Throughout history, from the Ancient Egyptians to medieval saints and the remains of figures like Eva Peron and Lenin, mummies have held a powerful place in our collective imagination. THE MUMMY CONGRESS is a riveting survey of the history, science and popular culture of mummies and of man's ancient quest for immortality. When acclaimed science journalist Heather Pringle was dispatched to a remote part of northern Chile to cover a little-known scientific conference, she found herself in the midst of the most passionate gathering of her working life - dozens of mummy experts crammed into a rambling seaside hotel, battling over the implications of their latest discoveries. Infected with their mania, Pringle spent the next year circling the globe, stopping in to visit the leading scientists so she could see first-hand the breathtaking delicacy and unexpected importance of their work. In The Mummy Congress, she recounts the intriguing findings from her travels, bringing to life the hitherto unknown worlds of the long-dead, and revealing what mummies have to tell us about ourselves. Pringle's journeys lead her to the lifelike remains of medieval saints entombed in Italy's grand cathedrals, eerily preserved bog bodies in the Netherlands bearing signs of violent and untimely slaughter, and frozen Inca princesses glimpsed for the first time atop icy mountains. She learns of the extraordinary skills of ancient Egyptian embalmers capable of preserving bodies, in the words of one mummy expert, "until the end of time"; of the horrifying sacrifices made by ancient South Americans to pacify their gods; and of the weird mummified parasites preserved in the guts of millennia-old bodies and that still wreak havoc across the world today.

Fashion is both big business and big news. From models eating disorders and sweated labour to the glamour of a new season's trends, statements and arguments about fashion and the fashion industry can be found in every newspaper, consumer website and fashion blog. Books which define, analyse and explain the nature, production and consumption of fashion in terms of one theory or another abound. But what "are" the theories that run through all of these analyses, and how can they help us to understand fashion and clothing?

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Fashion Theory: an introduction" explains some of the most influential and important theories on fashion: it brings to light the presuppositions involved in the things we think and say about fashion every day and shows how they depend on those theories. This clear, accessible introduction contextualises and critiques the ways in which a wide range of disciplines have used different theoretical approaches to explain and sometimes to explain away the astonishing variety, complexity and beauty of fashion. Through engaging examples and case studies, this book explores:

• fashion and clothing in history
• fashion and clothing as communication
• fashion as identity
• fashion, clothing and the body
• production and consumption
• fashion, globalization and colonialism
• fashion, fetish and the erotic.

This book will be an invaluable resource for students of cultural studies, sociology, gender studies, fashion design, textiles or the advertising, marketing and manufacturing of clothes."

Step up for this delightful and attractive book on international, high fashion footwear. Over 300 eye-popping, platform shoe styles, shown in color photographs, demonstrate the creative spirit in shoe design. Colorful and provocative, these shoes span the globe and the decades and include snake skin, fur, glitter, colored leather, woven raffia and fabric materials. These fun and daring designs come from every part of the world and include sporty, daytime and evening styles, tie-ups, clogs, boots, slip-ons and many sandals with ankle straps, some practical and others simply outrageous. Estimated values are included.

'An erudite, extremely entertaining work' Jan Morris, Independent In the style of Longitude and Fermat's Last Theorem, acclaimed novelist Maureen Duffy has written a page-turning narrative history of the making of the myth of the English. In this fascinating study, acclaimed author Maureen Duffy surveys three thousand years of English and British history, illuminating the myths that have come to be such an important part of our national identity. Written with great erudition, perception and humour, England: The Making of the Myth from Stonehenge to Albert Square will change your view of England's past - and England's future.

With the publication of Two Old Women, Velma Wallis firmly established herself as one of the most important voices in Native American writing. A national bestseller, her empowering fable won the Western State Book Award in 1993 and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award in 1994. Translated into 16 languages, it went on to international success, quickly reaching bestseller status in Germany. To date, more than 350,000 copies have been sold worldwide.

Bird Girl and the Man Who Followed the Sun follows in this bestselling tradition. Rooted in the ancient legends of Alaska's Athabaskan Indians, it tells the stories of two adventurers who decide to leave the safety of their respective tribes. Bird Girl is a headstrong young woman who learned early on the skills of a hunter. When told that she must end her forays and take up the traditional role of wife and mother, she defies her family's expectations and confidently takes off to brave life on her own. Daagoo is a dreamer, curious about the world beyond. Longing to know what happens to the sun in winter, he sets out on a quest to find the legendary "Land of the Sun." Their stories interweave and intersect as they each face the many dangers and challenges of life alone in the wilderness. In the end, both learn that the search for individualism often comes at a high price, but that it is a price well worth paying, for through this quest comes the beginning of true wisdom.

