350 full-color photos, paintings & illustrations.

    224 pages 500 herbs, roots, minerals, and rare zoological curios, 750 traditional spells, tricks, and magical recipes, 50 black and white illustrations

    these tales constitute a powerful work of the imagination, ranking with Tokien's Lord of the Rings novels and T.H. White's The Once and Future King. Evangeline Walton's compelling rendition of these classic, thrilling stories of magic, betrayal, lost love, and bitter retribution include the encounter between Prince Pwyll and Arawn, the God of Death, which Pwyll survives by agreeing to kill the one man that Death cannot fell, and the tale of bran the blessed and his family's epic struggle for the throne.The Mabinogion is internationally recognized as the world's finest arc of Celtic mythology; Walton's vivid retelling introduces an ancient world of gods and monsters, heroes, kings and quests, making accessible one of the greatest fantasy sagas of all time.

    The stories, chosen and edited by the artist, are a balance of 'princess' classics and frolicking adventure tales. Artist Scott Gustafson spent more than four years creating the seventy-five rich oil paintings, reproduced here in full color. His style is reminiscent of N.C. Wyeth and Wyeth;s gifted student Jessie Wilcox Smith (plus a touch of Arthur Rackham in the fairies). The rounded-face, glowing children and charming interiors contribute to Gustafson's unique and contemporary style, which will capture the hearts of even the most hard-boiled media-savvy child.Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 10/15/2003 Pages: 144 Reading Level: Age 9 and Up

    So begins the age-old tale of a kind-hearted young woman, her jealous stepmother, two hateful stepsisters, and a young man in search of a wife. The young man, Javier, falls madly in love with beautiful Adelita, but she disappears from his fiesta at midnight, leaving him with only one clue to her hidden identity?a beautiful rebozo? shawl. With the rebozo in place of a glass slipper, this favorite fairy tale takes a delightful twist. Tomie dePaola?s exquisite paintings, filled with the folk art of Mexico, make this a Cinderella story like no other.

    This is a comprehensive, illustrated anthology of more than 300 myths from around the world which have shaped humankind's collective experience.

    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.

    Now, in Egyptian Mythology, Geraldine Pinch offers a comprehensive introduction thatuntangles the mystery of Egyptian Myth.Spanning Ancient Egyptian culture--from 3200 BC to AD 400--Pinch opens a door to this hidden world and casts light on its often misunderstood belief system. She discusses the nature of myths and the history of Egypt, from the predynastic to the postpharaonic period. She explains how Egyptian culturedeveloped around the flooding of the Nile, or the inundation, a phenomenon on which the whole welfare of the country depended, and how aspects of the inundation were personified as deities. She explains that the usually cloudless skies made for a preoccupation with the stars and planets. Indeed, much early Egyptian mythology may have developed to explain the movement of these celestial bodies. She provides a timeline covering the seven stages in the mythical history of Egypt and outlining the major events of each stage, such as the reign of the sun God. A substantial A to Z section coversthe principal themes and concepts of Egyptian mythology as well as the most important deities, demons, and other characters. For anyone who wants to know about Anubis, the terrifying canine god who presided over the mummification of bodies and guarded burials, or Hathor, the golden goddess whohelped women to give birth and the dead to be reborn, or an explanation of the nun, the primeval ocean from which all life came, Egyptian Mythology is the place to look.

