Rich in cultural significance, each title in this bestselling series includes a collection of 20 to 30 tales together with an introduction and a historical overview that give the reader compelling insights into the culture, the folk literature, and the lives of the people in the region.Mermen? Yes. Long before mermaids emerged to people our inner seas, long before they established their restless, inviting niche in human fantasy, there was the merman. Born of the human need to dominate the great fruitful oceans, to control the vast destructive seas, to regulate the healing rains, to understand the tides, the merman emerged.
Rich in cultural significance, each title in this bestselling series includes a collection of 20 to 30 tales together with an introduction and a historical overview that give the reader compelling insights into the culture, the folk literature, and the lives of the people in the region.Mermen? Yes. Long before mermaids emerged to people our inner seas, long before they established their restless, inviting niche in human fantasy, there was the merman. Born of the human need to dominate the great fruitful oceans, to control the vast destructive seas, to regulate the healing rains, to understand the tides, the merman emerged.
Long before mermaids emerged, there was the merman, which has appeared in the mythologies of Babylon, Greece, the British Isles, Scandinavia, Germany, China and Japan, but has become Legend's Forgotten Man. With 27 stories from around the world, this volume reconstructs the unnatural history of the Merman. Illustrations.
Discover the fantastical world of fairy tales in this captivating collection of 28 short stories. From a living man made entirely of wax to a secret cave of gnomes brewing magical beer, to a prince facing a ferocious giant wolf and a joust fought on the backs of donkeys and pigs. Each story is filled with laughter, tears, magic, and morality, featuring daring knights, bold seafarers, and the occasional monster. Perfect for bedtime reading, this enchanting book will captivate young and old alike with its unique and imaginative tales
collected and retold by Edna Ledgard The people of Burma/Myanmar call it Shwe Pyidaw, the Golden Land, their fertile valley cradled in a horseshoe of mountains. When squabbling Western nations vied for control of the newly-mapped country a century ago, the local population had already lived in the mountainous land for over a millenium. Throughout those centuries, the legends and tales rooted in animist religions created a rich tapestry of spirits that underlie the later arrival of Buddhism. "Nat" spirits, dragons, winged lion-dogs, ogres, mythical galon birds, sorceresses and many more populated the land. This volume brings together 25 of the most-loved of these folk tales.
Helen Ashe Hays' 'The Adventures of Prince Lazybones, and Other Stories' is a collection of whimsical and imaginative tales that transport readers to fantastical realms filled with vibrant characters and enchanting adventures. Hays' literary style is marked by vivid descriptions, clever wordplay, and a keen sense of humor, making each story a delightful and engaging read. Set in a literary context reminiscent of classic fairy tales and fables, these stories blend elements of fantasy and morality to entertain and enlighten readers of all ages. From mischievous princes to cunning animals, Hays' stories captivate with their imaginative plots and timeless themes. Helen Ashe Hays, a prolific writer known for her charming storytelling and creative storytelling, draws inspiration from folklore, mythology, and her own imagination to craft these captivating tales. Her deep appreciation for the art of storytelling shines through in each carefully crafted story, showcasing her talent for weaving together enchanting narratives that resonate with readers of all generations. I highly recommend 'The Adventures of Prince Lazybones, and Other Stories' to anyone seeking a charming and delightful escape into a world of fantasy and wonder. Hays' imaginative tales are sure to captivate readers and leave them longing for more of her whimsical storytelling.
'The Magic Bed' is a collection of famous Indian fairy tales of varied authorship. India is undoubtedly the home of the fairy-tale. Of those now in existence, probably one-third of such tales came from India. Gypsies, missionaries, travelers, and traders carried them to other countries where they were told and retold until much of their original form was obliterated, and many of their titles lost. The "Jatakas," or birth-stories of Buddha, form the earliest collection of fairy-tales in the world. It is from these, and from others told by native nurses, or ayahs, to children in India--where the belief in fairies, gnomes, ogres, and monsters is still widespread--that five stories most likely to interest young people have been selected to form this volume.
Analysis of the mermaid in Japanese and English fairy tales through the framework of pleasure. Lucy Fraser's The Pleasures of Metamorphosis: Japanese and English Fairy Tale Transformations of "The Little Mermaid "explores Japanese and English transformations of Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 Danish fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by focusing on pleasure as a means to analyze the huge variety of texts that transform a canonical fairy tale such as Andersen's. Fraser examines over twenty Japanese and English transformations, including literary texts, illustrated books, films, and television series. This monograph also draws upon criticism in both Japanese and English, meeting a need in Western fairy-tale studies for more culturally diverse perspectives. Fraser provides a model for critical cross-cultural fairy tale analysis in her examination of the journey of a single fairy tale across two languages. The book begins with the various approaches to reading and writing fairy tales, with a history of "The Little Mermaid" in Japanese and English culture. Disney's The Little Mermaid and Studio Ghibli's Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea are discussed as examples that simulate pleasurable physical experiences through animation's tools of music and voice, and visual effects of movement and metamorphosis. Fraser then explores the literary effects of the fairy tale by male authors, such as Oscar Wilde, Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, and Abe Kobo, who invoke familiar fairy-tale conventions and delineate some of the pleasures of what can be painful enchantment with a mermaid or with the fairy tale itself. The author examines the portrayals of the mermaid in three short stories by Matsumoto Yuko, Kurahashi Yumiko, and Ogawa Yoko, engaging with familiar fairy tales, reference to fairy-tale research, and reflections on the immersive experience of reading. Women characters and authors are also hyperaware of the possible meanings of Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" and of the fairy tale itself, furthering the discussion with Nonaka Hiiragi's novel Ningyo-hime no kutsu, and D[di?]'s novel Sento no ningyo-hime to majo no mori, as well as an episode of the science fiction television series Dark Angel.Fraser concludes that the "pleasure" framework is useful for a cross-cultural study of creative engagements with and transformations of a particular fairy tale. Few studies have examined Japanese fairy-tale transformations to the extent that Fraser has, presenting fascinating information that will intrigue fairy-tale scholars and those wanting to learn more about the representation of pleasure behind the imaginative and fantastical.
