just a lazy stroll through entertaining stories of some lost mystery cult, but a resurrection of a long and ancient religion as old as time itself which is now challenging us to care for our environment here in the modern world. The Green Man proves himself to be a great deal more than a cute chubby face peering at us through a veil of leaves, rather he could be said to be a true representation of the very essence of life itself.

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Book SynopsisThe fairy tales collected by the brothers Grimm are among the best known and most widely-read stories in western literature. In recent years commentators such as Bruno Bettelheim have, usually from a psychological perspective, pondered the underlying meaning of the stories, why children are so enthralled by them, and what effect they have on the developing child. In this book, Ronald Murphy takes five of the best-known tales (Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty) and shows that the Grimms saw them as Christian fables. Murphy examines the arguments of previous interpreters of the tales, and demonstrates how they missed the Grimms'' intention. His own readings of the five so-called magical tales reveal them as the beautiful and inspiring documents of faith that the Grimms meant them to be. Offering an entirely new perspective on these often-analyzed tales, Murphy''s book will appeal to those concerned with the moral and religious educatioTrade ReviewMurphy had done the Brothers Grimm a great service ... But he has done more than that. He has brought home to us the essentially hospitable nature of the stories ... admirable. The TabletMurphy has added several dazzling layers of meaning to the tales. * First Things *

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Book SynopsisUnlike many other ancient mythologies, Hinduism thrives in the modern world. One billion followers and countless others have been captivated by its symbolic representations of love, karma, and reincarnation. Handbook of Hindu Mythology offers an informative introduction to this dauntingly complex mythology of multifaceted deities, lengthy heroic tales, and arcane philosophies-all with a 3,000-year history of reinterpretations and adaptations. Williams offers a number of pathways by which to approach Hinduism''s ever-changing gods and goddesses (e.g., Brahmâ, Vishnu, Siva), spiritual verses (such as the vedas), secular epics (including the Râmâyana and the Mahâbhârata), myths within myths, devotional and esoteric traditions, psychic and yogic disciplines, and magical practices. With this handbook, readers can explore the history of Hindu mythology, follow a detailed timeline of key episodes and historical events, and look up specific elements of historical or contemporary Hinduism in a

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Book SynopsisFor almost 150 years, Bulfinch’s Mythology has been the text by which the great tales from classical antiquity, the Norse and Asian traditions, and the age of chivalry have been known. Here are lively versions of the myths of Zeus, Hera, and their cohorts on Mt. Olympus; the legends of the Trojan War and the epic wanderings of Ulysses and Aeneas; the tales of the joys of Valhalla and the furies of Thor; the adventures of King Arthur and his knights; and the sagas of Beowulf and Robin Hood. As Thomas Bulfinch himself wrote, “Without a knowledge of mythology much of the elegant literature of our own language cannot be understood and appreciated.” With stories that are eminently readable, Bulfinch’s Mythology gives us just that knowledge.

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Book SynopsisAround the world, people looked to the skies to tell them when to sow and harvest their crops, and when the rains would come. The ‘sailing stars’ have guided explorers and endless migrations of people. In Old Europe, among the Ainu of Japan and in Indigenous Australia the Pleiades were associated with water and birds. They become Oceanids, Ice Maidens, Water Girls and the Subaru. The Parthenon in Athens, the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and the Mayan Temple of the Sun in Cuzco, are all said to be aligned with the Pleiades. The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades will amaze and awe you, and above all will remind you that all of humanity shares the night skies.Trade Review"Fascination with the Pleiades... spreads over many cultures, as Andrews notes. In ancient Egypt, they were regarded as the Seven Fates who 'foretold the destiny of every newborn'; in India they still influence the game of dice; and a cluster of dots on the Lascaux cave paintings in France, more than 17,000 years old, is perhaps the world's oldest representation of these haunting stars..." Tony Maniarty, The Australian.

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Book SynopsisEve of the Festival is a detailed examination of Homeric myth-making in the first and longest dialogue of Penelope and Odysseus (Odyssey 19). This study makes a case for seeing virtuoso myth-making as an essential part of this conversation, a register of communication important for the interaction between the two speakers.

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Book SynopsisWhen this longtime Modern Library favorite--filled with fifty-two stories of heart-stopping suspense--was first published in 1944, one of its biggest fans was critic Edmund Wilson, who in The New Yorker applauded what he termed a sudden revival of the appetite for tales of horror. Represented in the anthology are such distinguished spell weavers as Edgar Allen Poe ('The Black Cat'), Wilkie Collins ('A Terribly Strange Bed'), Henry James ('Sir Edmund Orme'), Guy de Maupassant ('Was It a Dream?'), O. Henry ('The Furnished Room'), Rudyard Kipling ('They'), and H.G. Wells ('Pollock and the Porroh Man'). Included as well are such modern masters as Algernon Blackwood ('Ancient Sorceries'), Walter de la Mare ('Out of the Deep'), E.M. Forster ('The Celestial Omnibus'), Isak Dinesen ('The Sailor-Boys Tale'), H.P. Lovecraft ('The Dunwich Horror'), Dorothy L. Sayers ('Suspicion'), and Ernest Hemingway ('The Killers'). 'There is not a story in this collection that does not have the

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