Using an interdiciplinary approach, this book brings together work in the fields of history, literary studies, music, and architecture to examine the place of folklore and representations of 'the people' in the development of nations across Europe during the 19th century.
Folklore! The very word captures the imagination and sends the mind on flights of fancy. Dragons, ogres, witches, elves, and heroes and heroines, all featured in legends and folktales, known to anyone who had a story read to them as a child or who saw a film adapted from these tales. And yet, oral traditions and the beliefs they reflect, as well as the customs and magical practices of pre-industrial Europe, are poorly understood by many because this is the realm of the folk, removed from the written record. "Introduction to Folklore" is an overview of oral traditions and beliefs as they manifested in pre-industrial Europe, presented in an approachable way, made available, for the casual reader as well as the specialist. This book is intended to offer readers with an opportunity to learn about how the discipline of folklore, which began with the Brothers Grimm, deals with everything from folktales and legends to calendar customs and magic. By placing material extending from fairytales to myth in perspective, the text ends with discussions of urban legends, UFOs, and Internet folklore.The author draws on the work of his mentor, Sven Liljeblad (1899-2000), himself the student of the great Swedish theoretician Carl Wilhelm von Sydow, who studied under a student of Jacob Grimm. "Introduction to Folklore" opens the door to appreciating the origins of aspects of tradition, many of which remain ingrained in everyday life and yet are poorly understood. And it draws on method and scholarship that has progressed for two centuries, offering insights into popular culture, which need not remain a mystery.Originally published as an e-book in 2014; issued as a softbound book in 2017 with minor revisions. 15 illustrations; bibliography; index.
Even before Bram Stoker immortalized Transylvania as the homeland of his fictional Count Dracula, the figure of the vampire was inextricably tied to Eastern Europe in the popular imagination. Drawing on a wealth of previously neglected sources, this book offers a fascinating account of how vampires—whose various incarnations originally emerged from folk traditions from all over the world—became so strongly identified with Eastern Europe. It demonstrates that the modern conception of the vampire was born in the crucible of the Enlightenment, embodying a mysterious, Eastern otherness that stood opposed to Western rationality. From the Prologue: From Original Sin to Eternal Life For a broad contemporary public, the vampire has become a star, a media sensation from Hollywood. Bestselling authors such as Bram Stoker, Anne Rice and Stephenie Meyer continue to fire the imaginations of young and old alike, and bloodsuckers have achieved immortality through films like Dracula, Interview with a Vampireand Twilight. It is no wonder that, in the teenage bedrooms of our globalized world, vampires even steal the show from Harry Potter. They have long since been assigned individual personalities and treated with sympathy. They may possess superhuman powers, but they are also burdened by their immortality and have to learn to come to terms with their craving for blood. Whereas the Southeast European vampire, discovered in the 1730s, underwent an Americanization and domestication in the media landscape of the twentieth century, the creole zombies that first became known through the cheap novels and horror films of the 1920s still continue to serve as brainless horror figures. Do bloodsuckers really exist and should we really be afraid of the dead? These are the questions that I seek to tackle, following the wishes of my daughter, who was ten when I started this project.
The first comprehensive study of its kind, this fully illustrated book establishes Paganism as a persistent force in European history with a profound influence on modern thinking. From the serpent goddesses of ancient Crete to modern nature-worship and the restoration of the indigenous religions of eastern Europe, this wide-ranging book offers a rewarding new perspective of European history. In this definitive study, Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick draw together the fragmented sources of Europe's native religions and establish the coherence and continuity of the Pagan world vision. Exploring Paganism as it developed from the ancient world through the Celtic and Germanic periods, the authors finally appraise modern Paganism and its apparent causes as well as addressing feminist spirituality, the heritage movement, nature-worship and `deep' ecology This innovative and comprehensive history of European Paganism will provide a stimulating, reliable guide to this popular dimension of religious culture for the academic and the general reader alike.
From Zeus to Europa, to Pan and Prometheus, the myths of ancient Greece and Rome continue to pervade the numerous facets of our existence. The author explores the rich history and varying interpretations of classical myth in both high art and popular culture as well as its ongoing influence in modern society.
When this work – one that contributes to both the history and anthropology fields – first appeared in 1982, it was hailed as a landmark study of the role of folklore in nation-building. It has since been highly influential in reshaping the analysis of Greek and European cultural dynamics. In this expanded edition, a new introduction by the author and an epilogue by Sharon Macdonald document its importance for the emergence of serious anthropological interest in European culture and society and for current debates about Greece’s often contested place in the complex politics of the European Union.
European Fairy Tales Series Vol 6 The Three Golden Hairs" is a fairy tale recorded from Czech storytellers in the 19th century. This book discusses several topics to help shed the historical and mythical insight into this tale. The early history of the Slavic people as well as their conversion to Christianity is explored. The phenomenon called "Dvoeverie," or the Slavic dual faith, is explained. We look at what is known about Slavic myth and how it lingered on in the folk consciousness. Further, the relationship between the ethnic-Germans and the Czechs is mentioned. Elements of Germanic myth found within this tale are overviewed, and differences between the Czech and German variations of the story are highlighted to discuss the evolution of myth and folklore. We will look at the figure of Baba Yaga, and how she makes an appearance in this tale - even though she appears very different here than in other fairy tales. Baba Yaga's origins as an ancient mother goddess is discussed. Other Slavic mythical elements that present in this text are also discussed. Finally, the book ends with the author's retelling of "The Three Golden Hairs." This volume is illustrated throughout.
Bringing together scholars from Europe, America, and Australia, this volume explores the more fantastic elements of popular religious belief: ghosts, werewolves, spiritualism, animism, and of course, witchcraft. These traditional religious beliefs and practices are frequently treated as marginal in more synthetic studies of witchcraft and popular religion, yet Protestants and Catholics alike saw ghosts, imps, werewolves, and other supernatural entities as populating their world. Embedded within notarial and trial records are accounts that reveal the integration of folkloric and theological elements in early modern spirituality. Drawing from extensive archival research, the contributors argue for the integration of such beliefs into our understanding of late medieval and early modern Europe.
Uncover the decisive moments that shaped a world-changing continent. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. Celebrated historian John Hirst draws from his own lectures to deliver this ultra-accessible master class on the making of modern Europe, from Ancient Greece through World War II. With over 600,000 copies sold worldwide, this brief history is a global sensation propelled by a thesis of astonishing simplicity: Just three elements—German warfare, Greek and Roman culture, and Christianity—come together to explain everything else, from the Crusades to the Industrial Revolution. Hirst’s razor-sharp grasp of cause and effect helps us see with sparkling clarity how the history of Europe—the crucible of liberal democracy—shapes the way we live today.