Best of
Folklore

1988

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush


Tomie dePaola - 1988
    How this striking plant received its name is told in an old Indian legend.Many years ago, when the People traveled the Plains, a young Indian boy had a Dream-Vision in which it was revealed that one day he would create a painting that was as pure as the colors of the evening sky at sunset. The boy grew up to become the painter of the tribe, but although he found a pure white buckskin for a canvas and made paints from the brightest flowers and the reddest berries, he could not capture the sunset.How the young Indian artist finally fulfills his Dream-Vision is lovingly told and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, in words and pictures that capture the spirit and beauty of this dramatic legend.

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock


Eric A. Kimmel - 1988
    But Little Bush Deer is onto Anansi's scheme, and hatches a plan to beat him at his own game.Based on tales originating in West Africa and familiar in Caribbean culture, the five-book Anansi the Trickster series is full of slapstick humor and mischief. Eric A. Kimmel's imaginative energy combined with Janet Stevens' expressive illustrations create the perfect silly stories for fun-loving kids.

Dimensions: A Casebook of Alien Contact


Jacques F. Vallée - 1988
    Vallee, a trained astrophysicist holding a doctorate in computer science, has reviewed the evidence supporting UFO sightings & has concluded that "alien" visitations are neither figments of imaginations, nor are they coming from other planets or galaxies.IntroductionAncient encountersWinged disks & crispy pancakesThe secret commonwealth The emotional component: cosmic seduction The celestial component: signs in heaven The psychic component: metalogic The spiritual component: a morphology of miraclesFighting the triple coverup The case against extraterrestrialsThe control systemIndex

John the Balladeer


Manly Wade Wellman - 1988
    John wanders the mountains on foot as an itinerant folk singer of the old songs (his nickname comes from his guitar strings made of silver --- a substance that also repels some supernatural nasties --- but he's also known as a "witch-master," that is, a kind of paranormal troubleshooter whose lore and skills render him "master over" and able to defeat the sinister sorcery of witches and "ha'nts." His variety of supernatural adventures bring him to face with time travel, revenants, various monsters of regional folklore such as the "Behinder," and other macabre phenomena.Contents:1 · Foreword: Manly in the Mountains · David Drake · fw * [Manly Wade Wellman] 4 · Introduction: Just Call Me John · Karl Edward Wagner · in * [Manly Wade Wellman] 9 · O Ugly Bird! · ss F&SF Dec ’51 25 · The Desrick on Yandro · ss F&SF Jun ’52 41 · Vandy, Vandy · ss F&SF Mar ’53 59 · One Other · ss F&SF Aug ’53 77 · Call Me from the Valley · ss F&SF Mar ’54 92 · The Little Black Train · ss F&SF Aug ’54 112 · Shiver in the Pines · ss F&SF Feb ’55 134 · Walk Like a Mountain · ss F&SF Jun ’55 154 · On the Hills and Everywhere · ss F&SF Jan ’56 165 · Old Devlins Was A-Waiting · ss F&SF Feb ’57 189 · Nine Yards of Other Cloth · ss F&SF Nov ’58 212 · Wonder as I Wander · gp F&SF Mar ’62; Then I Wasn’t Alone, vi; You Know the Tale of Hoph, vi; Blue Monkey, vi; The Stars Down There, vi; Find the Place Yourself, vi; I Can’t Claim That, vi; Who Else Could I Count On, vi 219 · Farther Down the Trail · gp Who Fears the Devil, Arkham House, 1963; John’s My Name, vi; Why They’re Named That, vi; None Wiser for the Trip, vi; Nary Spell, vi 223 · Trill Coster’s Burden · ss Whispers II, ed. Stuart David Schiff, Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1979 237 · The Spring · ss Shadows #2, ed. Charles L. Grant, Doubleday, 1979 252 · Owls Hoot in the Daytime · ss Dark Forces, ed. Kirby McCauley, Viking, 1980 268 · Can These Bones Live? · ss Sorcerer’s Apprentice #11 ’81 280 · Nobody Ever Goes There · ss Weird Tales #3, ed. Lin Carter, DAW, 1981 294 · Where Did She Wander? · ss Whispers Oct ’87

Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions


H.R. Ellis Davidson - 1988
    Yet, few people realize the significance of the similarities and contrasts between the religions of the pre-Christian people of north-western Europe. The Celts and Germans and Scandinavians had much in common in their religious practices and beliefs, and this is the first serious attempt that has been made to compare them. There are striking resemblances in their ideas about battle-goddesses and protective spirits, holy places, sacrificial rituals, divination and ideas about the Other World; and Myths and symbols in pagan Europe poses questions like: do such parallels go back to early times or are they owing to late Viking contact?

