Classic Folklore

Lycanthropy is a mysterious subject. Ancient belief in lycanthropy was widespread, and it still exists in parts of the world. Literatures all over the world have tales of men changing to animals. Werewolves are often related to demons, devils, blood, and the full moon. In this classic study, Sabine Baring-Gould, a historian, examines the literature about this matter from a serious perspective.

Captured centaurs and satyrs, incompetent seers, people who suddenly change sex, a woman who remembers too much, a man who cannot laugh—these are just some of the colorful characters who feature in the unforgettable stories that ancient Greeks and Romans told in their daily lives. Together they created an incredibly rich body of popular oral stories that include, but range well beyond, mythology—from heroic legends, fairy tales, and fables to ghost stories, urban legends, and jokes. This unique anthology presents the largest collection of these tales ever assembled.

To live happily harem after, you have to fight for your fairy tale. Five classic fairy tales take on a reverse harem* twist in the first installment of Happily Harem After. Experience Alice in Wonderland, The Four Clever Brothers, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, and Cinderella in ways you never have before.

This new English translation of Icelandic Fairy Tales marks the first time these stories have been translated from German to English, bringing Josef Calasanz Poestion’s celebrated 1884 collection to a new audience. Poestion’s dedication to capturing Iceland’s rugged beauty and mystical heritage shines in each tale, offering a window into a land shaped by glaciers, volcanic peaks, and an enduring love for storytelling. Within this collection, readers will meet a captivating range of characters central to Iceland’s folklore. Giants and giantesses stride through these pages, as noble ...

Classical Mythology A to Z is a comprehensive and engrossing guide to Greek and Roman mythology. Written by Annette Giesecke, PhD, Professor of Classics and Chair of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at the University of Delaware, this brilliant reference offers clear explanations of every character and locale, and captures the essence of these timeless tales.

Most of us grew up having always known when to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly some of these things are beginning to be forgotten. Legends, myths, and fairy tales: Our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and how we got here. It is the same on Discworld, except that beings, which on Earth are creatures of the imagination - like vampires, trolls, witches and, possibly, gods - are real, alive and, in some cases kicking, on the Disc.

Chosen as one of the New York Times's 10 best books in the year of its original publication, this collection immediately won a cherished place among lovers of the tale and vaulted Calvino into the ranks of the great folklorists.

Unlock the Mysteries of Horror Across the Centuries! Are you ready to delve into the darkest corners of horror history? Introducing the Ultimate Horror Trivia Challenge, a comprehensive quiz book that spans over three centuries of spine-chilling horror. From classic literature to modern films to gothic romance this collection is designed to thrill, educate & bring together fans of the genre from every generation. Why This Book Is a Must-Have for Horror Enthusiasts, Couples & Families: Extensive Content: 666 challenging multiple-choice questions covering a vast array of topics, including ...

Many of the world's travails may be traced to the displacement of mythology by the age of science. Knowledge today is often deemed useful only if it enlarges our possessions or raises our station in society. If instead the criterion were to make us happier and more virtuous, mythology would have retained its proper place in society. The Age of Fable is Thomas Bulfinch's brilliant reconstruction of the ancient myths and legends that form the backbone of Western culture.

Full of tragic heroes, intoxicating love stories, and the unstoppable force of fate, there is no conflict more iconic than the Trojan War. Troy is the story of the epic battle retold by Fry with drama, humor, and vivid emotion. Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, Helen, their lovers, and their mortal enemies all burn bright in Fry's compelling prose. This volume invites you to explore a captivating world with a brilliant storyteller as your guide.

The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse. Now, Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers - and for someone to blame.

All of us are familiar with the fairy tales of youth where the young hero and heroine fall in love, defeat their enemies, marry, and live happily ever after. The fairy tales gathered here are about what happens next, when the Prince goes bald and the Princess has a midlife crisis. They portray middle-aged men and women facing the special issues dealing with crisis, aging and mortality, and the desire for renewal.

Now adapted for a major motion picture directed by Tim Burton, the story of the Headless Horseman is a classic of American folklore. It is paired here with the myth of Rip Van Winkle who wanders into the Catskill Mountains for his legendary snooze.

Jason and the Golden Fleece is one of the finest tales of Ancient Greece, an epic journey of adventure and trial standing beside similar stories of Perseus, Theseus and the Labours of Heracles. The finest classic account comes from Apollonius of Rhodes, the Greek poet of the 3rd century BCE and librarian at Alexandria. Though less well-known than Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and much shorter, it is an epic poem which is both exciting and moving, with remarkably vivid portraits of the main characters, Jason and Medea.

Most of us grow up having always known to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly, some of these things are now beginning to be forgotten. Legends, myths, and fairy tales: our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and how we got there. It is the same on Discworld, except that beings which on Earth are creatures of the imagination - like vampires, trolls, witches, and possibly, gods - are real, alive and in some cases kicking on the Disc.

Step into the Northwoods, where trees stretched taller than steeples, storms cracked louder than cannons, and laughter echoed across the rivers. Here lives Paul Bunyan — the mightiest lumberjack who ever walked the land — and his faithful companion, Babe the Blue Ox. From the moment Paul was born too big for his cradle, to the day he and Babe reshaped rivers, carved valleys, and cooked flapjacks on a griddle the size of a lake, their adventures grew into the tallest tales America has ever told. Taller than the pines, bigger than the mountains, funnier than a flapjack roof, this book ...

Ossman & Steel's Guide to Health or Household Instructor (its original title) is a collection of spells, remedies, and charms. The book draws from the old Pennsylvania Dutch and German powwow healing practices that in turn helped shape Appalachian folk healing, conjure, root work, and many folk healing traditions in America. Jake Richards, author of Backwoods Witchcraft and Doctoring the Devil, puts these remedies in context, with practical advice for modern-day "backwoods" healers interested in using them today.

A man seeks to prove himself as a hero. A monster seeks silence in his territory. A warrior seeks to avenge her murdered son. A dragon ends it all. The familiar elements of the epic poem are seen with a novelist’s eye toward gender, genre, and history - Beowulf has always been a tale of entitlement and encroachment, powerful men seeking to become more powerful, and one woman seeking justice for her child, but this version brings new context to an old story.

Classical Mythology of the Constellations is a stargazer's guide to the wondrous stories of the gods, heroes, and monsters that populate the night sky. As long as humans have lived on Earth, they have gazed up at the starry sky with fascination and longing. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Sun, Moon, and Earth were gods. The stars beyond our Solar System, however, represented heroes, animals, and monsters that the gods placed in the sky after their death.

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It is of immense importance to the culture of the Indian subcontinent and is a major text of Hinduism. Its discussion of human goals (artha or 'purpose', kama or 'pleasure', dharma or 'duty' and moksha or 'liberation') takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world (the nature of the 'self') and the workings of karma.