    Yet despite the consistency of this picture, surprisingly little archaeological or historical research has been done to explore what this may really have meant to the men and women of the time.This book examines the evidence for Old Norse sorcery, looking at its meaning and function, practice and practitioners, and the complicated constructions of gender and sexual identity with which these were underpinned. Combining strong elements of eroticism and aggression, sorcery appears as a fundamental domain of women's power, linking them with the gods, the dead and the future. Their battle spells and combat rituals complement the men's physical acts of fighting, in a supernatural empowerment of the Viking way of life.What emerges is a fundamentally new image of the world in which the Vikings understood themselves to move, in which magic and its implications permeated every aspect of a society permanently geared for war.In this fully revised and expanded second edition, Neil Price takes us with him on a tour through the sights and sounds of this undiscovered country, meeting its human and otherworldly inhabitants, including the Sami with whom the Norse partly shared this mental landscape. On the way we explore Viking notions of the mind and soul, the fluidity of the boundaries that they drew between humans and animals, and the immense variety of their spiritual beliefs. We find magic in the Vikings' bedrooms and on their battlefields, and we meet the sorcerers themselves through their remarkable burials and the tools of their trade. Combining archaeology, history and literary scholarship with extensive studies of Germanic and circumpolar religion, this multi-award-winning book shows us the Vikings as we have never seen them before.

    How he wishes his mother would serve up a nice platter of his favorite dish: Boy! But Boy is hard to come by these days. As Little Wolf trudges home from school one day, he decides to postpone his boring dinner by shouting "Boy! Boy!" But what will happen when a real boy finally comes along? In this hilarious twisted tale, Little Wolf learns the same timeless lesson that the boy who cried "Wolf!" did so many years ago.

    Rohr breaks new ground by applying up-to-date theories of our universe, integrating them with Paul’s revolutionary thinking about sin, saints and spirituality. Deep and complex, Paul may seem to be full of inconsistencies—arrogant but also humble, a fervent believer but a probing, critical thinker, a mystic but also a missionary community builder. Rohr admits the difficulties in understanding the short excerpts of Paul’s letters read at Sunday Mass. He analyzes the letters and explains the great themes. He challenges our usual understandings and invites us to imitate Paul and enter into the mystery in organic solidarity with the Risen Christ. Rohr sees us as partaking in the incredible transformation of the whole cosmos that struggles with the pattern of descent and ascent that is revealed and affirmed in Jesus.

    This book presents, for the first time in the West, a wide selection of these fascinating myths preserved among four related peoples whose ancient cultures today survive by a thread. In ninety-two straightforward tales populated by extraordinary characters and exploits, by giants who humble haughty Narts, by horses and sorceresses, Nart Sagas from the Caucasus brings these cultures to life in a powerful epos.

    Sections group tales together by theme or juxtapose variations of individual tales, inviting comparison and analysis across cultures and genres. An accessible section of critical selections provides a foundation for readers to analyze, debate, and interpret the tales for themselves. An expanded introduction by the editors looks at the history of folk and fairy tales and distinguishes between the genres, while revised introductions to individual sections provide more detailed history of particular tellers and tales, paying increased attention to the background and cultural origin of each tale. A selection of illustrations from editions of classic tales from the 19th to the 21st centuries is also included.

     The Soviet Union was a huge country, the largest in the world. Its neighbors were Alaska in the East and Scandinavia in the West. In the south it stretched as far as the Caucasus and Pamir mountain ranges, and in the North reached out into the Arctic Ocean. When the rays of dawn light up the sky of Khabarovsk in the Far East, the sun is only just beginning to set in Minsk, Kiev and other cities in the west; and while icy winds blow in Yakutia, roses bloom in Tashkent and vacationers enjoy the sun on the pebbly beaches of the Black Sea. Many different peoples live in this huge country, each with its own habits and traditions, its own language. The Uzbek language, for instance, bears as little resemblance to the Russian or, say, the Moldavian as the Arabic does to the English or the Chinese. And each of the peoples of the former Soviet Union has its own fairytales. The Chuckchi and Nenets tales as well as the tales of other peoples of Russia's North transport us into the snowy tundra, a realm of fierce frosts and howling blizzards, where the dog and the reindeer are man's best friends. In the tales of the peoples of Central Asia caravans of camels plod slowly over the scorching sands, and the ceaseless murmur of water comes from the numerous canals that feed the ever thirsty fields. Other scenes and images rise up before us when we read Russian fairy-tales. The stout-hearted young heroes of these tales gallop on horseback over hills and dales which are green in summer and carpeted with snow in winter, while their lovely tsarevnas sit patiently waiting for them in their log towers with windows of mica. Open the book, and you will find yourselves in a world of magic. None of your old friends will be there -neither Jack the Giant Killer, nor Little Red Riding Hood, nor Cinderella or any of the others. Instead, together with Ivan the Peasant's Son you will cross swords with Chudo-Yudo, the fire-breathing monster; follow Pokati-Goroshek the Rolling Pea into the underground kingdom and return from there on the back of an eagle; marvel at the cleverness of Zarniyar who outwitted the sly and cruel Shah; be filled with admiration at Boroldoi-Mergen, the brave hunter of the Altai Mountains who risked the life of his own son in order to save his people; delight in the resourcefulness of a simple weaver who surpassed in wisdom the wisest councillors of the tsar.

