This study on Kapsiki-Higi tales compares two corpuses of stories collected over two generations. In this oral setting, folktales appear much more dynamic than usually assumed, depending on genre, performance and the memory characteristics of the tales themselves. In northeastern Nigeria the author collected these tales twice with a time gap of two generations, in order to assess the dynamics of this oral transmission. The comparison between the two corpuses shows that folktales are a much more dynamic cultural system than is usually thought. These dynamics affect some types of tales more than others, reflect social change and intergroup contact, but also depend on characteristics of the tales themselves. Cognitive approaches of memory shed light on these varieties of transmission, as do performance aspects in tale telling, in particular ideophones.

Exploring the pedagogical power of the monstrous, this collection of fresh essays provides curriculum and teaching strategies that use our cultural fascination with monsters to enhance learning in high school and college courses. The contributors explore the implications of inviting fearsome creatures into the classroom and describe how they work to create compelling narrative and illustrative models. Topics include gender, sexuality and rhetoric in monster literature; monsters as subversive imagination; teaching monstrosity in American Gothic narratives; and using zombies to teach theater. Some essays provide sample syllabi, assignments and class materials.

In this sequel to the bestselling Mythos, legendary author and actor Stephen Fry moves from the exploits of the Olympian gods to the deeds of mortal heroes. Perseus. Jason. Atalanta. Theseus. Heracles. Rediscover the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of the Greek myths. Whether recounting a tender love affair or a heroic triumph, Fry's distinctive voice and writing style lend humor and emotion to his fresh yet reverential interpretations that deftly find resonance with our own modern minds and hearts. Illustrated throughout with classical art inspired by the myths, this fresh take on ancient tales invites you to explore a captivating world with a brilliant storyteller as your guide. BELOVED AUTHOR: Stephen Fry is an icon whose signature wit and mellifluous style makes this retelling utterly unique. Fans will love hearing his interpretations as he draws out the humor and pathos in both tender love affairs and heroic battles and discovering each myth's relevance for our own time whether they are familiar with the original Greek myths or not. STUNNING SERIES SEQUEL: The celebrated and internationally bestselling trilogy that begins with Mythos and concludes with Troy continues with Heroes. Fans of the first book will be thrilled to continue the adventure in this compelling sequel. STRIKING GIFT: With a vibrant contemporary design, full-color artwork throughout, and a luxe, foil-stamped jacket, this gorgeous collector's edition makes a superb present. Perfect for: Mythology and history buffs, lovers of ancient Greece, art aficionados, and devoted fans of Stephen Fry Adding to the home library alongside Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, Madeline Miller's Circe or Song of Achilles, and Edith Hamilton's Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes Readers who enjoy timeless stories, from the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales to Egyptian mythology to legends of Greek gods

Zombies are upon us as never before. So what should we do about it? Recent zombie apocalypses on the screen and page reshape our understanding of the walking dead and ourselves; we find that all bets are off in the case of apocalypse. The undead have begun to mirror our cultural fears of ourselves, always demanding a response, exposing our weaknesses, chewing social rules. Whether we fear the unknown of space, governmental control, lawlessness, or interpersonal relationships, zombies are there. Even now we live with intense nostalgia, longing for a simple time before the beginning of apocalypse even as we imaginatively create ever more complex and horrifying versions of postapocalyptic life. With this thin veneer covering our real fears in mind, the focal points of zombie criticism shift toward cause and cure. This ultimately spotlights a way forward: possible cures for the zombies that ail us. For students, critics, and zombie aficionados, we offer responses to the end of the world as we know it. Along the way, we argue that the traditional evolutionary model of interpreting zombies is not enough; we must also chase zombies from advent through destruction and toward reintegration as we learn to live alongside them.

The popular and critical successes of films like The Sixth Sense and The Ring and its sequels in the late 1990s led to an impressive international explosion of scary films dealing with ghosts. This book takes a close look at a number of those films from different countries, including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Great Britain. Making a crucial distinction between these atmospheric films and conventional horror, Michael Walker argues that they are most productively seen as ghost melodramas, which opens them up to a powerful range of analytic tools from the study of melodrama, including, crucially, psychoanalysis.

