"This is a book," writes Gary Snyder, "about danger: dangerous knowledge, even more dangerous ignorance." Against the greater danger, ignorance, Pendell strikes a formidable blow, as he proves himself a wise and witty guide to our plant teachers, their powers and their poisons. "Pharmako/Poeia is an epic poem on plant humours, an abstruse alchemic treatise, an experiential narrative jigsaw puzzle, a hip and learned wild-nature reference text, a comic paen to cosmic consciousness, an ecological handbook, a dried-herb pastiche, a counterculture encyclopedia of ancient fact and lore." -Allen Ginsberg poet"Dale Pendell reactivates the ancient connection between the bardic poet and the shaman." -Terence McKenna author of True Hallucinations

    It's a deadly contest of man-vs-machine written with such power that this African-American folk hero becomes as awesome as a force of nature, yet as familiar as an older brother. Pinkney's stunning art shows John Henry's energy bursting from nature. Full color.

    One night the stepmother sends Vasilisa to visit Baba Yaga, an errand from which the gentle girl has little chance of returning alive. "An engaging text and accomplished paintings set this version apart....A stylized and classy offering."--School Library Journal.

    When the Princess learns what her father has done, she is horrified. But she is as clever as she is beautiful. Quickly, the Princess devises a plan to escape and, relying on her own spunk and good sense, ultimately marries the man she chooses for herself.

    Why are storytellers so often women, and how does that affect the status of fairy tales? Are they a source of wisdom or a misleading temptation to indulge in romancing?

    Gnomes is filled with gnome facts and history, while in Secrets of Gnomes the authors are turned into gnomes and undertake a great journey across the Siberian wilderness.

    These myths featured gods and goddesses, mighty beings who look human but have amazing powers and live forever. Now you can meet these extraordinary characters and hear their legends, brought to life again by Aliki in this splendid, panoramic look at the amazing stories and characters of Greek legend. "[Will meet the] demand for basic information on the gods and goddesses at the primary level."—BL. "Aliki's fans will welcome her introduction to these famous Greeks."—SLJ. 1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)

    Journalist Marie Heaney skillfully revives the glory of ancient Irish storytelling in this comprehensive volume from the great pre-Christian sequences to the more recent tales of the three patron saints Patrick, Brigid, and Colmcille.

    But those that aren't, those that purport to document or comment on such phenomena in what passes for "real life" vary across such a wide range of quality, credulity & comprehensibility that it's tempting to dismiss them all as pure badly-written hokum. Of course, as in any genre, no matter how microscopic, there are classics. Charles Fort's Book of the Damned is surely in the forefront. But once you get past the looming shadow of Charles Fort, matters become far murkier. Patrick Harpur's Daimonic Reality is a work that would surely make the top ten lists of many Fortean scholars. Subtitled A Field Guide to the Otherworld, Daimonic Reality synthesizes the reports of many different phenomena into a single Unified Field Theory of the Strange. It's an audacious attempt that largely succeeds. Harpur has a low key writing style that makes this work easy to read. His comprehensive knowledge of a wide variety of inexplicable events is impressive & entertaining. Most importantly, he has drawn together these disparate elements with a rather interesting philosophical take that looks to Jung, Fort, Blake, Yeats & beyond. There are enough elements in this stew to make it a really tasty treat for the hungry mind. Daimonic Reality is divided into three sections thru which Harpur journeys ever deeper into the mind behind the perceptions. But he's careful not to shortchange the perceptions & events themselves. Part One: Apparitions covers apparitions of all kinds, from UFOs to lights in the sky, from aliens & fairies to sightings of Black Dogs & Big Cats. Harpur's economical coverage of these subjects makes it easy for any level of Fortean reader to enjoy the individuality of each experience. But this treatment also enables the reader to step back & see the bigger picture, to move towards the idea of the otherworld. The individual reports are carefully chosen & beautifully written. Harpur takes a more substantial step towards the otherworld in Part Two: Vision. Starting with a discussion of "seeing things", he moves on to visions of Ladies, which are dominated by (but not exclusively) visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He discusses the evidence that these encounters leave behind, from fairy shoes to crop circles. (Coming soon to a theater near you.) He talked about the part that Imagination plays in the otherworld & finally reaches the mythic land itself. In Part Three: Otherworld Journeys, Harpur gives both practical & philosophical advice for otherworld journeys. He discusses the variety of journeys that one can have, from missing time to alien encounters, from a trip to fairyland to an out-of-body experience. When Harpur sticks to the practical, he has practically no peer in writing compelling prose about otherworldly experiences. His philosophical thoughts aren't quite as page-turning, but they're pithy, fascinating & pertinent. Harpur isn't content to merely provoke thought. He wants to invoke internal debate in the reader, & does so with some formal philosophical discussion that is difficult to pull off with the authority that Harpur achieves. He's a remarkably intelligent writer & his work requires a reader of nearly equal intelligence. You don't have to be a philosopher to read Harpur's work, but it certainly helps to be philosophically inclined. This isn't mere reportage of events, but a reasoned analysis, with conclusions that go well beyond 'Is it real or are they all just a bunch of crazy yahoos?' That there is an audience for this sort of thinking is shown by the eternal sales of the works of writers such as Carlos Castenada, not to mention the immense & increasing popularity of Fortean fiction, horror, science fiction & fantasy. That's because Harpur is looking to snatch something from the center of creation, something that is partly in the human mind & partly in the otherworld. Daimonic Reality does an excellent job grasping at the ineffable & getting it in print. As of 2/2003, this title is back in print by Pine Winds Press/Idyll Arbor. They've chosen an equally nice cover print, & are publishing the book as a sturdy US hardcover. Better yet, they're a small press, so you can buy directly from them. Since Harpur has managed to wrestle the ineffable into print, we've got to thank Pine Winds Press for keeping it in print.--Rick Kleffel

