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.

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.

Where did the unicorn come from and how was it accepted for so long as a part of the animal kingdom? Chris Lavers argues that although the unicorn of our imagination isn't real, traces of its character can be found in existing species. In this lively and vivid exploration of the natural world, Lavers follows the beast's trail to the plateaus of India and into the jungles of Africa to unearth the flesh and blood ancestors of our iconic unicorn--and, along the way, he introduces the peoples, historians, explorers, traders, and scientists who steadfastly believed.