This examination of the heroic journey in world mythology casts the protagonist as a personification of nature-a ""botanical hero"" one might say-who begins the quest in a metaphorical seed-like state, then sprouting into a period of verdant strength. But the hero must face a mythic underworld where he or she contends with mortality and sacrifice-embracing death as a part of life. For centuries, humans have sought superiority over nature. Yet the botanical hero finds nothing is lost by recognizing that one is merely a part of nature. Instead, a cyclical promise of continuous life is realized, in which no element fully disappears, and the hero's message is not to dwell on death.

First Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The triumphant conclusion to both the Fall of Shannara series and the entire Shannara saga - a truly epic final adventure from the master of modern fantasy. As the Four Lands reels under the Skaar invasion, its defenders must decide what they will risk to save their home. As one group remains to protect the Four Lands, another undertakes a perilous journey across the sea to the Skaar homeland, carrying with them a new piece of technology that could change the face of the world forever. And yet a third is trapped in a deadly realm from which there may be no escape. Packed with all of the hallmarks of Terry Brooks's magnificent storytelling, The Last Druid is a fitting end to a saga that has enthralled millions of readers around the world. Praise for Terry Brooks: 'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss 'Terry's place is at the head of the fantasy world' Philip Pullman 'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett 'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks

First Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The Celtic Twilight (1893) is a collection of stories written and edited by W.B. Yeats. Compiled at the height of the Celtic Twilight, a movement to revive the myths and traditions of Ancient Ireland, The Celtic Twilight captures a wide range of stories, songs, poems, and firsthand accounts from artists and storytellers dedicated to the preservation of Irish culture. In "Belief and Unbelief," a story is shared about a village at the foot of Ben Bulben. One day, a young girl disappears while walking through a local field. Fearful that the faeries have gotten her, the townspeople conduct a search of the village, checking every home while burning ragweed and reciting spells to ward off the mischievous spirits. "Mortal Help" discusses the interdependence of humans and faeries, who require the presence of the living in order to play games in the physical world. As evidence, an old ditch digger tells a story from his youth, when he witnessed a group of faeries playing the game of hurling not far from the field where he was working. In "A Knight of the Sheep," an old farmer faces off with the local tax collector, and both struggle to maintain respect for one another while trading shrewdly concealed insults. "The Devil" discusses several demonic sightings among Irish peasants, who claim to have met Lucifer by the side of the road by day and under the bed at night. The Celtic Twilight captures the collision of ancient and modern Ireland, preserving its legends while ensuring their mystery remains. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of W.B. Yeats's The Celtic Twilight is a classic of Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.

Who is Osiris? Which god was invoked by common folk to bring good luck? Who is the patron of childbirth? Such questions are answered in this updated and comprehensive dictionary of Egyptian mythology. This fascinating volume has alphabetically arranged entries on all the major gods, goddesses, myths, and themes of Egyptian mythology. In addition, there are entries on such topics as amulets, mummies, and pyramids; a chronology of Egyptian dynasties; a detailed introduction; and a complete annotated bibliography. Fifty pen-and-ink drawings by the author capture the spirit of ancient Egyptian art. In reworking this edition, Bianchi has attempted to retain Anthony Mercatante's sensitive approach to the religion of ancient Egypt, but has modified his treatment to bring it into conformity with more recent academic opinion. In addition, the annotated bibliography has been completely revised to eliminate outdated works and incorporate recent scholarship. The result should be useful to student and amateur alike.

This book constitutes the first attempt to gather into a single body as many Judeo-Spanish tales published in Latin characters as could be assembled. It represents a major contribution to Sephardic and Hispanic studies, as well as to comparative folklore scholarship in a world-wide perspective.