Founded in 1961, Studia Hibernica is devoted to the study of the Irish language and its literature, Irish history and archaeology, Irish folklore and place names, and related subjects. Its aim is to present the research of scholars in these fields of Irish studies and so to bring them within easy reach of each other and the wider public. It endeavours to provide in each issue a proportion of articles, such as surveys of periods or theme in history or literature, which will be of general interest. A long review section is a special feature of the journal and all new publications within its scope are there reviewed by competent authorities.

"I find him to be a kindred spirit, a sympathetic but shrewd enquirer, a companionable stroller, and a lover of anecdotes gathered by the wayside." So Tim Robinson described folklorist, revolutionary, and district justice Sean Mac Giollarnath, whose 1941 book Annala Beaga o Iorras Aithneach revealed his sheer delight in the rich language and stories of the people he encountered in Conamara, the Irish-speaking region in the south of Connemara. From tales of smugglers, saints, and scholars to memories of food, work, and family, the stories gathered here provide invaluable insights into the lives and culture of the community. This faithful and lovingly crafted translation, complete with annotations, a biography, and thoughtful chapters that explore the importance of the language and region, is the final work of both Robinson and his collaborator, the renowned writer and Irish language expert Liam Mac Con Iomaire. Translated into English for the first time, Conamara Chronicles: Tales from Iorras Aithneach preserves the art of storytellers in the West of Ireland and honors the inspiration they kindle even still.

This is an annotated critical edition of Articulos de costumbres by the Romantic journalist Mariano Jose de Larra (1809-37), presented with a critical introduction, study guide, glossary and chronology. Larra is still one of the most widely studied Spanish Romantic authors, and his satire of customs and manners in articles such as El castellano viejo, Vuelva usted manana and Nochebuena de 1836 offers an insight into nineteenth century Spanish culture, while probing issues that are still seen as defining of Spanish identity today. Articulos de costumbres, presented here with an extensive annotation that identifies references that have not been previously elucidated, is a central text in the Spanish canon, opening up questions about modern Spain and issues such as political revolution, class identities, social change and the inclusion of Spain within European modernity. -- .

Everyone has heard of the Minotaur in the labyrinth on Crete and many know that the Greek gods would adopt the guise of a bull to seduce mortal women. But what lies behind these legends? The Power of the Bull discusses mankind's enduring obsession with bulls. The bull is an almost universal symbol throughout Indo-European cultures. Bull cults proliferated in the Middle East and in many parts of North Africa, and one cult, Mithraism, was the greatest rival to Christianity in the Roman Empire. The Cults are divergent yet have certain core elements in common. Michael Rice argues that the ancient bulls were the supreme sacrificial animal. An examination of evidence from earliest prehistory onwards reveals the bull to be a symbol of political authority, sexual potency, economic wealth and vast subterranean powers. In some areas representations of the bull have varied little from earliest times, in others it has changed vastly over centuries. This volume provides a well-illustrated and accessible analysis of the exceptionally rich artistic inheritance associated with the bull.

First published in 1930, this is the final of Edward Westermarck's trilogy of titles that explore the society, culture and customs of Morocco. Compiled from years of personal research and interviews conducted with local people, this collection of native proverbs addresses such cultural and ideological concepts as marriage and family, hospitality, goodness and arrogance, as well as sayings relating to certain periods, agriculture and weather. With a detailed introductory essay from Westermarck, this is a fascinating work that will provide invaluable insight for students and those with a general interest in Moroccan and North African history and anthropology.

More than 125 years ago, a remarkable group of people came together in Cape Town to write down the language and beliefs of the |xam people, a Bushman group that once lived over much of South Africa. The immensely valuable work of Wilhelm Bleek, Lucy Lloyd and their |xam teachers not only preserved a language now no longer spoken, but also provided fascinating insights into |xam cosmology.

First published in 2004, Customs and Beliefs of the |xam reproduces Dorothea Bleek's selection of |xam narratives from the well-known Bleek and Lloyd Collection that was originally published in the journal Bantu Studies during the 1930s. Collated and edited by Jeremy Hollman, the extracts include detailed notes on each of the narratives, as well as Bleek's 'sketch' of |xam grammar.

This substantially revised second edition integrates new scholarship on the Bleek and Lloyd archive, and restores previously omitted material. The introduction to each narrative has been expanded to contextualise it within the archive as a whole and, where relevant, reference it to the Notebook of which it is a part. This includes meticulous cross-referencing with the Bleek and Lloyd Collection catalogue code and the Notebook number and line reference. Each of the texts has also been critically reassessed, with additional editorial notes and commentaries, in particular with respect to the |xam words themselves and the ways in which they have been translated. A synopsis of each narrative is provided in an appendix, with cross references to the Bleek and Lloyd notebooks.

Customs and Beliefs of the |xam, second edition, is an in-depth, detailed and authoritative resource that will be invaluable to scholars, heritage workers and activists alike.