    They travelled the length and breadth of Scotland, and much of England too, stopping here and there until they were moved on by the local authorities or driven by their own instinctive need to travel. By campfires, under the unchanging stars they brewed up tea, telling stories and singing songs late into the night. Jessie's Journey describes what it was like to be one of the last of the traditional travelling folk. It is not an idyllic tale, but despite the threat of bigoted abuse and scattered schooling, humour and laughter run throughout a childhood teeming with unforgettable characters and incidents.

    Beautifully illustrated with 350 color illustrations, 30 black-and-white illustrations, and charts, Gee’s Bend to Rehoboth is being·released in conjunction with a national exhibition tour including The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

    Recently, ancient magic has hit a high in popularity, both as an area of scholarly inquiry and as one of general, popular interest. In Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds Daniel Ogden presents three hundred texts in new translations, along with brief but explicit commentaries. This is the first book in the field to unite extensive selections from both literary and documentary sources. Alongside descriptions of sorcerers, witches, and ghosts in the works of ancient writers, it reproduces curse tablets, spells from ancient magical recipe books, and inscriptions from magical amulets. Each translation is followed by a commentary that puts it in context within ancient culture and connects the passage to related passages in this volume. Authors include the well known (Sophocles, Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Virgil, Pliny) and the less familiar, and extend across the whole of Greco-Roman antiquity.

    Her brilliance was so dazzling and her gifts so exceptional that the villagers called her Sense Pass King, because she had more sense than even the king. When news of the girl reached the jealous king, he became enraged, and so began a fierce battle between might and wits that would determine the girl's fate and the kingdom's future.

    Eberhart provides a comprehensive catalog of nearly 1,000 cryptids--unknown animals usually reported through eyewitness accounts and not yet described by science. Cryptids are the stuff of folklore, hoaxes, and genuine scientific breakthroughs. There are 400 now-classified cryptids once considered either extinct or pure fantasy. The cryptozoologist's job is to strip away the myth, misidentification, and mystery--and separate fact from fiction."Mysterious Creatures" covers everything from dinosaurs and the emala-ntouka, an elephant-killing dinosaur-like animal of central Africa, to searches for the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, and other cryptozoological hoaxes. Entries about specific animals include the derivation or meaning of each cryptid's name, its scientific name, variant names, a physical description, behavior, description of tracks, habitat, significant sightings, present status, and possible explanations. Illustrations and photographs accompany many entries. The book also includes resources and references for further information.

    Throughout, images, from richly colored photographs to vintage postcards, capture people in their authentic dress (many of which have now disappeared). Before beginning an actual project, examine the basics of construction that appear again and again in ethnic attire: unconstructed rectangles, pullover cloaks or tunics, sleeved shifts, pull-on pants, full skirts with aprons, yoked shirts, short vests, and a front-opening coat. Embellish them, using some of the exquisite techniques that make these garments so breathtaking, from weaving and braiding to beading, painting, and embroidering. The highlight: six popular folkwear outfits with instructions on pattern making, marking, cutting out pieces, and putting it all together--a Seminole skirt, Moroccan burnoose, Syrian dress, Polish vest, Tibetan coat and Japanese Kimono.