The Legend of Seyavash


Abolqasem Ferdowsi - 1988
    Ferdowsi's epic style and mastery of poetic organisation, however, is matched by the psychological and ethical depth of his insight and his concerns for the primal struggle between good and evil, and man's continual attempt to create justice and civilized order out of the chaos of human greed and cruelty. The Legend of Seyavash begins with the stuff of romance -- a foreign girl of royal blood, found as a fugitive and introduced into the king's harem, gives birth to a son, Seyavash, who is raised not by his father the king, but by the great hero Rostam. On Seyavash's return home Sudabeh, his stepmother, attempts to seduce him, and when he spurns her she accuses him of having attempted to rape her. He undergoes a trial by fire to prove his innocence, and goes on to battle successfully against Iran's rival, Turan, concluding a truce with the Turanian king, Afrasyab, on amicable terms.But Seyavash's father, Kavus, insists that Seyavash surrender the Turanian hostages to slaughter, and with a conflicted conscience and no one to turn to, Seyavash flees to the Turanian court, where he is first given safe harbour, but is once again abandoned. Dick Davis has made a masterful translation of the poem and written a penetrating introduction.

Lilith's Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural


Howard Schwartz - 1988
    It seems that a demon daughter of the legendary Lilith had made her home in the mirror and would soon completely possess the unsuspecting girl. Such tales of terror and the supernatural occupy an honored position in the Jewish folkloric tradition. Howard Schwartz has superbly translated and retold fifty of the best of these folktales, now collected into one volume for the first time. Gathered from countless sources ranging from the ancient Middle East to twelfth-century Germany and later Eastern European oral tradition, these captivating stories include Jewish variants of the Pandora and Persephone myths and of such famous folktales as The Fisherman and His Wife, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Bluebeard, as well as several tales from the Middle Ages that have never before been published. Focusing on crucial turning points in life--birth, marriage, and death--the tales feature wandering spirits, marriage with demons, werewolves, speaking heads, possession by dybbuks (souls of the dead who enter the bodies of the living), and every other kind of supernatural adversary. Readers will encounter a carpenter who is haunted when he makes a violin from the wood of a coffin; a wife who saves herself from the demoness her husband has inadvertently married by agreeing to share him for an hour each day; and the age-old tale of Lilith, Adam's first wife, who refused to submit to him and instead banished herself from the Garden of Eden to give birth to the demons of the world. Drawn from Rabbinic sources, medieval Jewish folklore, Hasidic texts, and oral tradition, these stories will equally entrance readers of Jewish literature and those with an affection for fantasy and the supernatural.

Her Seven Brothers


Paul Goble - 1988
    The girl knows she must travel to the north country to find the seven brothers. She comforts her mother by saying, "Soon you will see me again with my brothers; everyone will know and love us!"

The Mud Pony


Caron Lee Cohen - 1988
    "Splendidly illustrated.... [A] moving, multileveled hero tale." - Kirkus Reviews

More Tales of Uncle Remus: Further Adventures of Brer Rabbit, his Friends, Enemies, and Others


Julius Lester - 1988
    Man, but no creature has ever had sharper wits. Young and old alike will laugh out loud at his outrageous antics as he once again outmaneuvers his old foes.

Way of the Animal Powers, Part 1


Joseph Campbell - 1988
    

Favorite Greek Myths


Mary Pope Osborne - 1988
    Full color.

Christian Community Bible (Catholic Pastoral Edition)


Bernard Hurault - 1988
    Translated, presented and commented for the Christian Communities of the Philippines and the Third World; and for those who seek God.Special Features:* Easy to understand contemporary language* Faithful translation from the Hebrew and Greek texts* Explanation and introduction of every book* Summary and dates of Sacred History* Concordance based on Biblical Teachings* Pastoral commentaries on important biblical texts

The Victorian Fairy Tale Book


Michael Patrick Hearn - 1988
    M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, here are seventeen classic stories and poems from the golden age of the English fairy tale. Some of them amuse, some enchant, some satirize and criticize, but each one–in the words of Laurence Houseman, author of the classic Rocking-Horse Land– “is an expression of the joy of living.”Accompanied by the illustrations from the original editions of these works–by such celebrated Victorian artists as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Maxfield Parrish, and Arthur Rackham–this collection will delight readers both young and old.

Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality


Paul Barber - 1988
    From the tale of a sixteenth-century shoemaker from Breslau whose ghost terrorized everyone in the city, to the testimony of a doctor who presided over the exhumation and dissection of a graveyard full of Serbian vampires, his book is fascinating reading.

A Treasury of American Folklore


B.A. Botkin - 1988
    This spectacular collection of five hundred stories and one hundred songs represents the best of American tall tales, yarns, myths, ballads, and more, about such legends as Buffalo Bill and Jesse James.

