Fairies fascinate young and old alike. To some they offer tantalizing glimpses of other worlds, to others a subversive counterpoint to human arrogance and weakness. Like no other author, Katharine Briggs throughout her work communicated the thrill and delight of the world of fairies, and in this book she articulated for the first time the history of that world in tradition and literature. From every period and every country, poets and storytellers have described a magical world inhabited by elfin spirits. Capricious and vengeful, or beautiful and generous, they've held us in thrall for generations. And on a summer's morn, as the dew dries softly on the grass, if you kneel and look under a toadstool, well ...

With 600 signed, alphabetically organized articles covering the entirety of folklore in South Asia, this new resource includes countries and regions, ethnic groups, religious concepts and practices, artistic genres, holidays and traditions, and many other concepts. A preface introduces the material, while a comprehensive index, cross-references, and black and white illustrations round out the work. The focus on south Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with short survey articles on Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, and various diaspora communities. This unique reference will be invaluable for collections serving students, scholars, and the general public.

Saturn, Chiron and the Centaurs - To the Edge and Beyond by Melanie Reinhart. Part I - Saturn: Time. Heritage and Substance Material on Saturn, planet of "the edge" of structure, manifestation and the preservation of what has already been established. Traditional meanings of Saturn are explored in consideration of our contemporary condition of rapid change, and how this affects our relationship with our own Saturn. Mythological images discussed include the Greek Kronos and Pan, Parsifal and the Fool, and the processes of Alchemy and Karma. The traditional domicile of Saturn is reviewed, its transit cycle explored in detail, and the final section includes Saturn discussed through the 12 houses. Part II - The Centaurs: Chiron, Pholus and Nessus Brings ground-breaking new ideas drawn from recent astronomical discoveries in the outer solar system.Several new celestial objects that behave somewhatlike Chiron have been catalogued, and officially named "Centaurs." This unique compilation presents new material concerning the orbit cycle of Chiron, and a summary and elaboration of astrological research to date on Pholus, the second Centaur. In addition, original material on the meaning of the third Centaur, 1992HA2, 'Nessus' is included. This book is still the most comprehensive source of astrological information about the Centaurs. Their meaning is re-contextualised, and an ephemeris for Chiron, Pholus and Nessus is included, as well as several explanatory diagrams. All technical material was specially computed by Dieter Koch, and revised in 2011. The reader can participate in seminars where seed ideas were being expressed for the first time. There is enough material in this seminar for those interested to begin understanding the Centaurs in the horoscope.

A remarkable number of Greek myths concern the plight of virgins - slaughtered, sacrificed, hanged, transformed into birds, cows, dear, bears, trees, and punished in Hades. Death and the Maiden, first published in 1989, contextualises this mythology in terms of geography, history and culture, and offers a comprehensive theory firmly grounded in an ubiquitous ritual: pubescent girls' rites of passage. By means of comparative anthropology, it is argued that many local ceremonies are echoed throughout the whole range of myths, both famous and obscure. Further, Professor Dowden examines boys' rites, as well as the renewal of entire communities at regular intervals. The first full-length work in English devoted to passage-rites in Greek myth, Death and the Maiden is an important contribution to the exciting developments in the study of the interrelation between myth and ritual: from it an innovative view on the origination of many Greek myths emerges.

Routledge Library Editions: Folklore is a collection of previously out-of-print titles from a variety of academic imprints. It provides in one place a wealth of important reference sources on a wide variety of folklore topics. The international authors include academics from a number of worldwide universities, and many are the acknowledged experts in their respective fields. The books span a wide date range, demonstrating both the development of the field and, at the same time, providing valuable background to current academic thinking. This set contains many essential texts, available now for the first time in some years, and is an invaluable resource on the study of folklore.

The Vikings Reimagined explores the changing perception of Norse and Viking cultures across different cultural forms, and the complex legacy of the Vikings in the present day. Bringing together experts in literature, history and heritage engagement, this highly interdisciplinary collection aims to reconsider the impact of the discipline of Old Norse Viking Studies outside the academy and to broaden our understanding of the ways in which the material and textual remains of the Viking Age are given new meanings in the present. The diverse collection draws attention to the many roles that the Vikings play across contemporary culture: from the importance of Viking tourism, to the role of Norse sub-cultures in the formation of local and international identities. Together these collected essays challenge the academy to rethink its engagement with popular reiterations of the Vikings and to reassess the position afforded to 'reception' within the discipline.