    For the troubled, it is a place to find those who will help them in beating back the darkness. For those lucky enough to find it, their lives will never again be the same. The name of the place is Bulfinche's Pub. These are their stories. This is Murphy's Lore. In the 3rd book in this critically acclaimed fantasy humor series, a hitman attempts to cheat the devil; a knight tries to save a dragon in the sewers under NYC; Death witnesses a murder so foul that even he cannot allow the killer to go free; Uncle Sam is found to be running a not so secret government agency; Coyote answers a prayer; Guardian Angels try to capture the renegade seraph Mathew & his succubus wife Ryth; the Devil tries to take his revenge on Paddy Moran & friends; & Paddy finds the ultimate billboard-the Moon. Includes stories published in FANTASIC STORIES, PADWOLF PRESENTS, THE DNA HELIX ed. by Warine Lapine & THE 2nd COMING anthology. Praise for Murphy's Lore "HUMOR, OUTRAGEOUS ADVENTURES, & SOME CLEVER PLOT TWISTS."-Don D'Ammassa, SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE "Don't miss the latest installment of this wonderful series."-Ed McFadden, FANTASTIC STORIES "SLICK... ENTERTAINING."-Paul Di Filippo, ASIMOV'S Don't miss MURPHY'S LORE: TALES FROM BULFINCHE'S PUB & FOOLS' DAY

    All hail to thee, Queen of heaven!Thou showest two horns to mark six days,And on the seventh will divide thy crown in two.On the fourteenth day, turn thy full face unto us.Seven is the Moon's mystic number, because each one of its four phases is completed in seven days.Nineteen is a sacred number in Old Irish and Celtic lore, for the sequence of Moon phases within a single zodiac sign is repeated every 19 years.As both the largest and the brightest object in the night sky, and the only one to appear in phases, the Moon has been a rich source of myth for as long as there have been myth-makers.Elizabeth Pepper's Moon Lore is a compendium of lunar tales, charms, chants, and curses from ancient time to the present.

    Fifteen wonderful read-aloud tales from many different cultures are grouped together by familiar tale types: stories like “The Bremen Town Musicians,” “The Frog Prince,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Rumplestiltskin,” and “The Three Pigs.” Folklorist Judy Sierra’s inspired retellings are once again paired with Stefano Vitale’s richly detailed illustrations. The stunning art evokes the visual traditions of the tales’ varied countries of origin, which include Japan, Scotland, Argentina, and Sri Lanka. This is a must for folklore collectors and a perfect addition to any child’s bookshelf. Source notes, bibliography.

    The stories are about pious rabbis and humble tailors, about dancing, singing, laughing, and crying, but their common denominator is always joyous ecstasy. Drawing us into a world of devotion, the tales allow us to taste the bliss that comes from a life lived from the very center of one's self. Each story comes alive in joy and produces a holy shiver that speaks to the soul.

    On sultry summer nights, hapless mortals are prey to the deceptions of undines, ravishing mermaids and dangerous nixies. Languid summer makes way for the infernal dance of the evil spirits of autumn, a witches'' Sabbath attended by kobolds, succubi and nightmare spirits. From Earth's lower depths come the rumblings of armies of dwarves and gnomes preparing to burst out to the surface. Winter follows, the season when the Nordic gods sweep through on their doomed hunt for Asgard, harbingers of Christmas visitors attended by the nisses and tomtes of the Great North. Still farther north, Earth trembles beneath the footsteps of giant trolls.A spellbinding book, superbly illustrated by enchanting and sometimes terrifying images, that must surely rank as a passport to the Enchanted Kingdom.