The magical realm of unicorns comes to life in this dazzling craft book, brimming with sparkles and rainbows. Let your imagination run wild in creating dozens of fun and entertaining projects to make for yourself or give as gifts, including an amazing unicorn soft toy, a glittering headband and a rainbow-coloured charm. Each project comes with a list of all the items and templates that you will need to create your unicorn-fuelled fun, along with step-by-step instructions and clear photographs to help you create something really special. Get ready to spread the magic!

Christmas is the favourite time of the year for many of us, with present exchanges, food & drink and socialising with friends & family at the top of the agenda. But what are the true origins and meaning of this seemingly inexhaustible celebration? Although most of our current customs only go back a few hundred years - Father Christmas as we know him dressed in red and white much less - there has been a festival at this time in the year for thousands of years. Although these days it is taken to mean the commemoration of the birth of Jesus, the date of December 25 was that of the winter solstice in Roman times, and other cultures have celebrated the darkest winter night for millennia. This book looks at all aspects of what the festive period means for people all over the world, beginning with a history of Christmas that looks at Yule, Nativity and Christmas as well as pagan celebrations. The embodiment of Christmas, Father Christmas, has a whole chapter, and this jolly character we know and love has a long history, not to mention a big bag of presents! But wait - there's myrrh(!): quotes, jokes, sayings and words of wisdom and fun from around the world, as well as fun facts about how, where, when and why we celebrate - and we look at curious customs from around the world. SAMPLE FACT: The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has been tracking Santa's journey around the world since 1958.

National myths are now seriously questioned in a number of societies. In the West, for instance, a number of factors have combined to destabilise the symbolic foundation of nations and collective identities. As a result, the diagnosis of a deep cultural crisis has become commonplace. Indeed, who today has not heard about the erosion of common values or the undermining of social cohesion? But to efficiently address this issue, do we know enough about the nature and role of myths in modern and postmodern societies? Against this background, National Myths: Constructed Pasts, Contested Presents relies on a sample of nations from around the world and seeks to highlight the functioning of national myths, both as representations that make sense of a collectivity, and as socially grounded tools used in a web of power relations. The collection draws together contributions from international experts to examine the present state of national myths, and their fate in today's rapidly-changing society. Can - or must - nations do without the sort of overarching symbolic configurations that national myths provide? If so, how to rethink the fabrics and the future of our societies? This book will appeal to students and scholars interested in sociology, national, identity and memory studies, myths, shared beliefs, or collective imaginaries.

Tales from the dawn of Christianity to the age of the Plantagenets reveal a mythology in its time as potent as that of the classical world. The British Isles have a long tradition of tales of gods, heroes and marvels, hinting at a mythology once as relevant to the races which settled the islands as the Greek and Roman gods were to the classical world. The tales drawntogether in this book, from a wide range of medieval sources, span the centuries from the dawn of Christianity to the age of the Plantagenets. The Norse gods which peopled the Anglo-Saxon past survive in Beowulf; Cuchulainn, Taliesin and the magician Merlin take shape from Celtic mythology; and saints include Helena who brought a piece of the True Cross to Britain, and Joseph of Arimathea whose staff grew into the Glastonbury thorn. Tales of the British Arthur are followed by legends of later heroes, including Harold, Hereward and Godiva. These figures and many others were part of a familiar national mythology on which Shakespeare drew for Lear, Macbeth and Hamlet, creating the famous versions that are known today. Here the original stories are presented. RICHARD BARBER's other books include and The Knight and Chivalry.

In this book he records a world of local legend, folklore and superstition, and charts the changes he saw in his lifetime in agriculture, education, the Church and, of course, emigration. He recounts the history of the leading families of Skye and also the lives and experiences of the crofters, for whose rights he actively campaigned in the 1880s. Old Skye Tales is a unique and valuable record, written by a man of intelligence and sensitivity, whose life spanned both the traditional and the modern world. As well as containing a large amount of information of the geography of the island (particularly the north), there are also important sections on crofting, the Church, as well as local superstitions, sayings, second sight and even local characters of his time. An entertaining and witty book, Old Skye Tales is a marvellous resource for the historian, as well as a fascinating compendium for all those who love one of Scotland's most famous islands. It is one of the most important sources for the history of the island.