    A spider tricks other animals into thinking a melon can talk.

    This superb sourcebook contains many new translations of seminal Celtic texts, including stories, poems, and prose pieces, some dating from as far back as the seventh century. Key ingredients in this rich cauldron of ancient lore include sections on: . Shamanic Memory, including chapters on: The Memory of the Earth--The Memory of the Trees--The Memory of Animals--and The Memory of Ancestors . Vision Poets, Druids, and Shamanic Guardians, including chapters on: Initiations--ShapeshiftingóDru . . . and Vision Poets . The Bright Knowledge, including chapters on: Prophecy and Divination--Healing and Soul Restoration-Dreams and Visions . Otherworldly Journeys, including chapters on: The Journey Quest--The House of the Sidhe. These ancient tales are accompanied by detailed commentaries, comprehensive background material, and practical shamanic insights. This wide-ranging sourcebook contains new translations of seminal texts, and is a must-have for any devotee of one the world's richest religious traditions.

    The two older girls were lazy and bad-tempered, and made their youngest sister do all the work. When the flames from the cooking fire singed her hair or burned her skin, they laughed and called her Sootface.While she worked, Sootface dreamed that one day she would find a husband. Then a mighty warrior with the power to make himself invisible decides to marry. Only a woman with a kind and honest heart could see him, and be his bride.Though her sisters ridicule her, Sootface sets off to try her luck, never looking back. Her courage and good nature bring her the husband she has longed for.

    Weary of being a stonecutter, he becomes many things in his quest for authority, each time finding that greater power lies elsewhere. Rooted in Taoist principles, Stonecutter is a story about the nature of power and the value of accepting who you are. Originally published in a limited, fine art edition and long out of print, this is one of Jon J Muth's most heartfelt and exquisite works, and a book he entrusted to Feiwel and Friends to reach a wide new audience.

    Book by Woodyard, Chris

    And he does, warmed only by the sight of a distant fire. When his master refuses to recognize the boy's victory, the boy and his sister decide to beat the rich man at his own game.

    So she placed a large lacquered bowl on Lily's head, and made her promise never to remove it. Yoriko Ito's elegant paintings use traditional Japanese motifs to highlight the adaptation of this inspiring folktale of the rewards of kindness and beauty. Full color. Age5-9. P ub: 10/94.

    These are stories from a broad array of tribes and tradtions.

    When it came time for them to marry, the tsar called the princes to his side and said: "String your bows with the strength of ten men, and shoot an arrow as far as you can into the heart of Russia. Whoever finds your arrow shall be your pride."

    Much of the rich store of material comes from the great legacy of medieval Gaelic manuscripts. In more recent times, papers of medical societies have shown how traditional methods and cures are still of value to modern medicine. In addition to a general historical background, which traces the story of Highland folk tradition from earliest times, Mary Beith describes a whole variety of traditional remedies, cures and practices, from the healing properties of stone and metal, animals and insects, to rituals, charms and incantations. Her book also includes a list of the most commonly used herbs. Clearly written with extensive source notes, Healing Threads is a unique introduction to a subject that has fascinated generation after generation.