    The Guideways through Mountains and Seas, compiled between the fourth and first centuries b.c.e., contains descriptions of hundreds of fantastic denizens of mountains, rivers, islands, and seas, along with minerals, flora, and medicine. The text also represents a wide range of beliefs held by the ancient Chinese. Richard Strassberg brings the Guideways to life for modern readers by weaving together translations from the work itself with information from other texts and recent archaeological finds to create a lavishly illustrated guide to the imaginative world of early China.Unlike the bestiaries of the late medieval period in Europe, the Guideways was not interpreted allegorically; the strange creatures described in it were regarded as actual entities found throughout the landscape. The work was originally used as a sacred geography, as a guidebook for travelers, and as a book of omens. Today, it is regarded as the richest repository of ancient Chinese mythology and shamanistic wisdom. The Guideways may have been illustrated from the start, but the earliest surviving illustrations are woodblock engravings from a rare 1597 edition. Seventy-six of those plates are reproduced here for the first time, and they provide a fine example of the Chinese engraver's art during the late Ming dynasty.This beautiful volume, compiled by a well-known specialist in the field, provides a fascinating window on the thoughts and beliefs of an ancient people, and will delight specialists and general readers alike.

    As well as familiar stories, this collection includes texts last translated in rare 19th century journals. The scope of the material ranges through the entire spectrum of Celtic mythology, from the adventures of heroes, to love stories, with tales of magic, warfare, the Otherworld, Faery traditions, shapeshifting and fantastic voyages to strange lands. There is also an introductory overview by the authors, extensive bibliography and resource list and indexes of people, places and themes.

    But when the baby gave her first cry, thewind shushed to a whisper and the stars began to sing.Brigid's Cloak retells an ancient tale about one of Ireland's most beloved saints. On the day she is born Brigid receives a brilliant blue cloak from a mysterious Druid. Years later, the young girl still wears the now tattered but beloved cloak while she tends her sheep. Is it her imagination that suddenly takes her to an unfamiliar land? Or is it something far greater that leads Brigid to a crowded inn in a town called Bethlehem?Bryce Milligan's eloquently told story about Brigid is a moving tale of compassion and wonder. Beautifully illustrated by Helen Cann, Brigid's Cloak sparkles with the timelessness of legend and the transcending power of faith.

    Realizing that his days on earth grow short, Chief Sky devises an ingenious plan to identify the young man most worthy to succeed him. As told to the author by Reverend Robert H. Bushyhead of the Eastern Cherokee Nation, this lesson story is as authentic as it is instructive. Luminous, wonderfully detailed watercolors in rich autumnal shades transport young readers to a time, place, and people in American history that they should never forget and always appreciate.

    Kids are invited to visit the deep dark places where monsters live, and learn of their origins -- and even the evidence of their existence.The Everything "RM" Kids' Monsters Book includes fun-filled information on:-- Loch Ness Monster-- Bigfoot-- The Jersey Devil-- El Chupacabra-- The ManticorePacked with puzzles, games, trivia, and other fun-filled, interactive activities, The Everything "RM" Kids' Monsters Book is guaranteed to keep kids entertained all year round

    This book attempts to explain how and why Milton's Satan is so seductive. It reasserts the importance of Satan against those who would minimize the poem's sympathy for the devil and thereby make Milton orthodox.Neil Forsyth argues that William Blake got it right when he called Milton a true poet because he was of the Devils party even though he set out to justify the ways of God to men. In seeking to learn why Satan is so alluring, Forsyth ranges over diverse topics--from the origins of evil and the relevance of witchcraft to the status of the poetic narrator, the epic tradition, the nature of love between the sexes, and seventeenth-century astronomy. He considers each of these as Milton introduces them: as Satanic subjects.Satan emerges as the main challenge to Christian belief. It is Satan who questions and wonders and denounces. He is the great doubter who gives voice to many of the arguments that Christianity has provoked from within and without. And by rooting his Satanic reading of Paradise Lost in Biblical and other sources, Forsyth retrieves not only an attractive and heroic Satan but a Milton whose heretical energies are embodied in a Satanic character with a life of his own.

