The amphibious cult classic: a magical tale of a suburban housewife's affair with a frogman ... 'Disturbing but seductive ... Wonderful.' Margaret Atwood 'Perfect.' Max Porter 'Still outpaces, out-weirds, and out-romances anything today.' Marlon James 'A feminist masterpiece: tender, erotic, singular.' Carmen Maria Machado ''Genius ... A broadcast from a stranger and more dazzling dimension.' Patricia Lockwood 'Kind of weird and cool. ' Irvine Welsh 'Genius ... Like Revolutionary Road written by Franz Kafka ... Exquisite.' The Times 'Incredibly liberates readers from the awfulness of convention to a state where weirdness and otherness are beautiful.' Sarah Hall 'A devastating fable of mythic proportions ... Wondrously peculiar.' Irenosen Okojie (foreword) Dorothy is a grieving housewife in the Californian suburbs; her husband is unfaithful, but they are too unhappy to get a divorce. One day, she is doing chores when she hears strange voices on the radio announcing that a green-skinned sea monster has escaped from the Institute for Oceanographic Research - but little does she expect him to arrive in her kitchen. Muscular, vegetarian, sexually magnetic, Larry the frogman is a revelation - and their passionate affair takes them on a journey beyond their wildest dreams ... Rachel Ingalls's Mrs Caliban is a bittersweet fable, a subversive fairy tale, as magical today as it was four decades ago 'A miracle . A perfect novel.' New Yorker 'Every one of its 125 pages is perfect ... Clear a Saturday, please, and read it in a single sitting.' Harper's What Readers Are Saying: 'Maybe the most gorgeous, lyrical book ever written'***** 'A fantastic wee novel, strange and brilliant, and absolutely the inspiration for The Shape of Water.'***** 'Wonderful, sharp minimal prose offers big truths. Superb - brilliant, in fact.'***** 'Absolutely incredible. It's weird, funny, and heartbreaking, like a Richard Yates novel except with lizardman sex.'***** 'One of the best tongue-in-cheek social satires that I've ever read. It delves into gender politics. It takes a long, hard look at mental health. It addresses female sexual freedom and agency. It asks the reader to examine what it means to be human ... Genius.'***** 'Really brilliant: a deconstruction of suburbia by way of monster movies that examines sad realities with hilarious verve ... Sometimes you need a sexy frog person to break you out of the ties that bind. '***** 'Hooked me so deeply I picked it up and finished it the same night ... Beautiful ... Will stay with me.'***** 'What the hell just happened?'*****

In this magnificent reference book, the powerful and evocative mythologies of the East are revealed in all their glory. An instantly accessible A to Z structure, fully cross-referenced throughout, details the pantheon of gods of the East. The book splendidly recreates the rise of many cultures. Travel through exotic realms of high adventure, thrill at the exploits of warrior-gods, and become immersed in legend and folklore that bring to life the ancient stories that influence society in much of Asia today. Drawing together the legends of many incredibly diverse cultures, in a highly readable and accessible style, it is a classic reference on the subject.

Greek myths are among the most complex and influential stories ever told. From the first millennium BC until today, the myths have been repeated in an inexhaustible series of variations and reinterpretations. They can be found in the latest movies and television shows and in software for interactive computer games. This book combines a retelling of Greek myths with a comprehensive account of the world in which they developed their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape. "Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts, such as ritual and theater. "Myths of Origin" includes stories about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the first humans, and the founding of communities. "The Olympians: Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main divinities. "Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes. "Family sagas" explores the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines. "A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld. "Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance, to the twenty-first century.

Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks."

"Scottish Myths and Legends" is an entertaining taste of the feast of stories that Scotland has to offer. Fairy folk, witches, giants, monsters, tales of heroic princes, magic and miraculous feats - all are the stuff of the myths and legends of Scotland. Scotland is a nation made up of many peoples and cultures. This diversity of cultural influence is reflected in Scotland's vast store of myths and legends. This book contains a fascinating selection of these; some recent, some ancient, some obscure in origin and others based (however loosely) on fact. We invite you to revel in engaging tales of selkies, kelpies, glaistigs, fairy queens and changelings; wonder at the mysteries that may be hidden in the depths of Scottish lochs; and, shiver at tales of supernatural disappearances, deadly creatures and grisly deeds, and if you ever meet someone called Sawney Bean, who lived in a cave with his family and ate people - run for your life!

