Music of the Sirens
Music of the Sirens

Author: Linda Austern

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2006-07-21

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 9780253112071

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Whether referred to as mermaid, usalka, mami wata, or by some other name, and whether considered an imaginary being or merely a person with extraordinary abilities, the siren is the remarkable creature that has inspired music and its representations from ancient Greece to present-day Africa and Latin America. This book, co-edited by a historical musicologist and an ethnomusicologist, brings together leading scholars and some talented newcomers in classics, music, media studies, literature, and cultural studies to consider the siren and her multifaceted relationships to music across human time and geography.

The Fabled Coast
The Fabled Coast

Author: Sophia Kingshill

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2012-06-28

Total Pages: 533

ISBN-13: 1409038459

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Pirates and smugglers, ghost ships and sea-serpents, fishermen’s prayers and sailors’ rituals – the coastline of the British Isles plays host to an astonishingly rich variety of local legends, customs, and superstitions. In The Fabled Coast, renowned folklorists Sophia Kingshill and Jennifer Westwood gather together the most enthralling tales and traditions, tracing their origins and examining the facts behind the legends. Was there ever such a beast as the monstrous Kraken? Did a Welsh prince discover America, centuries before Columbus? What happened to the missing crew of the Mary Celeste? Along the way, they recount the stories that are an integral part of our coastal heritage, such as the tale of Drake’s Drum, said to be heard when England was in peril, and the mythical island of Hy Brazil, which for centuries appeared on sea charts and maps to the west of Ireland. The result is an endlessly fascinating, often surprising journey through our island history.

Merpeople
Merpeople

Author: Vaughn Scribner

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Published: 2024-11-12

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1789143136

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A wide-ranging, beautifully illustrated history of mermaids and mermen from the classics to cosplay. People have been fascinated by merpeople and merfolk since ancient times. From the sirens of Homer’s Odyssey to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and the film Splash, myths, stories, and legends of half-human, half-fish creatures abound. In modern times “mermaiding” has gained popularity among cosplayers throughout the world. In Merpeople: A Human History, Vaughn Scribner traces the long history of mermaids and mermen, taking in a wide variety of sources and using 117 striking images. From film to philosophy, church halls to coffee houses, ancient myth to modern science, Scribner shows that mermaids and tritons are—and always have been—everywhere.

Unnatural Phenomena
Unnatural Phenomena

Author: Jerome Clark

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2005-06-21

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13: 1576074315

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Organized geographically, Unnatural Phenomena: A Guide to the Bizarre Wonders of North America explores the history of natural phenomena in virtually every U.S. state. Can the sky quake? Can sand play music? Have UFOs been sighted in your town? Unnatural Phenomena crosses the centuries and travels America to chronicle the strangest natural phenomena, the most bizarre scientific findings, and events from history that defy rational explanation. Conveniently organized by region, state, and locality, this one-volume, illustrated encyclopedia maps a landscape straight out of The Twilight Zone. From apparitions in the sky to inhuman skeletons rising from the earth—and everything in between—Jerome Clark, expert on strange phenomena and author of ABC-CLIO's Extraordinary Encounters: An Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrials and Otherworldly Beings, sifts through the legends, the hoaxes, and the science. Authoritatively researched, the entries in Unnatural Phenomena will expand the most skeptical reader's sense of the possible. The truth is out there ... the evidence is in here.