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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social institutions > Customs & folklore > Folklore
ho was Mario Puzo's model for the Don Corleone character in The
Godfather? Was it Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno? The infamous
Salvatore Maranzano? No . . . it was Puzo's mother! Senator Joseph
McCarthy was responsible for the infamous "Hollywood Blacklist,"
right? Well, actually . . . no, he had nothing to do with
it.Perfect for the cocktail party pundit or trivia buff, the quirky
tidbits in The Awful Truths turn history, culture, sports, and
entertainment upside down. The book examines some of our culture's
oldest, most popular myths, and tells the fascinating, hilarious,
and shocking stories behind what really happened, accompanied by
funny illustrations that bring the players to life. Each truth is
supported with ironclad evidence that skillfully explains how and
where our misconceptions originated. Sometimes the truth
hurts—but with The Awful Truths, it doesn't have to.
A magnificent exploration of Scotland's legendary past.
cotland's rich past and varied landscape have inspired an
extraordinary array of legends and beliefs, and in The Lore of
Scotland Jennifer Westwood and Sophia Kingshill bring together many
of the finest and most intriguing: stories of heroes and bloody
feuds, tales of giants, fairies, and witches, and accounts of local
customs and traditions. Their range extends right across the
country, from the Borders with their haunting ballads, via Glasgow,
site of St Mungo's miracles, to the fateful battlefield of
Culloden, and finally to the Shetlands, home of the
seal-people.
More than simply retelling these stories, The Lore of Scotland
explores their origins, showing how and when they arose and
investigating what basis -- if any -- they have in historical fact.
In the process, it uncovers the events that inspired Shakespeare's
Macbeth, probes the claim that Mary King's Close is the most
haunted street in Edinburgh, and examines the surprising truth
behind the fame of the MacCrimmons, Skye's unsurpassed bagpipers.
Moreover, it reveals how generations of Picts, Vikings, Celtic
saints and Presbyterian reformers shaped the myriad tales that
still circulate, and, from across the country, it gathers together
legends of such renowned figures as Sir William Wallace, St
Columba, and the great warrior Fingal. The result is a thrilling
journey through Scotland's legendary past and an endlessly
fascinating account of the traditions and beliefs that play such an
important role in its heritage.
Why does Mulla Nasruddin spoon yoghurt into the river? What is the
reason he rides his donkey backwards? Why does he paint a picture
that is blank? And is he crazy to move into the house of the man
who's just burgled him? Find out all about the amazing antics of
Nasruddin in these twenty-one hilarious stories and riddles, famous
throughout the Middle East for their jokes, riddles and wisdom.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE KIDS WHO FOUND A FERRARI BURIED IN THEIR
GARDEN? WHAT ABOUT THE MAN WHO SUED SATAN? DO YOU KNOW THE LEGEND
OF THE BUNNY MAN? Strange happenings, unsolved mysteries and
seemingly supernatural events have gripped and shocked us for
centuries, passed from person to person in whispers in classrooms,
tales around the campfire and idle gossip among friends. Whether
they're based on a grain of truth or a complete flight of fancy,
the myths, legends and weird tales contained within this book will
take you on a fascinating journey to the outer limits of
plausibility, and dare you to believe the unbelievable.
Author Ray John de Aragon has collected various folkloric stories
from all regions of New Mexico throughout its changing history,
most of them foreboding or cautionary tales of witches and
specters. Stories rooted in the folklore of Native American
culture, the Spanish colonial era, Mexican period, and the Wild
West and epic-ranching years of New Mexico's past have been
gathered by the author from all corners of the state. He frames
them with historical context, old traditions, and other information
to explain how they were promulgated among the peoples of specific
times and places.
'A magnificent small book to read urgently' Liberation Once upon a
time in an enormous forest there lived a poor woodcutter and his
wife. Around them a war wages, and hunger is a constant companion.
Yet every night, the woodcutter's wife prays for a child. On a
train crossing the forest, a Jewish father holds his twin children.
His wife no longer has enough milk to feed them. In hopes of saving
both their lives, he wraps his daughter in a shawl and gently
throws her from the train. While foraging for food, the
woodcutter's wife finds a bundle, a baby girl wrapped in a shawl.
She knows that this little girl will be pursued, but she cannot
ignore this gift: she will accept the precious cargo, and raise her
as her own. . . Set against the horrors of the Holocaust and told
with a fairytale-like lyricism, The Most Precious of Cargoes,
translated from French by Frank Wynne, is a deeply moving fable
about family and redemption, a story that reminds us that humanity
can be found in the most inhumane of places.