These collected myths and tales of the Indians of the Pacific Northwest--the Klamath, Nez Perce, Tillamook, Modoc, Shastan, Chinook, Flathead, Clatsop, and other tribes--were first published in 1910. Here are their stories concerning the creation of the universe, the theft of fire and daylight, the death and rebirth of salmon, and especially, the formation of such geographical features as The Dalles, the Columbia River, the Yukon River, and Mounts Shasta, Hood, Rainier, Baker, and Adams. Katharine Berry Judson began with native oral tradition in retelling these stories. They represent, as Jay Miller says, "a distillation of tribal memory and a personification of environmental wisdom." Some legends--"Duration of Life," "Old Grizzly and Old Antelope," and "Robe of Kemush"--are almost literal translations, recorded by government ethnologists. Animating the beautifully wrought tales are entities like Coyote, Old Man Above, Owl and Raven and other Animal People, and Chinook Ghosts.

In this comprehensive introduction to the work of contemporary French critic Rene Girard, Richard Golsan focuses on Girard's theory of myth and its connections to his broader exploration of the origins of suffering and violence in Western culture. Golsan highlights two of Girard's primary concepts, mimetic desire and the scapegoat. He employs these concepts to illustrate the ways Girardian analysis of violence in biblical, classical, and folk myths has influenced recent work in theology, psychology, literary studies, and anthropology.
The book concludes with an interview between Golsan and Girard, who offers his own analysis of the appropriation (and criticism) of his work by a politically and intellectually diverse company of scholars.

Do motorists pick up a phantom hitchhiker on Blue Bell Hill during stormy nights? Does Satan appear if you dance round the Devil's Bush in the village of Pluckley? Do big cats roam the local woods? And what happens if you manage to count the 'Countless Stones' near Aylesford? For centuries strange urban legends have materialised in the Garden of England. Now, for the first time, folklorist and monster-hunter Neil Arnold looks at these intriguing tales, strips back the layers, and reveals if there is more to these Chinese whispers than meets the eye. Folklore embeds itself into a local community, often to the extent that some people believe all manner of mysteries and take them as fact. Whether they're stories passed around the school playground, through the internet, or round a flickering campfire, urban legends are everywhere. Kent Urban Legends is a quirky and downright spooky ride into the heart of Kent folklore.

Have you ever wondered what a snap dragon, a mammoth and mustard all have in common? The answer is Norfolk! Inspired by seven unique objects at Norfolk Collections Centre, this book tells seven stories, all from different periods in time, which combine local history with imagination and fun. Discover the magic of the Norwich Snap Dragon, adventure through pre-historic Norfolk with a mammoth, find out why the region's famous mustard doesn't mix with smelly feet, and get swept back in time to experience Norwich as it was seen through the eyes of two mysterious statues.

Today when we think of domestic cats, we recall the familiar hearthside companion and the mischievous playmate. It is difficult to comprehend that in the past the animal has played a fundamental role in the development of European and Western civilization. The human relationship to the cat has been important for most of the last four millennia.
In this beautifully illustrated book, Donald Engels charts the history and significance of the cat from ancient Egypt to the middle ages, exploring such phenomena as the worship of the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet, the infamous cat massacres and witch hunts of the thirteenth century, and the role of the cat in combating disease and starvation. Classical Cats presents a unique and entertaining view of the vicissitudes of the cat in history.

Examines the relationship between orality and performance in the southern African context. This work draws together contributions from literary studies, anthropology, enthnomusicology and African language studies in an analysis of the complex functioning of oral texts and models in differing contexts. The work examinesthe continuing role of orality in modern society, the adaptation of oral models to printed forms, and the ability of oral forms to talk back to the technology of print. North America: Ohio U Press; South Africa: David Philip(NAB)

These stories of magic and heroism, and of terrifying encounters with Baba Yaga, Zmei the serpent, and Koshchei the Immortal, are surely the best-known and best-loved folktales of Russia. A wondertale tells of a young person's first venture into a perilous world, where he or she must solve a riddle, pass a test of character, or perform a heroic feat. In the course of the tale, villainy is foiled, disaster is averted, and the young person is transformed by this successful struggle into an adult.

The two hundred and fifty wondertales collected and translated here represent at least one example of every tale type known in Russia. Each tale is accompanied by commentary and the volume includes a substantial introduction by the editor.

Contents:
Preface: what is a myth? Introduction: traditional myths for the survival of civilization 1.The Id of culture: Cassirer's philosophy of myth 2.The primordial power of culture 3.The making of language and other materials of culture 4.The new manufacturing of myths and the need for guardians of civilization 5.From an animal's environment to a human world: Langer's philosophy of myth 6.Generative ideas of an epoch 7.The spirit world 8.Myth in civilization Conclusion: today's cry for myth: Cassirer's and Langer's influence. References. Name Index. Subject Index.

These stories of heroism and magic, and of terrifying encounters with Baba Yaga, Zmei the serpent and Koschchei the Immortal, represent at least one example of every wondertale type known in Russia.