This highly-illustrated volume, by bestselling author Richard Barber, shows how medieval princes proclaimed their special status through displays of magnificence. The book is stunning, in every respect, and will be the gold standard in its subject for years to come. ALISON WEIR "This is glorious! It's a peach-and-peacock of a book, as befits its subject: scholarly, always accessible, with a wealth of fabulous illustrations, superbly designed." KEVIN CROSSLEY-HOLLAND How do you recognise a king when you see one? By the thirteenth century, the special status, which had evolved over thecenturies, was matched by the display of kingly grandeur. This was enshrined in the idea of "magnificence". Magnificence was seen as the king's duty, was applied to everything: his person, the garments he wore, his courtiers, the artists, the musicians and architects he employed. Above all, it was on show in his public appearances, his feasts and ceremonies. The "magnificent" collections of jewels, manuscripts and holy relics were displayed to a handfulof favoured visitors. Those visitors also had to be entertained, and royal feasts developed into an amazing form of performance art. This book is not only about objects and occasions, but also about the people who created them, from the kings themselves and their court servants to the artists, craftsmen and musicians of all kinds, down to the scribes and clerks, the showmen, dancers and acrobats, and the servants at table. All this is explored in this wide-ranging survey, covering the whole of western Europe, but centring on France, the wealthiest of the kingdoms, members of whose extended royal family were at different times kings of Poland, Hungary, Naples, Jerusalem, England, and, most spectacularly, dukes of Burgundy. Pageantry and displays of splendour always catch our attention, and medieval feasts and tournaments are among the most popular forms of historical re-enactment today. Magnificence celebrates many of the high points of the medieval world, drawing them together in a sumptuous volume.

Mysterious vanishing hitchhikers, travelers beset by headless dogs, and long-dead moonshiners come alive in this collection of ninety-six Appalachian folktales. Set in coal mines and remote farm cabins, in hidden hollows and on mountain tops, some of these stories look back to the days when West Virginia was first settled; others reflect the rancor and brutality of the Civil War. But most of these tales guide us through the recent past of the uncommonly rich folk heritage of West Virginia. This ghostly collection, with source information and bold illustrations, will thrill longtime lovers of supernatural lore.

Epic does many things. Among others, it defines the nature of the human storyteller; recalls the creation of the world and of the human race; describes the paradoxical role of the hero as both the Everyman and the radical exception; and establishes the complex quest underlying all human action. Epic illustrates that these ingredients of epic storytelling are universal cultural elements, in existence across multiple remote geographical locations, historical eras, ethnic and linguistic groups, and levels of technological and economic development.

Frederick Turner argues that epic, despite being scoffed at and neglected for over sixty years, is the most fundamental and important of all literary forms and thereby deserves serious critical attention. It is the source and originof all other literature, the frame within which any story is possible. The mission of this book is to repair gaps in the literary understanding of epic studies--and offer permission to future epic writers and composers.

The cultural genres of Marvel Comics, gothic, anime, manga, multi-user dungeon gaming, and superhero movies reprise all the epic themes and motifs. Consider The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Lost, The Matrix, Superman, Harry Potter, and Narnia. Here can be found the epic beast-man, the miraculous birth of the hero, the creation myth, the founding of the city, the quest journey, the descent into the land of the dead, the monsters, and the trickster. This book will be of interest to all readers fascinated by folklore, oral tradition, religious studies, anthropology, mythology, and enthusiastic about literature in general.

Each of these collections of unusual, interesting, and little-known tales provides insight into the people and history of these states. Counter displays of all books are available. All are illustrated and indexed.

Created in 2002, the Nike Dunk was adopted from the court by skateboarders and sneakerheads to become an icon of the streets. An early catalyst to evolving sneaker culture as we know it today, the Nike Dunk has enjoyed a storied legacy of reinvention through numerous iterations and creative collaborations proving to be an integral part of a culture obsessed with sneakers. To celebrate this legacy, Nike SB: The Dunk Book is the first book to present the historical archive of one of the most important shoes ever created. Worn by an ever-growing list of elite riders at competitions all over the world, Nike Dunks are prized as much for their funky, one-of-a-kind designs as well as their high performance. Nike SB: The Dunk Book is filled with stunning images that tell the visual story of Nike SB s most iconic styles. Including Danny Supas, Staple Pigeon Dunks, De La Soul Highs, Paris Dunks, U.N.K.L.Es, and Supreme Dunk SBs, this volume flaunts the signature colour-ways and craftsmanship that Nike SBs are known for. Through enlightening anecdotes by the likes of Futura and Paul Rodriguez, readers get intimate accounts of how their favourite sneakers came to be. Also featured are archival images of Nike SB s most recognizable skaters rocking the iconic sneakers, including Eric Koston, Richard Mulder, Grant Taylor, Omar Salazar, Reese Forbes, Brian Anderson, Theotis Beasley, and Daniel Shimizu.

In this classic manga version of the Brothers Grimm fairytales, Kei Ishiyama puts her own creative spin on these beloved stories. Featuring Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, The Two Brothers, The Twelve Hunters, Snow White, The Frog King, Puss in Boots, and The Singing, Springing Lark, this fantasy manga retells these timeless tales... but with a twist of originality!