From the critically acclaimed author of Children of the Quicksands - shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize - comes a breathtaking magical adventure ... Kuki refuses to believe in the curse of the Abiku. Her destiny is not to die young!Her biggest problem right now is moving house and fitting in at her new school.One evening while exploring, Kuki spies a driveway lined with giant palm trees. It leads to an abandoned beach house of shadows and scattered sea shells. And in the fading light, she meets a girl called Enilo.They become friends - the best of friends.Until Kuki makes a terrifying discovery ... The second novel by Times/Chicken House Competition-winning Efua Traore, author of critically acclaimed Children of the Quicksands A beautifully evoked middle-grade adventure set in the author's native Nigeria and drawing from rich Yoruba mythology A story about the power of female friendship over fear and superstition PRAISE FOR CHILDREN OF THE QUICKSANDS: 'A joy of a book: rich, warm, powerful storytelling' KATHERINE RUNDELL 'A thrilling adventure bright with the gorgeous colours of Nigeria - glorious!' JASBINDER BILAN '[A] beautifully evoked story' THE TELEGRAPH 'Traore's storytelling feels almost otherworldly ... exhilarating' THE TIMES

Far from being a static or eroding cultural inheritance from the past, the supernatural has continually been appropriated and updated to accommodate and express social, cultural, economic and environmental anxieties. SHORTLISTED for the 2020 Katharine Briggs Award. Since the Enlightenment, supernatural beliefs and practices have largely been derided as ignorant and un-modern - even anti-modern - and cities, being the ultimate symbol of progress and rationality, have not been thought to harbour magic. Scholars have long assumed that the world of the supernatural withered under the impact of urbanisation; yet, as numerous books, films and T.V. series from Hellboy to Being Human to the Harry Potterfranchise show, contemporary culture remains fascinated by urban-based legends and fantasy. This collection seeks to spur interest in the urban supernatural and argues for its prevalence, importance and vitality by presenting a rich cultural history of the complex relationship between supernatural beliefs and practices, imagination and storytelling, and urbanisation. Grouped around themes of enchantment, anxiety and spectrality, it explores urban supernatural cultures on five continents between the late eighteenth century and the present day. The book advances a ground-breaking exploration of the communal and cultural function of urban supernatural ideas, demonstrating howthey have continually been appropriated and updated to express and accommodate socio-cultural, economic and environmental anxieties and needs. Drawing together a diverse range of academic approaches, with contributions from historians, geographers, anthropologists, folklorists and literary scholars, it makes an important contribution to our understanding of how urban environments, both past and present, inform our imaginations, cultural insecurities and spatial fears. KARL BELL is Reader in Cultural and Social History at the University of Portsmouth. CONTRIBUTORS: Karl Bell, Oliver Betts, Alex Bevan, Tracy Fahey, Deirdre Flynn, Maria del Pilar Blanco, William Pooley, Elena Pryamikova, David J. Puglia, William Redwood, Morag Rose, Alevtina Solovyova, Tom Sykes, Natalya Veselkova, Mikhail Vandyshev, David Waldron, Sharn Waldron, Felicity Wood

This ground-breaking book explains how deep-seated cultural mythologies shape contemporary global leaders and provides insights into navigating the dynamics and complexities in today's era of globalization. The authors use myths to uncover core characteristics and values from 20 different cultural contexts spanning all major regions of the world - the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia and the Pacific Rim - that have evolved over generations and continue to shape global leadership models. Commentaries are included from practicing managers and leaders to provide real world insights on the implications of the ideas discussed. International managers and executives, public officials, business consultants and corporate trainers will welcome the insights on cross-cultural leadership styles. The book will also find interest from researchers and students across a broad array of professional and social science disciplines.

