Why are dragons recognised in almost all cultures on Earth? What is the mysterious geomantic gold they secretly guard? Could dragons be a folk memory of something which once hunted us? In this beautiful little book Joyce Hargreaves tells the story of these extraordinary animals through examples drawn from all over the world. Richly illustrated, and with detailed appendices of notable dragon sites around the United Kingdom, this is an essential dragonologists guide. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

In the second haft of the nineteenth century, Jewish nationalism developed in Europe. One vital form of this nationalism that took root at the beginning of the twentieth century in Eastern Europe was the Yiddishist movement, which held that the Yiddish language and culture should be at the center of any Jewish nationalist efforts. As with most European concepts of folklore, the romantic-nationalist ideas of J. G. Herder on the volk were crucial in the formulation of the study and collection of Yiddish folklore.

Herder's volk, however, denoted the peasantry, whereas Polish Jewry were an urban population. This difference determined the focus and pioneering work that this group of collectors accomplished. Defining the Yiddish Nation examines how these folklorists sought to connect their identity with the Jewish past but simultaneously develop Yiddishism, a movement whose eventual outcome would be an autonomous Jewish national culture and a break with the biblical past.

Itzik Nakhmen Gottesman analyzes the evolution of Yiddish folklore and its role in the creation of Yiddish nationalism in Poland between the two world wars. Gottesman studies three important folklore circles in Poland: the Warsaw group led by Noyekh Prilutski, the S. Ansky Vilne Jewish Historic-Ethnographic Society, and the Ethnographic Commission d the Yivo Institute in Vilne.

This book is much more than a study of the evolution of one particular folklore tradition, it is a look into the formation of a nationalist movement. Defining the Yiddish Nation will prove invaluable for scholars of Jewish studies and Yiddish folklore.

In "The Story-Time of the British Empire," author Sadhana Naithani examines folklore collections compiled by British colonial administrators, military men, missionaries, and women in the British colonies of Africa, Asia, and Australia between 1860 and 1950. Much of this work was accomplished in the context of colonial relations and done by non-folklorists, yet these oral narratives and poetic expressions of non-Europeans were transcribed, translated, published, and discussed internationally. Naithani analyzes the role of folklore scholarship in the construction of colonial cultural politics as well as in the conception of international folklore studies.

Since most folklore scholarship and cultural history focuses exclusively on specific nations, there is little study of cross-cultural phenomena about empire and/or postcoloniality. Naithani argues that connecting cultural histories, especially in relation to previously colonized countries, is essential to understanding those countries' folklore, as these folk traditions result from both internal and European influence. The author also makes clear the role folklore and its study played in shaping intercultural perceptions that continue to exist in the academic and popular realms today. "The Story-Time of the British Empire" is a bold argument for a twenty-first-century vision of folklore studies that is international in scope and that understands folklore as a transnational entity.

An important reintroduction to this literature, this compilation of Thomas Crane's original translations of Italian folk stories includes new critical analysis. For 19th-century folklorist Thomas Crane, the value of collecting, translating, and reproducing folktales lay in their "internationalism"-their capacity to reveal how the customs of a particular group, no matter how unique, are linked to many others. In his classic collection, edited and updated by contemporary folklorist Jack Zipes, Crane traces the roots of Italian folktales to their origins, often in the Orient, then shows how they diffused in unpredictable and marvelous ways throughout Italy and over the centuries. A contemporary of the brothers Grimm, Crane offers a richer, more complex selection of oral and literary tales. Unlike the Grimms, he doesn't edit or modify the tales, which deal openly with surprisingly contemporary subjects: murder, adultery, incest, child abuse, and brutal vengeance. The first English translations of Italian folktales, now available after more than a century of neglect Critical analysis and notes by the original editor, 19th-century folklorist Thomas Crane

Mysterious lights in the sky. Alien abductions. Government cover-ups. Dedicated ufologists have spent years documenting unexplained phenomena from flying saucers to extraterrestrial life. Uncover the history of UFOs in this illustrated guide, which separates the science fiction from the facts. The mysterious history of flying saucers is explored in-depth, from potential alien visitors as far back as Stonehenge to UFO cults and the secrets of Area 51. Adam Allsuch Boardman details in his signature graphic style the aircraft and artefacts associated with the search for the truth about UFOs.

An entertaining and enthralling collection of myths, tales and traditions surrounding our trees, woodlands and forests from around the world.From the dark, gnarled woodlands of the north, to the humid jungles of the southern lands, trees have captured humanity's imagination for millennia. Filled with primal gods and goddesses, dryads and the fairy tales of old, the forests still beckon to us, offering sanctuary, mystery and more than a little mischievous trickery. From insatiable cannibalistic children hewn from logs, to lumberjack lore, and the spine-chilling legend of Bloody Mary, there is much to be found between the branches. Come into the trees; witches, seductive spirits and big, bad wolves await you.With this book, Folklore Thursday aim to encourage a sense of belonging across all cultures by showing how much we all have in common.

When this work - one that contributes to both the history and anthropology fields - first appeared in 1982, it was hailed as a landmark study of the role of folklore in nation-building. It has since been highly influential in reshaping the analysis of Greek and European cultural dynamics. In this expanded edition, a new introduction by the author and an epilogue by Sharon Macdonald document its importance for the emergence of serious anthropological interest in European culture and society and for current debates about Greece's often contested place in the complex politics of the European Union.

Telling the Seasons takes us on a journey through the twelve months of the year with stories, customs and celebrations. Drawing on the changing patterns of nature and the rich tapestry of folklore from the British Isles, it is a colourful guide into how and why we continue to celebrate the seasons. Here are magical myths of the sun and moon, earthy tales of walking stones and talking trees and lively legends of the spirits of each season. Original drawings, sayings, songs, recipes and rhymes, combine into a 'spell-book' of the seasons. Martin Maudsley tells tales around the year to children and adults, specialising in stories of the natural world and local landscapes. He can be found leading seasonal celebrations from firelit winter wassails to bright May Day mornings in rural Dorset where he lives.

Asian American Identities and Practices: Folkloric Expressions in Everyday Life probes the intersection, interplay, and interconnection of Asian and Asian American folklore and folk life in globally fluid and culturally creative landscapes among Asian American communities and subjects. Asian American folklore, as a way of life and practice, has emerged and continues to emerge as Asians Americans lay claim and take root in the American mosaic. As such, the contributors in this volume all show how the Asian American historical experiences and continued international migration inform the production of new folkloric practices, subjectivities, and ideologies, which in turn strengthen specific Asian American ways of life while normalizing folklore that are squarely produced in Asian America. This collection illustrates that Asian American folklore and folk life is interwoven with social relationships, the creation of various types of ethnic, cultural, and national identities, and adaptive strategies within the particular historical periods, communities, and shifting boundaries and demographics of Asian America.The global context of Asian American folklore and folk life, especially in the racially charged post-9/11 context, bespeaks how Asians, past and present, maneuver the cultural spaces of their host society and old traditions to create new sites and new opportunities for cultural folkloric production and expression in everyday life.

With such a rich and significant history, it's only natural that some of the best stories from the Sunshine State have been forgotten over time. Thankfully, master storyteller and St. Augustine resident Bob Patterson offers this collection of the strangest, most fascinating stories and legends in Florida's history from coast to coast, swamp to swamp. Enjoy the saga of William Ellis, a north Florida nature whisperer who escaped from his nursing home with the help of his varmint friends; step into the murk and mystery of the vanishing tribes of the Everglades; and could there really be gator-hungry sharks lurking in the St. Johns River? These stories and so many more await when you explore the "Forgotten Tales of Florida."