    In addition to their pervasiveness, these stories show an astonishing longevity; many such tales are found in classical antiquity. Ariadne's Thread is an encyclopedia of more than a hundred such international oral tales, all present in the literature of ancient Greece and Rome.It takes into account writings, including early Jewish and Christian literature, recorded in or translated into Greek or Latin by writers of any nationality. As a result, it will be invaluable not only to classicists and folklorists but also to a wide range of other readers who are interested in stories and storytelling. William Hansen presents the familiar form of each tale and discusses the similar ancient story or stories, examining how each corresponds with and differs from that form. He then gives principal sources and, where appropriate, comments on the cultural factors affecting the shape and content of the ancient story, the context of transmission, and issues raised in the secondary literature.Finally, he provides a bibliography of scholarly studies and the pertinent reference in the standard folk-narrative index, The Types of the Folktale by Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson. Again and again, Hansen demonstrates how ancient narratives are often best understood in the context of the larger tradition. He forces us to rethink the nature of Greek mythology by encouraging an appreciation of the extent to which Greek myths and legends parallel international stories. By virtue of their durability, he says, these orally transmitted stories rank among the world's most successful artistic creations.

    According to the Shahnameh (the tenth-century Book of Kings), this titan, magnificent in strength and courage, bestrode Persia for 500 years. While he often served fickle kings - undergoing many trials of combat, cunning, and endurance - he was never their servant and owed allegiance only to his nation's greater good. Anyone interested in folklore, world literature, or Iranian culture will find Rostam both a rousing and illuminating read.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout world history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

    It is an indepth study of Robert Kirk's 'The Secret Commonwealth', using this manuscript as starting point for examining other contemporary works conserning fairies and second sight. The Secret Commonwealth, written near the end of the seventeenth century by Robert Kirk, a Highland Presbyterian minister, is an account of Scottish beliefs concerning fairies and second sight. The abundance of Celtic fairy material in The Secret Commonwealth enables us to assess the extent to which non-Christian magico-religious folk beliefs were able to exist in the Highlands. One can also see where Kirk's text reflects or conflicts with orthodox belief systems regarding the supernatural world. These matters are discussed, as the contents of the text are systematically examined against the background of Celtic folklore and other seventeenth-century works that concerned themselves with fairies and the supernatural. This body of magico-religious beliefs, thus contextualized, is then interpreted to determine its importance and meaning in Early Modern Highland culture.The introduction consists of a description of the seventeenth century intellectual climate; the author; and the text's form, content, and publishing history. This is followed by a copy of the manuscript. The body of the thesis contextualizes the information in the manuscript typologically to derive an implicit context amid similar cultural expressions. The conclusion will re-examine some historical concerns before demonstrating that these fairy beliefs constituted a coherent, if amorphous, belief complex concerned with the nature of the spiritual, social, and physical world. This idea will be explored phenomenologically, to define the belief complex itself from the information gathered thus far, and then examined in the light of current academic views regarding `survivals' and `syncretism'. This is intended to draw the reader toward an understanding of this fairy belief complex and the position it holds in the Early Modern Highland culture.

    This was not at all what Talon had in mind when he accepted an errand from a strange old man. Now an evil Wizard is after him, he's living in a cave, and a Dragon Queen has mysterious plans for his future. Can Talon accept his fate and become a powerful Wizard? Would Dragons ever again think of humans as anything more than an easy meal?

    Cathey's Hêliand: Text and Commentary is a simply unique, wonderfully encompassing, and helpful text, and nothing quite like it exists anywhere in the world. The commentary portion of the book consists of an interweaving of interpretation and philological consideration. This work presents the reader with explanatory commentary that encompasses both the scientific and the poetic and treats them both with equal felicity. The volume also contains something that is exceptionally valuable and cannot be found in English: a compact and serviceable grammar of Old Saxon and an appended glossary that defines all of the vocabulary found in this edited version of the Hêliand.

