Fairy and Immortal Boy, 19th century (Qing dynasty). Coral. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
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Critical Survey of Mythology and Folklore: Heroes and Heroines by
Drawing upon the most widely-read literature, as well as introducing to readers overlooked yet significant tales, the theme of the hero and heroine is one of the most universal stories told across cultures. This volume covers a diverse range of countries and cultures, as well as important retellings in the modern tradition. Articles begin with a contextual overview of the important cultural and social currents surrounding the myth and the life of the author. A summary offers readers the major actions and characters in a myth followed by an in-depth analysis drawing upon scholarship in the field.
Critical Survey of Mythology and Folklore: Love, Sexuality, and Desire by
The set offers an in-depth examination of one of the major subjects in traditional literature—love and sexuality—encompassing a range of themes, from creation myths to deities in love to romance and quest narratives.
Critical Survey of Mythology and Folklore: World Mythology by
This title covers traditional literature from a broad range of regions and cultures in the world.
Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art by
Designed for students, scholars, and general readers, this work focuses on folklore forms and methods from a cross-cultural, theoretical perspective. Entries are cross-referenced, and each includes a select bibliography to serve as a guide to in-depth research.
The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend by
This encyclopedia provides an overview of approximately 3000 myths and legends from around the world and throughout the ages. These include everything from Aesop's fables to the Viking gods and goddesses to the stories of the Ancient Greeks and Romans that form the basis of western lore.
Historical Atlas of World Mythology by
Joseph Cambell's multivolume Historical Atlas of World Mythology, his magnum opus, marks the culmination of his brilliant career as scholar, writer, teacher, and one of the foremost interpreters of our sacred traditions.
Encyclopedia of Urban Legends by
This revised edition of the original reference standard for urban legends provides an updated anthology of common myths and stories, and presents expanded coverage of international legends and tales shared and popularized online.
The Complete Dictionary of Symbols by
The Complete Dictionary of Symbols is an engaging and accessible guide to more than 2,000 major themes, figures, and symbols that are commonly found in myth, art, and literature. Drawing on classical mythologies, Biblical themes, and traditional symbols from cultures worldwide, this user-friendly, attractively priced reference has comprehensive entries on everything from individual animals, plants, and objects to gods, goddesses, supernatural creatures, heroes, heroines, mythical episodes, prophets, saints, miracles, and myriad other subjects. Whether the topic at hand is Mercury or Merlin, the Egyptian ankh or the humble ant, the engaging text reveals the origins and meaning of each symbol. Interspersed with the main entries are short articles on themes of special interest, such as the Sun, Moon, and stars, or common vices.
From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and their Tellers by
Marina Warner looks at storytelling, at its practitioners and images in art, legend, and history - from the prophesying enchantresses who lure men to a false paradise to jolly Mother Goose, with her masqueraders in the real world, from sibyls and the Queen of Sheba to Angela Carter. The storytellers are frequently women (or were until men like Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Andersen started writing down the women's stories), and Marina Warner asks how changing prejudices about women affect the status of fairy tales: are they sources of wisdom and moral guidance, or temptations encouraging indulgence in romantic and vengeful fantasies? From the Beast to the Blonde considers old wives' tales in all their luxuriant detail and with a strong sense of the historical contexts in which they developed.
The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by
Bruno Bettelheim was one of the great child psychologists of the twentieth century and perhaps none of his books has been more influential than this revelatory study of fairy tales and their universal importance in understanding childhood development. Bettelheim shows how the fantastical, sometimes cruel, but always deeply significant narrative strands of the classic fairy tales can aid in our greatest human task, that of finding meaning for one's life.
When Dreams Came True: Classical Fairy Tales and Their Tradition by
In When Dreams Came True, Jack Zipes explains the social life of the fairy tale, from the sixteenth century on into the twenty-first. Zipes shows how the authors of our beloved fairy tales used the genre to articulate personal desires, political views, and aesthetic preferences within particular social contexts. Above all, he demonstrates the role that the fairy tale has assumed in the civilizing process―the way it imparts values, norms, and aesthetic taste to children and adults.
The Witch Must Die: How Fairy Tales Shape Our Lives by
What accounts for the enduring charm of fairy tales? The answer, says the author of this enchanting and insightful book, lies in the way these stories help children deal with classic psychological conflicts. The tales do this by projecting the child’s own internal struggle between good and evil onto the battles between the characters in the stories. Cinderella, Rumpelstilskin, and Pinocchio vividly dramatize envy, deceit, gluttony, lust, and sloth, giving children a safe stage on which to confront their own "deadly sins." When good triumphs over evil, readers also vanquish their sinful tendencies. Cashdan elegantly analyzes how fairy tales speak to human concerns, highlighting the roles played by iconic images like glass slippers and gingerbread houses, stepmothers, and sorcerers. He shows how fairy tales differ from culture to culture (in the Grimm version of Cinderella birds pluck out the stepsisters'; eyes but in Japan the stepsisters apologize and are forgiven); what happens when the tales are "Disneyfied"; and how fairy tales can have a surprisingly salutary effect on adult readers. Along the way he probes the eternal questions: Why does Snow White eat the poison apple? Why is the stepmother so mean? Why is Cinderella's father never around when she needs him?
Anthologies are collections of texts by various authors, often related by theme, literary genre, or geography. The anthologies listed here are general and/or introductory.
Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by
Monsters, mortals, gods, and warriors: for over sixty years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the world of Western mythology. From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today.
The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales by
The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales celebrates the best-loved stories of childhood through the vision of Maria Tatar, a leading expert in the field of folklore and children's literature. Challenging the notion that fairy tales can be read for their morals and used to make model citizens of little children, Tatar guides readers through the stories, exploring their historical origins, their cultural complexities, and their psychological effects. By providing children with powerful models for navigating reality, Tatar shows, these tales help children survive in a world ruled by adults.
Best-Loved Folktales of the World by
This collection of over two hundred folk and fairy tales from all over the world is the only edition that encompasses all cultures. Arranged geographically by region--West and East Europe, British Isles, Scandinavia, and Northern Europe, Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, North America, the Carribean and West Indies, and Central and South America--and lovingly selected from the personal favorites of folklorists and writers, this book is a major anthology in its field.
Folk and Fairy Tales by
This anthology of folk and fairy tales brings together 52 stories from a range of historical and geographic tradtions. Sections group tales together by theme or juxtapose variations of individual tales, inviting comparison and analysis across cultures and genres. An accessible section of critical selections provides a foundation for readers to analyze, debate, and iterpret the tales for themselves. An expanded introduction by the editors looks at the history of folk and fairy tales and distinguishes between the genres, while revised introductions to individual sections provide more detailed history of particular tellers and tales, paying increased attention to the background and cultural origin of each tale. A selection of illustrations from editions of classic tales from the 19th to the 21st centuries is also included.
The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by
Nine classic fairy tales set in modern, magical landscapes and retold with a twist.
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