    Bring me the Firebird, or I swear by my sword, your head will no longer sit upon your shoulders!A retelling of a popular Russian folktaleDemi's retelling captures the charm and drama of this favorite Russian folktale, while her lavish, gilded illustrations vividly evoke the grand setting and daring adventures.

    From Washington Irving to Joyce Carol Oates, our nation's best writers are showcased at the top of their form.Selections from America's first great quartet of fiction writers--Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville--open this extraordinary volume and reflect the birth of a distinctly American literature. The short story form blossomed during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, giving rise to superb works of realism, naturalism, and regionalism. "The American Short Story" explores these traditions fully, with a wonderful sampling of writings from Ambrose Bierce, Edward Everett Hale, Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Sarah Orne Jewett, Joel Chandler Harris, Frank Norris, Stephen Crane, Theodore Drieser, Henry James, Edith Wharton and many others. Stories like F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited" and Ernest Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" capture the brilliance of "The Lost Generation" writers; the rich tradition of Southern storytelling come to life in works by William Faulkner, Katherine Anne Porter, Eudora Welty, Thomas Wolfe, and Flannery O'Connor; and, in works ranging from the sentimental to the satirical, the hard-hitting to the hilarious, writers like Saul Bellow, James Baldwin, John Updike, and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. illuminate the experiences of America's extraordinarily diverse population.

    When Zandra, the official bather of the Rajah's elephants, saves them from serious illness, she exacts from the Rajah a reward more costly than he realizes.

    Now for the first time the most unusual and intriguing of these international tales have been gathered together in a single volume, accompanied by stunning original full-color paintings and black-and-white illustrations.

    Curl up with old friends like Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker" or Charles Dickens's "Chips." Or make the acquaintance of "The Serpent Woman" and "The Skull That Spoke"--but beware of spectral visitors like "The Blood-Drawing Ghost." There's something here for everyone who likes a good shudder. . . but be prepared for goose bumps!Delightfully creepy illustrations by Katherine Coville and Jacqueline Rogers highlight this second collection of scary stories.

    Includes sixteen tales from Transylvanian folklore, arranged in three sections: Ghosts, Vampires, and Werewolves; Haunted Treasures; and Eerie Fairy Tales.

    Lubell's artistic and literary sources support the argument that from the earliest moments of civilization, humans have respected and revered female sexual energy, graphically symbolized in the vulva, as an indispensable force in the balance of nature. Over the ages, the images of Baubo and her sisters assumed deviant and disturbing forms, but the basic lines of her legend and its visual manifestations were not completely obscured. Nor, as this book will show, has Baubo's essential power been destroyed even in our own age.

    A richly diverse anthology of Native American literatures draws on the work of more than two hundred tribes across the United States and Canada and provides information on the historical and cultural contexts of the stories, songs, prayers, and orations.

    Recent texts which fall under this rubric rely on unexamined notions of “sisterhood” and the recovery of “lost” voices. In these essays about her work with women in Southern India, Kamala Visweswaran addresses such troubled issues. Blurring distinctions between ethnographic and literary genres, these essays employ the narrative strategies of history, fiction, autobiography and biography, deconstruction, and post-colonial discourse to reveal the fictions of ethnography and the ethnography in fiction.

     The Sleeping Lady is a modern-day folk legend that accounts for both Alaska's first snowfall and for the origin of this beautiful mountain. It is also a classic tale about a time of peace and the consequences of war. Enchanting oil paintings by artist Elizabeth Johns capture the village life of the giant people, a prehistoric, peace-loving group and the drama that ensues when they must face a band of menacing warriors. The tale centers on the fate of the story’s two betrothed lovers, Nekatla and Susitna, whose encounters with war bring a lasting change to the land and their people. Cloaked in snow in winter and wildflowers in summer, Mount Susitna embodies the hope for peace so relevant at any age. As much a mythical explanation for natural phenomena as it is a tale about a time when people lived in harmony with nature and each other.

    Roth's brilliant collage art enhances the story. Full color.