    Andrei's grandfather brings with them an ancient Scythian bowl an old hermit gave him - a strange, glowing bowl which may have magical power.Andrei has never worked so hard, helping to build a home, breaking land, learning to hunt with two Metis friends, Gabriel and Chi Pete. They tell him about Snow Walker, a man of unusual powers and wisdom--a man some say can change into a bear. Sometimes, in the woods, Andrei thinks he sees a figure moving through the trees.Near Christmas, Andrei is caught in a swirling blizzard while trying to use the strange bowl's magic to help his family. When he falls through river ice, he sees that not only can't the magic bowl save him, he must let it go to have a chance. Suddenly, someone strong pulls him from the river. In a cabin in the woods, Andrei at last meets Snow Walker and learns that this land has its own wisdom and power.Larry Warwaruk is the author of one other novel (Rope of Time, 1991), a number of short stories published in GRAIN, NeWest Review and elsewhere and broadcast on CBC Radio, and a non-fiction work, Red Finns of the Coteau, published in 1984.

    A major force in the renaissance of storytelling in America." --New York Times "The Robe of Love takes us straight to the heart singing, glorious reminding us in story after story that no matter who we are--unschooled or learned, young or old - we must make the journey, no matter how difficult. And if we do so faithfully, the deepest love of life waits for us with open arms." --China Galland, author of Longing for Darkness: Tara and the Black Madonna Acclaimed story teller Laura Simms gives us a rich tapestry of tales that unveil the secrets of love in all of its forms. Passionate, riveting, often humorous, these stories of emotional, physical, and spiritual love come from a variety of traditions, including Celtic, Inuit, Persian, Hindu, Jewish, and African. As meaningful today as when they were first told her evocative, retellings of these tales of the mysteries of the heart lead us to many faces and profound requirements of love. "A varied and subtle collection of stories, both wise and intensely engaging, on the profound instructions of love." --Goia Timpanelli, author of Sometimes the Soul and Tales from the Rood of the World "One can never know what love will look like or what form it will take. Each of these fourteen stories is a passage to love with its own perils and triumphs, disappointments, and miracles. It is in the power of story to remind us what we have forgotten, what we need to remember to restore our hearts." --Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge, Red, and Leap Laura Simms is an internationally renowned storyteller, author, and recording artist whom Maori elders call "as good as our grandparents." She is the author of the award-winning children's book, Rotten Teeth (Houghton Mifflin) and the spoken word recording The Gift of Dreams (Sounds True) which Publishers Weekly called "spellbinding," among other books and recordings. A contributing editor to Parabola magazine, she is co-chairman of the National Healing Story Alliance, and has served as artist-in-residence at New York City's Lincoln Center for the Arts.

    A collection of academic papers, mostly in English but some in German, examining various Norse mythological females in the literary, archaeological, and religious contexts. The symposium where these papers were first presented was organized in tribute to the late Lotte Munz, a prominent Old Norse scholar.

    208 full-color illustrations.

    Through an engaging set of essays, Folk Nation shows how American thinkers and leaders have used folklore to express the meaning of their country. Simon Bronner has carefully selected statements by public intellectuals and popular writers as well as by scholars, all chosen for their readability and significance as provocative texts during their time. The common thread running throughout is the value of folklore in expressing or denying an American national tradition. This text raises timely issues about the character of American culture and the direction of American society. The essays show the development of views of American nationalism, multiculturalism, and commercialism. Provocative topics include debates over the relationship between popular culture and folk culture, the uniqueness of an American literature and arts based on folk sources, the fabrication of folk heroes such as Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan as propaganda for patriotism and nationalism, the romanticizations of vernacular culture by popularizers such as Walt Disney and Ben Botkin, the use of folklore for ethnocentric purposes, and the political deployment of folklore by conservatives as emblems of "traditional values" and civil virtues and by liberals as emblems of multiculturalism and tolerance of alternative lifestyles. The book also traces the controversy over who conveyed the myth of "America." Was it the nation's poets and artists, its academics, its politicians and leaders, its communities and local educational institutions, its theme parks and festivals, its movie moguls and entertainers? Folk Nation shows how the process of defining the American mystique through folklore was at the core of debates among writers and thinkers about the value of Davey Crockett, John Henry, quilts, cowboys, and immigrants as symbols of America.