Edmund Dulac's Fairy Book


Edmund Dulac - 1988
    Beautifully illustrated by master-artist Edmund Dulac. Contents include: SNEGOROTCHKA THE BURIED MOON WHITE CAROLINE AND BLACK CAROLINE THE SEVEN CONQUERORS OF THE QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI THE SERPENT PRINCE THE HIND OF THE WOOD IVAN AND THE CHESTNUT HORSE THE QUEEN OF THE MANY-COLOURED BEDCHAMBER THE BLUE BIRD BASHTCHELIK (OR, REAL STEEL) THE FRIAR AND THE BOY THE GREEN SERPENT URASHIMA TARO THE FIRE BIRD THE STORY OF THE BIRD FENG

Yiddish Folktales


Beatrice Silverman Weinreich - 1988
    Collected from people of all walks of life, they include parables and allegories about life, luck, and wisdom; tales of magic and wonder; stories about rebbes and their disciples; and tales whose only purpose is to entertain. Long after the culture that produced them has disappeared, these enchanting Yiddish folktales continue to work their magic today.Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

Historical Atlas of World Mythology Vol II: The Way of the Seeded Earth Part 1: The Sacrifice


Joseph Campbell - 1988
    2, Pt. 1 : The Sacrifice (Historical Atlas of World Mythology Ser., Vol. II)

American Children's Folklore


Simon J. Bronner - 1988
    It is through such shared lore--songs, expressions, games and beliefs--that children adapt to new situations. Bronner includes secret languages, jump rope rhymes, song parodies, games, taunts, tongue twisters, jokes, and more. These treasures make for nostalgic reading for adults who want to relive their own childhoods or gain a window to their own children's world.

The Witch of Goingsnake: And Other Stories


Robert J. Conley - 1988
    Several stories, including the one from which the collection takes its name, deal with the spiritual world. In the title story a man and his family are devastated by the evil powers of a tsigli, a witch. In other stories "medicine" is used to more constructive ends. Some of the stories feature human-animal transformations, the ability to become invisible, and the power to manipulate events. In the context of the Cherokee world such stories are not fantasies. They are stories about reality—the reality known to Cherokees.The collection also includes tales of Cherokee "outlaws," one of the most intriguing aspects of Cherokee history to Cherokees and non-Cherokees alike. Set in the days of Indian Territory, before Oklahoma statehood, these stories provide a taste of the wild West, seasoned with Cherokee cultural experience.Still other stories describe modern-day Cherokees confronting the past and the present and continually struggling to find a place in the white people's world while maintaining a Cherokee belief system and way of life. Some Cherokees confront ignorant whites, others confront ignorant Cherokees, and still others simply make their own way, dealing with each other, with outsiders, with their environment, and with their spirituality in uniquely personal, albeit Cherokee, ways.Clearly, these stories differ from stories that grow out of a European tradition, for behind them lie completely different cultural referents; different notions about interpreting events, time, and language; and a different view of the purpose and art of storytelling. Their author speaks with a clear Cherokee Indian voice to show how these cultural characteristics have survived centuries of abrupt change and to give readers an understanding of the fullness and humanity of the Cherokees as a people.As Wilma P. Mankiller, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, says in her foreword to the stories: "Much has been written about the Cherokee people. Not enough has been written by the Cherokee people. The subtle nuances of language, the memories of tribal life, and the strong sense of the past and its integration with the present are lost even to the most gifted non-Cherokee writer. There is a movement among contemporary Cherokee writers to produce more indigenous literature. Robert Conley is a leader of that movement."

Peter And The North Wind


Freya Littledale - 1988
    The North Wind's magical gifts to Peter, recompense for blowing away the flour needed to feed him and his poor mother, mysteriously lose their magic before Peter gets them home.Retold from the Norse tale The Lad Who Went to the North Wind.

The Dream Assembly: Tales of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi


Zalman Schachter-Shalomi - 1988
    The only collection of stories in print from Reb Zalman, acknowledged as a unique living kabbalist and esoteric teacher in this tradition. Reb Zalman is one of the great teachers of our time. - Jean Houston, founder of The Mystery School and co-director of The Foundation for Mind Research.

Fairy Tales Around The World


Edward Holmes - 1988
    Twenty-one original and traditional fairy tales from a variety of countries include "Snow White," "The Ugly Duckling," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Hansel and Gretel."

Heart of the Ngoni: Heroes of the African Kingdom of Segu


Harold Courlander - 1988
    The heroic legends decribed here, re-create the events and annals of the kingdom of Segu and of the Bambara tribe that formed a series of important city-states along the Niger River during the 17th century.

The Provençal Tales


Michael de Larrabeiti - 1988
    The 13 tales he recounts here were told around the nightly campfires; dating from the time of the Crusades, they define a land and its people.