    But what few realize about the groups is that the parading is more than just for show. Costuming, dancing, and all of the rituals of these groups are acts of cultural preservation that date back more than a century. In his new book, Michael P. Smith addresses the sociological issues surrounding the mislabeled and rarely understood Maroon groups now known as "Mardi Gras Indians." His textual analysis of the culture examines its African origins and how the participants help to develop the African-American cultural identity. He looks at how some African-Americans resisted efforts to suppress traditions that are re-emerging in modern society.Researched and documented by generations of oral and written history, this work clearly outlines the mistaken identification of the Mardi Gras Indians as just an entertainment element of the carnival season. It also shows the vital role this traditional culture plays in the community, much as the Black Spiritual Churches do, in preserving an authentic base for the unique cultural heritage of blacks in New Orleans. This work illustrates how the Mardi Gras Indians are a part of the New Orleans second-line tradition.A dynamic element of this book is the collection of more than one hundred color photos. These prints capture the striking beauty of spectacles with a purpose far greater than entertaining. Combined with authoritative text by Smith, the visual images round out this examination of the roots of the Mardi Gras Indians and current practices of the whole range of African-American cultural societies and parading groups in the Crescent City. Michael P. Smith is a native of New Orleans and an award-winning professional free-lance photographer. His special respect for the musical and cultural history of New Orleans has earned him the general trust of various ethnic groups he has documented and written about. Smith's work has been presented in the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and numerous other museums in America and Europe. He has received two Photographer's Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and his prints have toured worldwide under the auspices of the United States Information Service. He is also the author of New Orleans Jazz Fest: A Pictorial History and Spirit World: Pattern in the Expressive Folk Culture of African-American New Orleans .

    Clement's beautifully executed paintings add a rich drama to the story. Full color.

    35 illustrations.

    Working for a harsh, greedy, and wicked mistress, Sho finds consolation in the companionship of her only friend, a black cat, and when her evil mistress banishes the cat from the house, Sho braves the perils of Cat Mountain to find her only true friend.

    Readers will be caught up in the action and enchantment of the son's heroic quest of a magic tapestry as it unfolds page by page in dazzling gold ink. Full color.

    Noted author James Haskins has gathered more than 20 of the most spine-tingling tales in this haunting collection. Chilling personal accounts of ghostly encounters are also included. Rounding out the book are extensive source notes and historical background.

    

    Wisdom of the Mythtellers uncovers four kinds of ancestral dream-mapping: Native Australian, Native America, Celtic, and Greek.

    When the terrifying Iroko-man tries to take a woodcarver's first-born child as partial payment for bringing fertility to his village, the father must find a clever solution.

    The author here relates his informal conversations with Mad Bear, who died in 1985.

    Rather it suggests why the language is so fun to learn, and guides the beginner through some of the resources available from the Early Medieval world. The types of text surviving are discussed and a few guided exercises show how reading these is really no more difficult than studying Latin.

    This volume highlights a rich legacy of art, literature, and geographical and nautical knowledge.

    To start with, in a newly Christianized Ireland, monks do battle with a devilish monster that has killed a river. All the water in this collection, from rivers to lakes, conceal dangers that men and women would best avoid. Ready to tempt Ireland’s new conquerors — humankind— supernatural forces hide beneath waves, in bogs, in the very land, waiting. With his usual inventiveness, Michael Scott juxtaposes the old and the new, the ancient and modern, showing that in everyday situations, the curses of Ireland’s mythic past lie imp–like, threatening destruction.

    The splendid retelling is accented by stunning, full-color paintings.

    Augustine to contemporary anthropological and psychoanalytic interpretations.  The various essays discuss the intricate rules of the cockfight, the ethical question of pitting two equally matched roosters in a fight to the death, the emotional involvement of cockfighters and fans, and the sexual implications of the sport.  The result is an enlightening collection for anthropologists, folklorists, sociologists, and psychologists, as well as followers of this ancient blood sport.

