Gathered here are gems galore, which, while revealing much as to the Chinese national psyche, highlight particular traits and characteristics that span the globe. We all know Chairman Mau's infamous 'It doesn't matter what colour the cat, as long as it catches mice', but most of us would only recognize an approximate English equivalent of 'A mighty dragon cannot crush a local snake' or, 'A Phoenix might come out of a crow's nest'. The beasts and birds of legend and folklore provide the inimitable Kathryn Lamb's pen with a feast of hilarious subjects, not least a certain revolution at one ill-fated dinner party...

Max Freedom Long chronicled the spiritual powers of the shamans of Hawaii, the Kahuna. Although not an ethnographic account of Hawaiian healing, Long's book is enfused by anecdotes and personal experiences in the islands of Hawaii.

After enjoying years as a popular journalist and poet, intellectual and freethinker Gerald Massey turned his vast studies in the field of Egyptology into A Book of the Beginnings, a bold statement that the origin of all civilization lays in ancient Egypt. His assertions, radical at the time-indeed, almost a century before the discovery of three-million-year-old human remains in Africa-resonate loudly today, when molecular biology is making corresponding discoveries alongside the still-raging creation-versus-evolution controversy. In Volume II, Massey intelligently argues an Egyptian origin for Biblical symbology, lexicography, and mythology. Here, he not only asks if the oldest Jewish and Christian axioms were really born on the banks of the Nile, he offers a stalwart and profound "Yes " British author GERALD MASSEY (1828-1907) published works of poetry, spiritualism, Shakespearean criticism, and theology, but his best-known works are in the realm of Egyptology, including The Natural Genesis and Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World.

Throughout our Cherokee history,"" writes Joyce Dugan, former principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, ""our ancient stories have been the essence of who we are."" These traditional stories embody the Cherokee concepts of Gadugi, working together for the good of all, and Duyvkta, walking the right path, and teach listeners how to understand and live in the world with reverence for all living things. In Eastern Cherokee Stories, Sandra Muse Isaacs uses the concepts of Gadugi and Duyvkta to explore the Eastern Cherokee oral tradition, and to explain how storytelling in this tradition - as both an ancient and a contemporary literary form - is instrumental in the perpetuation of Cherokee identity and culture. Muse Isaacs worked among the Eastern Cherokees of North Carolina, recording stories and documenting storytelling practices and examining the Eastern Cherokee oral tradition as both an ancient and contemporary literary form. For the descendants of those Cherokees who evaded forced removal by the U.S. government in the 1830s, storytelling has been a vital tool of survival and resistance - and as Muse Isaacs shows us, this remains true today, as storytelling plays a powerful role in motivating and educating tribal members and others about contemporary issues such as land reclamation, cultural regeneration, and language revitalization. The stories collected and analyzed in this volume range from tales of creation and origins that tell about the natural world around the homeland, to post-Removal stories that often employ Native humor to present the Cherokee side of history to Cherokee and non-Cherokee alike. The persistence of this living oral tradition as a means to promote nationhood and tribal sovereignty, to revitalize culture and language, and to present the Indigenous view of history and the land bears testimony to the tenacity and resilience of the Cherokee people, the Ani-Giduwah.

After enjoying years as a popular journalist and poet, intellectual and freethinker Gerald Massey turned his vast studies in the field of Egyptology into A Book of the Beginnings, a bold statement that the origin of all civilization lays in ancient Egypt. His assertions, radical at the time-indeed, almost a century before the discovery of three-million-year-old human remains in Africa-resonate loudly today, when molecular biology is making corresponding discoveries alongside the still-raging creation-versus-evolution controversy. In Volume I, Massey lays the foundation of the Egypt-centric position through a scholarly comparative analysis of language, names, and mythology-delving not only into our most basic actions of naming and communicating, but also man's beloved, universal myths of death, awakenings, and love. British author GERALD MASSEY (1828-1907) published works of poetry, spiritualism, Shakespearean criticism, and theology, but his best-known works are in the realm of Egyptology, including The Natural Genesis and Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World.

Drawing upon the traditions of their native lands, Asian Americans have developed an extensive cultural tradition. At the heart of that tradition are some of the world's most colorful folktales. These reflect the traditional beliefs of the East, as they have been passed down among generations of Asian Americans. But they also reflect the struggles, successes, and experiences of Asian immigrants in the New World. Written expressly for students and general readers, this book is a fascinating introduction to Asian American folktales.This book gathers together a selection of more than 30 Asian American folktales and groups them in thematic sections on origins; heroes, heroines, villains, and fools; society and conflict; and the supernatural. These tales reflect the traditional beliefs of the East as well as the new experiences of Asians in America.

Each tale is accompanied by a headnote, and the book closes with a selected, general bibliography. Students studying literature and language will learn much about these tales, while students in social studies and history courses will gain greater insight into the experiences and traditional beliefs of Asian Americans. The volume includes a healthy sampling of tales grouped in topical sections on origins; heroes, heroines, villains, and fools; society and conflict; and the supernatural.

A beautiful new collection of 36 French fairy tales translated into English by renowned writer and authority on fairy tales, Jack Zipes. Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Beauty, Puss In Boots, Bluebeard, and Little Red Riding Hood are some of the classic fairy tales in this amazing book. There are many stories here by Charles Perrault, the most famous author of French conte de fees. Features a new introduction by editor Jack Zipes. Includes a generous number of exquisite illustrations from fairy tale collections."