One way we can explore the diversity of groups and cultures different from our own is to explore folklore and mythology from around the world. While folktales universally exist, their content is far from universally the same. And just as learning about others' language and history can develop a better appreciation and understanding for those beyond ourselves, so too can reading folktales and mythology deepen our knowledge of diverse perspectives and points of reference from around the world. Over the next few weeks, enjoy tales from around the globe in both the physical and e-book displays.
Special thanks to our Materials Processing Coordinator Leah Zande, for compiling this list. Feature illustration by Gerald Sichel from "Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider & the Other Beef."
The Dragon Emperor
Wang Ping, author.; Tang Ge, illustrator (2008)
One night in ancient China, a special baby is born. He is an emperor, and he is also a dragon! The dragon emperor becomes a powerful ruler. But a warrior named Chi You is jealous. He plans to overthrow the emperor and take control of China. Will the emperor protect his country? Or will the Black Dragon prevail? Read this exciting tale to find out. - Publisher's Description
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Japanese Legends & Folklore
A.B. Mitford (2019)
"Japanese Legends and Folklore" invites English speakers into the intriguing world of Japanese folktales, ghost stories and historical eyewitness accounts. With a fascinating selection of stories about Japanese culture and history, A.B. Mitford--who lived and worked in Japan as a British diplomat--presents a broad cross section of tales from many Japanese sources. Discover more about practically every aspect of Japanese life--from myths and legends to society and religion. - Publisher's Description
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The Book of Yokai
Michael Dylan Foster (2015)
Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to shape-shifting foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories. - Publisher's Description
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Korean Folk Tales
Pang Im (2017)
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. - Publisher's Description
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In Quest of Indian Folktales
Sadhana Naithani (2006)
"In Quest of Indian Folktales" publishes for the first time a collection of northern Indian folktales from the late 19th century. Reputedly the work of William Crooke, a well-known folklorist and British colonial official, the tales were actually collected, selected, and translated by a certain Pandit Ram Gharib Chaube. In 1996, Sadhana Naithani discovered this unpublished collection in the archive of the Folklore Society, London. - Publisher's Description
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The Rabbit on the Face of the Moon
Alfredo López Austin (1996)
Eighteen essays provide an accessible, entertaining look into a system of millennia-old legends and beliefs. Mythology is one of the great creations of humankind. It forms the core of sacred books and reflects the deepest preoccupations of human beings, their most intimate secrets, their glories, and their infamies. - Publisher's Description
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Chinnubbie & the Owl
Alexander Posey (2005)
Though he died at the age of thirty-four, the Muscogee (Creek) poet, journalist, and humorist Alexander Posey (1873–1908) was one of the most prolific and influential American Indian writers of his time. This volume of nine stories, five orations, and nine works of oral tradition is the first to collect these entertaining and important works of Muscogee literature. - Publisher's Description
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Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider & the Other Beef
Florence Cronise; Henry Ward; Gerald Sichel, Illustrator (1903)
"Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef: West African Folktales" has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. - Publisher's Description
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Outa Karel's Stories
Sanni Metelerkamp (1914)
Afraid that many of the old traditions and stories would be lost, Sanni Metelerkamp set down these few for posterity. The storyteller is Outa Karel, an old family retainer and though they are told here in English, there are several words and expressions in the "Taal". - Publisher's Description
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How to Read a Folktale
Lee Haring (2013)
Much of its plot sounds familiar: a powerful royal hero attempts to rescue his betrothed from an evil adversary and, after a series of tests and duels, he and his lover are joyfully united with a marriage that affirms the royal lineage. - Publisher's Description
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Speak, Bird, Speak Again
Ibrahim Muhawi; Sharif Kanaana (1989)
Were it simply a collection of fascinating, previously unpublished folktales, "Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab Folktales" would merit praise and attention because of its cultural rather than political approach to Palestinian studies. - Publisher's Description
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Exploring Arab Folk Literature
Pierre Cachia (2011)
The character and range of Arab folk literature are investigated by Pierre Cachia in this collection of his essays in the field he has pioneered. These are arranged into three sections. - Publisher's Description
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Princess Badoura
Laurence Housman (1913)
"Princess Badoura" is a 1913 short story written by Laurence Housman and illustrated by Edmund Dulac. Badoura is a princess of China and the most beautiful woman on earth. She falls in love in her sleep with Prince Camar of Persia. - Publisher's Description
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Tales of the Punjab
Flora Annie Webster Steel (1894)
This book is a rare collection of Punjabi folk tales. It is an attempt to translate one colloquialism to another, thereby preserving the fragrance of ready wit and the element of human value typical in these stories. - Publisher's Description
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Folk Tales of the Maldives
Xavier Romero-Frias (2012)
This volume is a collection of 80 traditional short stories and legends selected from the large corpus of stories in the local oral tradition offer keen insights both into the history, culture and beliefs of the people of the Maldives and into the world they live in. - Publisher's Description
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Folk Stories of the Hmong
Dia Cha; Norma Livo (1991)
Beginning with a description of Hmong history, culture, and folklore, the book includes 16 pages of full-color photographs of Hmong dress and needlework and 27 captivating tales divided into three sections. - Publisher's Description
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The Vaquero in Black and other Mysterious Folktales
Alonso Perales (2015)
Star-crossed lovers who mysteriously disappear, old women who metamorphose into wicked owls and steal babies, phantoms who roam the roadside, lands stolen from the Indians sexy vamps who vanish just as their intended lover approaches. - Publisher's Description
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A Companion to Folklore
Regina Bendix; Galit Hasan-Rokem (2012)
"A Companion to Folklore" presents an original and comprehensive collection of essays from international experts in the field of folklore studies. Unprecedented in depth and scope, this state-of-the-art collection uniquely displays the vitality of folklore research across the globe. - Publisher's Description
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Critical Survey of Mythology & Folklore
Salem Press (2013)
This volume covers a diverse range of authors, countries, and cultures. Articles begin with a summary that offers readers the major actions and characters in the tale followed by an analysis of the important cultural and social interpretations of the author and myth. - Publisher's Description
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