Ku and Hina--man and woman--were the great ancestral gods of heaven
and earth for the ancient Hawaiians. They were life's fruitfulness
and all the generations of mankind, both those who are to come and
those already born. The Hawaiian gods were like great chiefs from
far lands who visited among the people, entering their daily lives
sometimes as humans or animals, sometimes taking residence in a
stone or wooden idol. As years passed, the families of gods grew
and included the trickster Maui, who snared the sun, and fiery Pele
of the volcano. Ancient Hawaiians lived by the animistic philosophy
that assigned living souls to animals, trees, stones, stars, and
clouds, as well as to humans. Religion and mythology were
interwoven in Hawaiian culture; and local legends and genealogies
were preserved in song, chant, and narrative. Martha Beckwith was
the first scholar to chart a path through the hundreds of books,
articles, and little-known manuscripts that recorded the oral
narratives of the Hawaiian people. Her book has become a classic
work of folklore and ethnology, and the definitive treatment of
Hawaiian mythology. With an introduction by Katherine Luomala.
A stunning YA romantasy inspired by Greek mythology by the
acclaimed author of The Fandom duology. Twin sisters, Icari and
Sephie, live in a world where magical gifts are bestowed on a
chosen few, divided into three callings: healers, embalmers and
alchemists. Icari is a born healer. Sephie is shocked when she's
told she's an embalmer; especially since she already has alchemist
powers. One person holding two powers is a crime punishable by
death, so Sephie now carries a fatal secret. When winged demons
steal Sephie to the underworld, only a pair of wings can bring
Icari to save her twin. But can a gentle healer learn to fight -
and fly? A thrilling YA fantasy adventure romance inspired by Greek
mythology From the acclaimed author of The Fandom duology, Anna Day
A tale of love, sisterhood, magic and the triumph of life and truth
over death Set in a gorgeous desert world of Oases and citadels
PRAISE FOR THE FANDOM: 'I couldn't put it down' MELINDA SALISBURY
'I cannot recommend The Fandom highly enough' LOUISE O'NEILL 'I
devoured The Fandom in one sitting' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE '[A]
glorious epic ode to fan culture ... For fans of Fangirl and
Caraval.' BUZZFEED
By the bestselling author of Storyland. Sheer cliffs, salt spray,
explosive sea spume, thunderous clouds, icy waves, whales with
mountains on their backs, sleet, bitter winds, bleak, impenetrable
marshes, howling wolves, forests, the unceasing cries of birds and
the death grip of subterranean vaults that have never seen the sun:
these are wild landscapes of a world almost familiar. In Wild, Amy
Jeffs journeys - on foot and through medieval texts - from
landscapes of desolation to hope, offering the reader an insight
into a world at once distant and profoundly close to home. The
seven chapters, entitled Earth, Ocean, Forest, Beast, Fen,
Catastrophe, Paradise, open with fiction and close with reflection.
They blend reflections of travels through fen, forest and cave,
with retelling of medieval texts that offer rich depictions of the
natural world. From the Old English elegies to the englynion and
immrama of the Celtic world - stories that largely represent
figures whose voices are not generally heard in the corpus of
medieval literature: women, outcasts, animals. Illustrated with
original wood engravings, evoking an atmospheric world of whales,
wolves, caves, cuckoos and reeds, Wild: Tales From Early Medieval
Britain will leave readers feeling 'westendream': delight in the
wilderness.
INCLUDES HUNDREDS OF NEW AND EXPANDED ENTRIES From 'Aald Rock' to
'Zeenty-teenty', A Dictionary of Scottish Phrase and Fable is an
unputdownable gallimaufry of curious items embracing sayings,
put-downs, insults, mottos, traditions, legends, folklore, customs,
festivals, games, songs, dances, nicknames - and much, much more.
This new edition features many expanded entries, as well as
completely new ones - including Big Tam, the Third Forth Bridge,
the Loony Dook and the War of the One-eyed Woman. The result is a
kaleidoscopic snapshot of the Scottish nation, both past and
present, from the mythical origins of the Scots in ancient Scythia
to the foibles of modern Follyrood, from Sawney Bean to Oor Wullie,
from 'The end of an old song' to 'Aw fur coat and nae knickers',
from The Heart of Midlothian to 'Ye cannae shove yer granny aff a
bus'. In more than 4,500 such entries, A Dictionary of Scottish
Phrase and Fable weaves an endlessly entertaining tapestry
incorporating the texture and fabric of a nation's ever-shifting
sense of itself.