First Published in 2005. The true folk riddle of oral traditions that have been rapidly disappearing from the face of the earth in the last hundred years is one of the most ancient threads of culture. One of the smallest genres of verbal culture-usually under a dozen of words, it is an intensely articulated utterance. It is eccentric and as such breaks every logical mould. This volume presents results of a study driven by the sheer intellectual curiosity of the author.

The Mesopotamian influence on Greek mythology in literary works of the epic period is considerable - yet it is a largely unexplored field. In this book Charles Penglase investigates major Mesopotamian and Greek myths. His examination concentrates on journey myths. A major breakthrough is achieved in the recognition of the extent of Mesopotamian influence and in the understanding of the colourful myths involved. The results are of significant interest, especially to scholars and students of ancient Greek and Near Eastern religion and mythology.

Actress, storyteller, and priestess Luisah Teish dramatically re-creates centuries-old African-American traditions with music, memoir, and folk wisdom.

This is the fifth supplement in the classic reference series begun by Mary Huse Eastman in 1926. Ireland and Sprug analyze 262 collections published between 1978 and 1986, with some 2,000 subject headings, plus copious cross-references. Many new headings are found in this volume, including additional adult headings of folklore and mythology to accommodate and increase in the number of adult books indexed on these subjects. This supplement will be useful, therefore, to academic libraries, as well as to children's departments in public libraries and to school libraries.

The Mythology of Modern Law is a radical reappraisal of the role of myth in modern society. Peter Fitzpatrick uses the example of law, as an integral category of modern social thought, to challenge the claims of modernity which deny the relevance of myth to modern society.

Superheroes have been an integral part of popular society for decades. Over time, superheroes have developed their own mythology. Though scholars and fans have recognized and commented on this myth, the structure of the mythology has gone largely unexplored until now. The lexicon at the heart of this book gives a structure that can be used to identify the mythology as it applies to characters, stories, and other forms of narrative. The lexicon is the first effort to codify the mythology and how it works. Included are specific and detailed examinations of the myth in several narratives, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Green Arrow, especially in the CW series Arrow; and Beowulf. It also draws on examples from characters as diverse as Batman, Wolverine, Invincible, and John Constantine. This book is a first step toward recognizing the structure of the superhero and helps explain why the myth matters so much in current popular society, not only in America, but worldwide.

This encyclopedia aims to provide a ready reference to various aspects of American culture. The time frame is from the colonial period to the end of the 20th century. The areas covered are fine arts (painting, sculpture, photography); performing arts (music, ballet, theatre, film); architecture; literature; and various non-artistic forms of culture (symbolic, material, culinary).

First published in 1996. The need to write, particularly in pre-technological recording days, in order to preserve and to analyze, lies at the heart of folklore and yet to write means to change the medium in which much folk communication and art actually took and takes place. In Part I of the collection, the contributors address literary constructions of traditional and emergent cultures, those of Leslie Marmon Silko, Sandra Cisneros, Pat Mora, Carmen Tafolla, Julio Cortazar, Milan Kundera, Franz Kafka, Philip Roth, Thomas Hardy, and Dacia Maraini. The contributors to Part II of the collection offer readings of a variety of traditional, vernacular, and local performances.

William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew has succeeded in surviving in contemporary culture, and has even managed to penetrate to the most modern media of mass communications. This book, first published in 1991, examines some of the different literary and oral versions of The Taming of the Shrew. This book is ideal for students of literature, drama, and theatre studies.

We live in an era of exploding scientific knowledge about the universe, and our place and future within it. Much of this new knowledge conflicts with earlier wisdom, and some has frightening implications. Cosmic evolution, space exploration, the search for extraterrestrial life, and concerns about humanity's future prompt us to seek new answers to old existential questions. Where did we come from? Why are we here? Are we alone? What will become of us? In our search for answers, we turn to science, religion, myth, and varying combinations thereof. Exploring an ambiguous region between recognized findings and unfettered imagination, Starstruck explores the multifaceted, far-reaching, and often contentious attempts of people with contrasting worldviews to develop convincing and satisfying interpretations of rapidly accumulating discoveries in physics, astronomy, and biology.