This set re-issues classic works on folklore by Richard M. Dorson which trace the historical development of the idea of folklore from the Sixteenth Century to the First World War. The set also brings together the theoretical writings from folklorists.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This set reissues two classic works on folklore by Richard M. Dorson which were originally published in 1968. The word "Folklore" was coined in 1846 by an English antiquary, William John Thoms, although Professor Dorson's study shows that the history of the folklore movement had its origins in an earlier period. Men and women in many fields, especially in Victorian times, succumbed to the fascination of folklore. The idea of folklore was then carried to the four corners of the British Empire by colonial administrators, missionaries, military officers, and throughout Europe by English travellers. The text shows how the influence of folklore also extended into literature, history, classics, archaeology, philology, physical research, legal and medical antiquities, Scandinavian, Germanic and Celtic studies, and the history of religions. The work traces the historical development of the idea of folklore, beginning in the emergence of English and national history with Camden in the 16th century and reaching its climax with the "Great Term" of Andrew Lang and his co-workers from the 1870s to the World War I.

Why have people from different cultures and eras formulated myths and stories with similar structures? What does this similarity tell us about the mind, morality, and the structure of the world itself? "Maps of Meaning" offers a provocative new hypothesis that explores the connection between what modern neuropsychology tells us about the brain and what rituals, myths and religious stories have long narrated. Drawing insights from the worlds of neuropsychology, cognitive science, and Freudian and Jungian approaches to mythology and narrative, Jordan B. Peterson argues that myths and religious stories have a structure determined by the nature of the mind, and play a key role in the regulation of human emotions.
Ambitious in scope and daring in its exploration of ideas, "Maps of Meaning" presents a rich theory that makes the wisdom and meaning of myth accessible to the critical modern mind.

The Arthurian legend closes with a promise: On a distant day, when his country calls, the king will return. His lost realm will be regained, and his shattered dream of an ideal world will, at last, be realized. This collection of original essays explores the issue of return in the modern Arthurian legend. With an Introduction by noted scholar Raymond H. Thompson and 13 essays by authors from the fields of literature, art history, film history, and folklore, this collection reveals the flexibility of the legend. Just as the modern legend takes the form current to its generation, the myth of return generates a new legend with each telling. As these authors show, return can come in the form of a noble king or a Caribbean immigrant, with the mystery of an art theft or a dying boy's dream.

Contains over 500 articles
Ranging over foodways and folksongs, quiltmaking and computer lore, Pecos Bill, Butch Cassidy, and Elvis sightings, more than 500 articles spotlight folk literature, music, and crafts; sports and holidays; tall tales and legendary figures; genres and forms; scholarly approaches and theories; regions and ethnic groups; performers and collectors; writers and scholars; religious beliefs and practices. The alphabetically arranged entries vary from concise definitions to detailed surveys, each accompanied by a brief, up-to-date bibliography.
Special features
*More than 2000 contributors
*Over 500 articles spotlight folk literature, music, crafts, and more
*Alphabetically arranged
*Entries accompanied by up-to-date bibliographies
*Edited by America's best-known folklore authority

This anthology presents translations of thirty songs about Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya, Sadko, and other legendary characters of Russian folklore.

An extensive introduction provides basic background about Russian epics, their poetics, the history of their collection, their performance context, and their main interpretations. In addition, there is a short introduction to each song, explaining its plot, allusions, and interpretations. A glossary of common terms and a selected bibliography of studies about the Russian epic in English and Russian are also included in the volume.

Answers to how various mythological, Biblical, and literary themes have been treated in literature, art, music, and the performing arts can be found in this work. It provides an analysis of over 100 selected themes that reflect the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of scholarly and academic work through the use of various iconographical sources. The alphabetical arrangement facilitates browsing, while the six indexes provide multiple access by considering, among others, references to the Bible; Judeo-Christian personages, places and concepts; and artists and works of art".--"Outstanding Reference Sources : the 1999 Selection of New Titles", American Libraries, May 1999. Comp. by the Reference Sources Committee, RUSA, ALA.

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? This text 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. The author 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.

In this narrative collage of ancient and contemporary storytelling, modern theory, and personal reflection, Ian William Sewall seeks to infuse western pedagogy with a folkloral teaching voice. Through multilayered conversations with individuals and groups-traditional storytellers, teachers, children-he examines the dynamic nature of oral culture, its embodied nature, its connection to place, and its use of metaphor, laughter, ethnicity, and intergenerational conversation to create unique kinds of interactions and learning. Offering storytelling as an "ancestral template" of good teaching, Sewall demonstrates how teachers can use the folkoral voice to inform and transform classroom practice.