    This presentation features illustrations of the magnificent treasures from the Cairo and Luxor museums.

    Presents a journey through 20 countries and four continents chronicling the world's most culturally and spiritually rich festivals and celebrations.

    The book is bilingual, with English translations in front and the original Slovak version in the back of the book.Slovak Tales for Young and Old is the first translation into English of these stories, representative of Slovak oral tradition, collected and written by Pavol Dobsinsky, as well as a new edition of Dobsinksky in modern Slovak. The book is also the debut of the Slovak artist Martin Benka into the English-speaking world.This book is a superb sampling of Slovak literature and art - give this Slovak national monument to your progeny and friends, and to America at large. "

    Native American, African American, Afro-Caribbean, White, and Hispanic traditions all brought their styles of storytelling to fashion Florida's legends and lore.Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales captures the way the state of Florida has been shaped by its unique environment and inhabitants.Written for adults, children, and folklorists, this gathering of forty-nine folktales comes from a wide variety of sources with many drawn from the WPA materials in Florida's Department of State archives. Kitty Kitson Petterson's detailed pen-and-ink drawings illustrate each narrative. The stories represent a cross-section of the ethnic diversity of the state.The book is divided into five sections: "How Things Came to Be the Way They Are," "People with Special Powers," "Food, Friends and Family," "Unusual Places, Spaces, and Events," and "Ghosts and the Supernatural." Within these sections are stories with titles ranging from "How the Gopher Turtle was Made" to the improbable "The Woman Who Fed Her Husband a Leg Which She Dug Up from a Cemetery." In these tales Florida is a world full of magic, humor, and adventure. There are tall tales, old magical legends, even quirky, almost straightforward narratives about everyday living, such as one story titled, "My First Job."

    Legends from the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are interwoven with historical interludes and beautiful woodcut illustrations.

    

    This text examines how aspects of the Dreaming may have been linked to altered states of consciousness.

    As a result there is a huge gap between scholarly approaches to folklore studies and 'popular beliefs' about the character and history of British folklore. Explore Folklore is the first book to bridge that gap, and to show how much 'folklore' there is in modern day Britain.Explore Folklore provides a lively introduction to the study of most genres of British folklore, presenting the more contentious and profound ideas in a readily accessible manner. (Description from back cover).

    Terri Hamilton brings you this detailed look at everything you wanted to know about male and female 'private parts' and didn't even know to ask. In chapters such as "A Hose by Any Other Name" she examines historical and psychological perspectives on genital nomenclature and presents over 500 common - and not so common - nicknames. Dr. Hamilton also peers into a Pandora's Box of sexual scandals, untangles the mystery of pubic hair, tells tales of size and sighs, secrets and secretions, folklore and fertility rituals, and unveils the genital origins of numerous modern day social customs. Tantric teachings, medical mysteries, ecstasies and eccentricities, fashions and foibles all have a place in this meticulously researched compendium. Inside you'll find answers to such provocative questions as:* What do a woman's facial features reveal about the vagina? * Why was pubic hair left off classic Greek Statues?* Who "discovered" the clitoris?* How many girls are born with a penis each year?* Where exactly is the most sensitive spot on the penis? (the answer might surprise you)* What does the "evil eye" have to do with the penis?* What famous silent screen star was said to possess the "Eighth Wonder of the World"?* What foods increase blood flow to the penis?* What is the connection between the upper lip and the clitoris?* What piece of bridal attire has its origins in the hymen?* What do cool fingertips reveal about a woman's genital area?Dr. Hamilton explores the history, development, legends, and myths of human sexuality to provide the revealing answers to these and a host of other questions in this fascinating look at our most private parts.