The Theory of Oral Composition: History and Methodology


John Miles Foley - 1988
    excellent book... " --The Classical Outlook..". brief and readable... There is good tonic in these pages for the serious student of oral tradition... a remarkable book." --Asian Folklore Studies"The bibliography is a boon for students and faculty at any level who are curious about the nature, composition, and performance of oral poetry." --Choice..". concise, evolutionary account... " --Religious Studies Review"As ever, Professor Foley's conscientious scholarship and sound judgements combine to make a further substantial contribution to the field." --E. C. Hawkesworth, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London, The Slavonic Review"Foley is probably the only scholar who is in a position even to suggest the extent of what we should know to work in this area." --Speculum"Foley's survey stands as a fitting tribute to the achievements of Parry and Lord and as a sure guide to future productive work in the field." --Journal of American Folklore..". detailed and informative study... We are fortunate that John Foley chose to write this book." --Motif..". Theory of Oral Composition... detailed account written in an elegant style which could serve equally as a textbook for college and graduate students and as a reference tool for scholars already in the field." --Olifant"As an 'introductory history, ' The Theory of Oral Composition accomplishes its purpose admirably. It has the capacity to arouse interest on the part of the uninitiated." --AnthropologicaPresents the first history of the new field of oral-formulaic theory, which arose from the pioneering research of Milman Parry and Albert Lord on the Homeric poems.

The Fisherman and His Wife


John Warren Stewig - 1988
    The fisherman's greedy wife is never satisfied with the wishes granted her by an enchanted fish.

Companion to literary myths, heroes and archetypes


Pierre Brunel - 1988
    Drawing on legends worldwide from prehistory to the modern age, the text explores the origin, development and various incarnations of different characters and places.

Leprechauns, Legends & Irish Tales


Hugh McGowan - 1988
    A bibliography of sources is provided, together with explanatory notes of the possible derivations of the stories.

More Tales of the Big Bend


Elton Miles - 1988
    From the Guadalupes to the Chinatis and the Chisos, lost mines and abandoned hoards lie like magnets, pulling at the treasure hunter's heart. Or so the stories go. But perhaps the stories are themselves the hidden treasures.The Big Bend has always attracted an unusual sort of settler, and the settlers have spawned an unusual wealth of lore. Their tales live in the oral tradition of the place, adding to its color, mystery, and appeal. There is horse trader Zack Miller, who has to unload two thousand horses bought from the Mexican army of Victoriano Huerta. There is generous Maggie Smith, who trades in candelilla wax (obtained legally or otherwise), raises "stray" children who need a home, and cares for every honest passerby. Evans Means appears, weathering the border troubles the Mexican Revolution spawned by putting "a smile on his face, a pistol on his hip, two languages on his tongue, and [drinking] coffee with anybody on the border."For more than thirty years Elton Miles collected the lively stories and legends that spring from the unique Big Bend lifestyle. A companion to his successful Tales of the Big Bend, this collection will fascinate visitors to the region and will make a lasting contribution to the annals of Texas folklore.

Pecos Bill (Rabbit Ears)


Brian Gleeson - 1988
    Among the best traditional American tall tales, this one stands very tall indeed.

When Hippo Was Hairy and Other Tales from Africa


Nick Greaves - 1988
    The folklore and mythology of the African people have been handed down by word of mouth through generations of tribal life. In a land which, until very recently, teemed with the richest wildlife in the world, people and animals lived for centuries in close proximity to one another, and came to know and understand each other intimately. African folk tales reflect this special relationship. Nick Greaves, who lives in Zimbabwe, has studied the traditional animal stories of different tribes from many parts of the continent. In this book he records some of the best. There are tales about Lion, Cheetah, Hyena, Elephant, and many others. Some are humorous, some sad, but all make compelling reading. Not only do they preserve for all time Africa's animal folklore, they also provide a fascinating, vivid, exciting picture of a land and its people. Each animal has been painted in brilliant detail and colourful, realistic style by Rod Clement, and nearly every story is illustrated by his lively sketches. After the stories about each animal, there is factual information about the animalis habits, lifespan, size, gestation period and other useful and interesting details. This is complemented by a map of Africa showing where the animal still lives today. This is a unique book of stories, paintings and facts about one of the world's great heritages - the wildlife of Africa - presented in a way that will entertain all ages and tastes and, hopefully, help to preserve that heritage too.

The Star Maiden: An Ojibway Tale


Barbara Juster Esbensen - 1988
    Tired of wandering in the sky, the star maiden searches for the perfect home on earth.

Goddess Obscured: Transformation of the Grain Protectress from Goddess to Saint


Pamela Berger - 1988
    Recounts the story of the grain protectress, an image that has persisted from the ancient Near East to the classical world and still survives in folksongs and village celebrations today.