Must a folktale be connected to its culture? Can a tale with universal applications be transmitted from one culture to another without loss? Does a teller from one culture have the ability--or even the right--to relate a tale from another culture? What happens to a tale when it leaves the oral and adult arenas and appears in print for children? Is it legitimate for a reteller to create variants to suit a child audience? Children's literature is today the major conduit for folklore, and professionals in the field must consider these questions. Editors Gary Schmidt and Donald Hettinga have brought together twenty-three writers of children's literature, illustrators, storytellers, and literary critics, who explore the issues and offer their experiences and views. The scope of the volume is the North American folktale, a rich amalgam of four major distinct traditions: the Native American folktale, the African American folktale, the retold Western European folktale, and the American tall tale. Each tradition is separately presented with an introductory survey and a selection of essays by the writers and critics. This focused collection will be valuable to scholars and professions in folklore, anthropology, American literature, and children's literature and useful also as a text in courses on children's literature and folklore.

Voyages in Classical Mythology takes 44 great classical adventure tales of mythology and exploration and retells them in this beautifully written volume. Organized by character or traveler's name, each entry includes a description of the voyager's life, their journey, alternate versions of the story, symbolism, cross-references, and a list of ancient sources. Each entry in Voyages in Classical Mythology is accompanied by a map, helping readers trace the routes of heroes and deities whose quests took them to such faraway destinations as Egypt, Sparta, Troy, and the Black Sea. Tales include some of mythology's greatest moments, including Daedalus's trip to Crete, his entrapment in the labyrinth he designed, and the fateful flight back to Italy with his son, Icarus; Helen's voyage from Greece to Troy and back again; and Orpheus's journey to the Underworld to retrieve his bride. Voyages in Classical Mythology also includes a convenient glossary of relevant terms from Greek and Roman Mythology and a detailed index. The eloquent text makes the complex themes of classical scholarship accessible to a wide range of readers. Students and nonspecialists of any age will thoroughly enjoy these fascinating journeys. Well-illustrated, each entry is accompanied by a map, helping readers trace the routes of heroes and deities Includes a convenient glossary of relevant terms from Greek and Roman Mythology Provides a detailed index for easy access to entries

West Virginia University Press is pleased to bring back into print Witches, Ghosts, and Signs, the 1975 classic by the late Patrick W. Gainer, renowned West Virginia folklorist and West Virginia University English professor from 1946 through 1972. Based on material Gainer collected from over fifty years of field research in West Virginia and the region, Witches, Ghosts, and Signs presents the rich heritage of the southern Appalachians in a way that has never been equaled. Passed down from generation to generation from as far back as the earliest settlers in the region come tales of the strange and supernatural--ghosts, witches, hauntings, disappearances, and unexplained murders--stories that raise goose bumps and send chills down spines. Included in the collection are such Appalachian classics as The Black Cat Murders, The Witchery of Mary Leadum, The Bewitched Pigs, The Headless Rider of Spruce Lick, and The Poltergeist of Petersburg. According to Gainer, he himself heard ghostly music coming from an abandoned house at midnight, an incident which is described in Jim Barton's Fiddle. In addition to the many accounts of strange happenings, Gainer presents fascinating material about Appalachian superstitions, planting by moon signs, weather forecasting, and mountaineer doctoring. From his own experience and from the reminiscences of old-timers, the author offers historical background on mountaineers. His key to the pronunciation and vocabulary of indigenous populations makes audible the unique speech patterns of mountain people and provides a linguistic key to today's regional dialects. Gainer also relates social events of years gone by, such as molasses boiling, serenades fornewlyweds, and the busybody's favorite: telephone party lines. This carefully collected and preserved collection of folklore is a delight for readers of all ages and a wonderful teaching text for secondary and higher education classes in West Virginia and Appalachian folklore, and in the study of oral traditions. This new edition of Witches, Ghosts, and Signs includes an introduction and a folk motif index, by Dt. Judy Byers, founder and director of the West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University and a former student of Dr. Gainer.

A remarkable number of Greek myths concern the plight of virgins - slaughtered, sacrificed, hanged, transformed into birds, cows, dear, bears, trees, and punished in Hades. Death and the Maiden, first published in 1989, contextualises this mythology in terms of geography, history and culture, and offers a comprehensive theory firmly grounded in an ubiquitous ritual: pubescent girls' rites of passage. By means of comparative anthropology, it is argued that many local ceremonies are echoed throughout the whole range of myths, both famous and obscure. Further, Professor Dowden examines boys' rites, as well as the renewal of entire communities at regular intervals. The first full-length work in English devoted to passage-rites in Greek myth, Death and the Maiden is an important contribution to the exciting developments in the study of the interrelation between myth and ritual: from it an innovative view on the origination of many Greek myths emerges.