Folklore Studies

The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns & Fairies is an extraordinary journey into the hidden folklore and mysticism of Scotland’s magical realms. Written by Reverend Robert Kirk in the late 17th century, this classic text dives into the secret lives of supernatural beings said to inhabit the Highlands—elves, fauns, fairies, and other mysterious entities that coexisted with humanity just beyond the visible world. Kirk’s observations capture the beliefs, sightings, and stories of these entities, revealing a world rich with wonder, superstition, and spiritual insights.

This set includes all five Folklore books in the series! Kidnapped by Her Bigfoot, Loved by Her Yeti, Claimed by Her Sasquatch, Rescued by His Mermaid, and Chasing Her Unicorn. Join these couples as they go out searching for folklore characters and find their "happily ever afters", instead.

Thomas Bulfinch introduces us to the gods of the Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologies. We learn their stories and we also observe the similarities between the deities of yore. Comparing these stories and characters to those of some modern religions may produce some surprising results!

The 10 enlightening (and often humorous) lectures of Medieval Myths and Mysteries will show you how far from the “dark” times of legend these centuries were. Uncover the facts about the Knights Templar. Reveal the truth behind the tales of legendary creatures like the Questing Beast and the unicorn. Trace the events of the Black Death and the ways it altered the world in its wake, and much more. With Professor Armstrong, you will dig deep into the ways that later generations reshaped the narrative of the medieval years and perpetuated the myths.

Why were Prometheus and Loki envisioned as chained to rocks? What was the Golden Calf? Why are mirrors believed to carry bad luck? How could anyone think that mortals like Perseus, Beowulf, and St. George actually fought dragons, since dragons don't exist? Strange though they sound, however, these "myths" did not begin as fiction.

Legends of Norse Mythology is your practical guide for navigating the Norse realms and revealing the origins of these mythical stories, ranging from the gripping narratives of revered gods to Viking sagas of the Scandinavian seafaring adventures with longships, to the timeless rituals of the Nordic people.

The field of folklore studies is over two centuries old, and it's full of amazing insights about human behavior, creativity, and community. Folklore studies is as interdisciplinary as it gets, squished somewhere between anthropology and linguistics and religious studies and comparative literature and more. It’s all about the informal human interactions, the million tiny acts and stories and beliefs and arts that function as social glue even if they seem beneath notice.

Scottish Folk and Fairytales: An Leabhar Geal Step into the enchanting world of Scottish folklore with Scottish Folk and Fairytales: An Leabhar Geal. This captivating collection of short stories weaves together the rich tapestry of Scotland’s mystical heritage, where selkies shed their sealskins, kelpies haunt the lochs, and brave heroes face otherworldly challenges. Each tale, drawn from ancient traditions and oral storytelling, carries the magic of the Highlands, the charm of the isles, and the wisdom of generations past. From spellbinding adventures to eerie cautionary tales, these ...

Mia is reluctant to go camping with her boyfriend and sister, who are graduate students working on a dissertation about American folklore. But ultimately, they convince her to help document the trip. The group sets off to Black Creek, a remote destination in the Pacific Northwest where Bigfoot has allegedly been sighted. They think they’re prepared for anything, but their sense of terror grows as they find more and more evidence to suggest the monster really is out there. Eventually, Mia realizes she’ll be lucky just to make it out of the woods alive.

Deep in the Appalachian backwoods, legends don’t just survive—they linger. In this chilling collection of Appalachian horror, step into the shadowy world of mountain people whose lives are steeped in isolation, superstition, and stories that have been whispered for generations. This book features: A haunting short story of a family's descent into madness in The Hollow’s Hunger A detailed exploration of eerie folklore with The Hollow Walkers A gripping first-person account of a terrifying encounter in The Hollow’s Shadow Each tale draws you deeper into the dark hollers, fog-covered ...

Embark on a journey through the ebb and flow of the seasons with "Roots and Rituals: Reclaiming Appalachian Wisdom Through Seasonal Practices." This guidebook is an essential companion for those seeking to align their lives with the natural world's rhythm and for readers looking to incorporate the ancestral wisdom of Appalachian traditions into their daily routines. Penned by Ivy Mae, the author of "Sacred Smoke and Mountain Spirits: The Art of Appalachian Incense and Smudging," this tome is your portal to the sacred traditions, botanical knowledge, and the rich tapestry of folklore that ...

In The Stories We Tell: Mythology to Make Sense of Modern Lives, renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik presents 72 tales from India’s rich treasure of myths and legends. These stories, ranging from folk tales in Andhra Pradesh on Lakshmana to Vedic stories on Indra, urge you to reconsider ideas of good, bad, love, faith and culture.

Living Folklore is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to folklore as it is lived, shared and practiced in contemporary settings. Drawing on examples from diverse American groups and experiences, this text gives the student a strong foundation—from the field's history and major terms to theories and interpretive approaches. The volume moves beyond genres and classifications, and encourages students who are new to the field to see the study of folklore as a unique approach to understanding people, communities, and day-to-day artistic communication.

Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....

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.

This fascinating audiobook is the first volume in a projected cultural history of the United States, from the earliest English settlements to our own time. It is a history of American folkways as they have changed through time, and it argues a thesis about the importance for the United States of having been British in its cultural origins. While most people in the United States today have no British ancestors, they have assimilated regional cultures which were created by British colonists, even while preserving ethnic identities at the same time.

Here are six stories from Joseph Marshall’s award-winning book, The Lakota Way, read by the author and enriched with musical performances by noted American Indian musicians Keith Bear, Joseph Fire Crow, and Andrew Vasquez. Rich with history and folklore, these traditional Lakota stories about...

At a time when we are all confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our modern lives - identity, technology, trust, politics, and a global pandemic - celebrated mythologist and wilderness guide Martin Shaw delivers Smoke Hole: three metaphors to help us understand our world, one that is assailed by the seductive promises of social media and shadowed by a health crisis that has brought loneliness and isolation to an all-time high.

From “one of the greatest writers of our time” (Toni Morrison)—the author of Barracoon and Their Eyes Were Watching God—a collection of remarkable stories, including eight “lost” Harlem Renaissance tales now available to a wide audience for the first time. New York Times’ Books to...

In Unveiling Tartaria, explore the forgotten world of an enigmatic civilization that once spanned continents. This book delves into ancient maps, architectural anomalies, and suppressed historical accounts to uncover clues about Tartaria’s true nature. Could the Great Mud Flood have buried its cities? Did advanced knowledge and technology vanish along with it? Why do mainstream narratives seem to overlook this part of history?