    From old favorites like "The Worms Crawl In" to lesser-known gems from the Sioux, African-American, and Tirolean folk traditions, these selections will send a shiver down the spine of every reader who loves a little scary, silly fun. Dramatic illustrations by Caldecott Honor medalist Diane Goode capture the spirit of these unforgettable tales and verses. "Consistently entertaining." -- "Booklist

    From ancient creation myths of the Aztecs and traditional tales of Spanish colonialists to an eclectic sampling of the work of modern Latino storytellers, this book provides a rich tapestry of both obscure and well-loved stories-religious stories; animal tales; stories of magic, transformation, and wisdom; and chistes (short comic tales). Fifteen tales are also presented in Spanish. The origin and historical development of the stories are examined in an introductory chapter. A discussion of dichos (proverbs) and adivinanzas (riddles) illuminates the larger context of the oral tradition in which the tales have flourished. Lavishly illustrated with pictures of original paintings and sculpture by contemporary Latino artists, this fascinating collection will appeal to children and adults alike and is a must for the multicultural class

    1250. What happened to the people? Why did they leave? Where did they go? Travel with author Lawrence W. Cheek to ancient Indian ruins and survey the artifacts these people left behind ... the pieces to this fascinating puzzle. Included with the book is a free-standing map, Indian Ruins of the Southwest, that provides detailed travel information on the 25 sites visited in the book.

    `[The author takes] the Celtic world to include both the European continent and the more recent settlements in the British Isles. The entries, admirably broad in scope, conceive religion and culture as including not only the usual gods and myths but shamanic practices and totems. Maier also provides entries for important scholars of Celtic culture.' CHOICE

    This sequel to "A Wave in Her Pocket" offers six stories based on Trinidad's folklore, in a framework of contemporary island life.

    The names Tiw, Woden, Thunor and Frig/Freo have been preserved in place names and in the days of the week. The old Gods and the festivals and rituals associated with them lived on after the 'official' conversion to Christianity. Eostre, the Goddess associated with Spring, is still with us as Easter. The Yuletide celebrations which marked the turning of the year were deep-rooted so they were Christianised to give us Christmas. Ing the god associated with regrowth and renewal was replaced with Christ. Much the same happened with rituals for bringing fertility to the earth, and with healing charms. The author sifts through royal genealogy, charms, verse and other sources to find clues to the names and attributes of the Gods and Goddesses of the early English.

    A retelling of the French fairy tale in which a clever cat wins his master a fortune and the hand of a princess.

    Ethnic groups respresented are the Kikuyu, Turkana, Akamba, Kipsigis, Taita, Luhya, and Samburu. Cultural and historical background information on the groups, notes on the stories, lists of further resources, and tips for retelling make this collection useful to librarians, storytellers, public speakers, teachers, and parents. The fascinating account of McNeils's own experiences and observations in collecting the tales is woven throughout the book. Beautiful color photos of Kenyan storytellers and the animals portrayed in the stories illustrate her journey and the tales.

    The region's weavers evolved the distinctive styles and patterns found in Saltillo and Vallero blankets, weft ikat, handspun cotton blankets, jerga floor coverings, and colcha embroidery.

    A princess promises to marry the prince who finds the most precious treasure.

    This is the largest, most diverse, and best annotated collection of French-language tales ever published in the United States. Side by side are dual-language retellings--the Cajun French and its English translation--along with insightful commentaries.This volume reveals the long and lively heritage of the Louisiana folktale among French Creoles and Cajuns and shows how tale-telling in Louisiana through the years has remained vigorous and constantly changing. Some of the best storytellers of the present day are highlighted in biographical sketches and are identified by some of their best tales. Their repertory includes animal stories, magic stories, jokes, tall tales, Pascal (improvised) stories, and legendary tales--all of them colorful examples of Louisiana narrative at its best.Though greatly transformed since the French arrived on southern soil, the French oral tradition is alive and flourishing today. It is even more complex and varied than has been shown in previous studies, for revealed here are African influences as well as others that have been filtered from America's multicultural mainstream.

    Limón  works at the intersection of anthropology, folklore, popular culture, history, and literary criticism.  A native of South Texas,  he renders a historical and ethnographic account of  its rich Mexican-American folk culture.  This folk culture, he shows—whether expressed through male joking rituals, ballroom polka dances, folk healing, or eating and drinking traditions—metaphorically dances with the devil, both resisting  and accommodating  the dominant culture of Texas.     Critiquing the work of his precursors— John Gregory Bourke, J. Frank Dobie, Jovita Gonzalez, and Americo Paredes—Limón deftly demonstrates that their accounts of Mexican-Americans in South Texas contain race, class, and gender contradictions, revealed most clearly in their accounts of the folkloric figure of the devil.  Limón's own field-based ethnography follows, and again the devil appears as a recurrent motif,  signaling the ideological contradictions of folk practices in a South Texas on the verge of postmodernity.