Folklore History

Begin learning about the History of India and Indian Mythology today!

Human beings have always been myth makers. Karen Armstrong's concise yet compelling investigation into the history of myth takes us from the Palaeolithic period and the mythology of the hunters right up to the 'Great Western Transformation' of the last 500 years.

This Very Short Introduction is a general introduction to oral history from the interview to the archive. Douglas A. Boyd examines the oral history interview, recording techniques and strategies, technologies for making oral history accessible, and the legal and ethical implications throughout the work of oral history. Boyd also pays special attention to the role of the archive and the importance of memory.

Discover Ancient Greece and Rome like never before with this compendium that begins with creation myth of Uranus and Gaea and includes descriptions and tales of gods both major and minor, as well as mythical creatures and other divinities. Author and scholar E.M. Berens also details how the people of ancient Greece and Rome worshiped, covering sacred sites and customs, as well as their significance. Berens's seminal work offers something for anyone interested in Greek and Roman mythology, whether they are just beginning to learn or are looking to add to already established knowledge.

Did you know that a hippogriff is supposedly the offspring of a horse and a griffin? Or that a Greek sphinx generally has a male face, whereas an Egyptian one has a female visage? Where does the skunk ape roam, and how can you spot a kitsune in human form? Is Slenderman the most frightening mythical creature, or is that honor bestowed on the fearsome gashadokuro? This fantastic book introduces the listener to more than 100 mythical beasts and legendary creatures.

Though it was one of the most advanced civilizations of its time and responsible for the most ancient prehistoric urban sites across the Indian subcontinent, the Indus Valley Civilization was forgotten for millennia, until 20th century archaeologists rediscovered and began excavations at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.

Unveil the mystery of the banshee and other entities that bridge the gap between life and death with this book's extensive Celtic folklore and historic cases. From deities like the Morrigan to death-related beings such as the Doppelgänger, Steven J. Rolfes examines what banshees are and how they have captivated humanity for centuries.

Join us as we enter the Ancient Norse Realms, and journey into a captivating world of gods and goddesses, mythical creatures, and legendary heroes.

Gunlore, for better or worse, is a powerful and pervasive method of self-expression. In examining the folklore around these controversial and politically charged tools, weapons, and symbols, we can begin to understand the aspects of American culture that will remain prominent for the foreseeable future.

Every Tongue Got to Confess is an extensive volume of African American folklore that Zora Neale Hurston collected on her travels through the Gulf States in the late 1920s. The bittersweet and often hilarious tale, which range from longer narratives about God, the Devil, white folk, and mistaken identity to witty one-liners, reveal attitudes about faith, love, family, slavery, race, and community.

Insightful, telling, ironic, and moving, 14 Native-American legends reflect a nomadic non-property-owning culture, with a reverence for all things natural.

Broadcaster Richard Fidler and author Kári Gíslason are good friends. They share a deep attachment to the sagas of Iceland—the true stories of the first Viking families who settled on that remote island in the Middle Ages. These are tales of blood feuds, of dangerous women and people who are compelled to kill the ones they love the most. The sagas are among the greatest stories ever written, but the identity of their authors is largely unknown. Together, Fidler and Gíslason travel across Iceland, to the places where the sagas unfolded a thousand years ago.

In the last 50 years, folklorists have amassed an extraordinary corpus of contemporary legends including "the Choking Doberman," "the Eaten Ticket," and "the Vanishing Hitchhiker." But what about the urban legends of the past? These legends and tales have rarely been collected, and when they occasionally appear, they do so as ancestors or precursors of the urban legends of today, rather than as stories in their own right. In The Nail in the Skull and Other Victorian Urban Legends, Simon Young fills this gap for British folklore (and for the wider English-speaking world) of the 1800s.

Myths, as Mary Midgley argues in this powerful audiobook, are everywhere. In political thought they sit at the heart of theories of human nature and the social contract; in economics in the pursuit of self interest; and in science the idea of human beings as machines, which originates in the 17th century, is a today a potent force. Far from being the opposite of science, however, Midgley argues that myth is a central part of it. Myths are neither lies nor mere stories, but a network of powerful symbols for interpreting the world.

Atlantis and Other Lost Worlds is the most up-to-date and comprehensive investigation of history's infamous sunken city. Nowhere else will you find a more dramatic and convincing presentation of the evidence for its archaeological reality.

This amazing collection of Chinese myths will allow you to enter the Chinese mind, so you can gather secrets and wisdom from a proud and respected country.

From monsters to witches and ancient libraries to lost islands, The Life Fantastic seeks to trace the origins of ideas, their surprising paths, and unexpected ways in which they interact and manifest throughout history. By digging around the roots of literary genres, popular stories, and ancient myths, Noa propels the listener back and forth through time, from high to popular culture, from art to politics and religion, on a journey to ever-expanding horizons. This is an invitation to explore the collective subconscious of Western culture.

Download this audiobook to take a trip through Brazil’s past and explore its most exciting legends!

The mysterious and widely misunderstood Vikings have been explained clearly and completely in this audiobook. This audiobook brings valuable insights into Norse and Celtic mythology for the lovers of ancient mythology - what was told about the Vikings, their culture, their polytheistic religion, and much more.

In this second novel, the new American republic is struggling to reconcile its lofty principles with the practical realities of a rapidly expanding nation. Three fairy rangers who helped the country win its independence—Goran the Sylph, Har the Dwarf, and Dela the Water Maiden—now find they must seek new alliances with the likes of Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, Ichabod Crane, and the Cherokee hero Junaluska to combat a monstrous new conspiracy against peace, justice, and freedom on the frontier.