Die tradisie van die pryslied het in die afgelope paar jaar wyd
bekend geraak. Hierdie bundle bevat 'n versameling liedere in
hierdie genre, maar dis eiesoortig in die sin dat dit spesifiek
deur Basotho-trekarbeiders geskep is en deur hulle uitgevoer word.
Dit gee die leser 'n wye blik op die verskeurde wereld van hierdie
swerwer-sangers. Aan die een kant is daar die ervarings van hul
landelike wereld van herkoms. Daar is liriese beskrywings van die
natuur en die vanselfsprekende intergrasie tussen die mens, die
tasbare leefwereld en die magiese sfeer. Wanneer die sanger uit
nood besluit om sy brood om die myne to gaan verdien, lei dit tot
'n ontwortelde swerwerbestaan gekenmerk deur vervreemding en
identiteitsverlies. Die werker-sanger is iemand wat tussen twee
werelde leef en nie werklik aan een van die twee behoort nie. Die
sekerste van die twee, maar ook die ontredderendste, is die van die
mynwerker. Hier word hy in werklikheid gereduseer tot 'n implement
of 'n stuk gereedskap: "Ek is die kruiptrekker van die myn, manne";
en "My identiteit het aan my skopgraaf vasgegroei." Die nuwe
realiteit is die van die ontsetting van mynongelukke, die
verbrokkeling van die huislike sfeer, die verlies van 'n geliefde
weens ontrou.
Massachusetts's historic graveyards are the final resting places
for tales of the strange and supernatural. From Newburyport to
Truro, these graveyards often frighten the living, but the dead who
rest within them have stories to share with the world they left
behind. While Giles Corey is said to haunt the Howard Street
Cemetery in Salem, cursing those involved in the infamous witch
trials, visitors to the Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain
enjoy an arboretum and a burial ground with Victorian-era
memorials. One of the oldest cemeteries in Massachusetts, Old
Burial Hill in Marblehead, has been the final resting place for
residents for nearly 375 years. Author Roxie Zwicker tours the Bay
State's oldest burial grounds, exploring the stones, stories and
supernatural lore of these hallowed places.
The Celtic peoples fed on a rich mixture of legend and myth which,
in many versions and derivations, were told at the firesides of
Europe since before literacy. The Celts' ancestors had come from
the foothills of the Himalayas, through the Middle East into
Europe, and consequently many of the mythologies of the world
connect with Celtic motifs. The most powerfully intact of the
Celtic myths and legends are to be found in the Irish, Welsh and
Breton tradition. Frank Delaney has been reading the Celtic legends
since childhood and in this volume draws together their main
strands, in a retelling of many of the most important mythologies.
This book brings up-to-date the story-telling powers of the Celts.
A stunningly original adventure from the acclaimed author of The
Mask of Aribella, Anna Hoghton. 'The story moves at a great pace
and the author depicts the loss and anger of grief in an accessible
way for readers.' THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN Orla and her brother go to
stay with their gran in Ireland. Grieving the death of their mum,
the children revel in the comfort of their grandmother's house and
her magical storytelling. But soon after they arrive, Gran
vanishes. Helped by a local boy - and a peculiar creature found in
the garden shed - they set out to find her. Shadowed by a
shape-shifting darkness known as the Wild Hunt, the children - and
especially Orla - must put their sadness behind them if they're to
rescue their beloved gran ... The second novel by mesmerising
middle-grade writer, Anna Hoghton, author of magical Venetian
adventure The Mask of Aribella The novel follows two siblings in a
quest to overcome their grief and find their missing gran - a tale
brimming with peril, warmth and hope Incorporates real Irish
mythology and folklore
Explore the haunted history of the RMS "Queen Mary."
A complete collection of much loved Irish fairy tales, myths and
legends, bound into a beautiful new edition. Enjoy the rich
mythical history of Ireland from the arrival of the Tuatha De
Danann on the island and their great battles with the Fomorians
right up to the modern day fairytales of Irish storytelling.
Including the Ulster Cycle, and the Fenian Cycle, the book features
heroes such as Cuchulainn and Fionn Mac Cumhaill, and many
traditional favourites such as The Children of Lir. Bringing
together 18 favourite Irish fairy tales, myths and legends
Beautiful new edition of enduring and much-loved Celtic classics
Lovely shiny foil highlights on the cover make this a perfect gift
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