Folklore & Mythology Books - Page 3

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes

Edith Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 52 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

MYTHOLOGY by Edith Hamilton 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Mythology is classicist Edith Hamilton's book on Greek, Roman and Norse mythology, illustrated by Steele Savage (no kidding). The bulk of the work is devoted to the Greek, and the Norse is mentioned only in passing. Myths are arranged thematically, not chronologically (except for the initial creation), which is disruptive to the flow of the work.

Hamilton does several things well. First, she gives history on the authors from whom these stories have descended, and differentiates between their styles. Second, she gives good insight into the character of the people of the time as well as into the character of the mythological figures. She obviously knows the material and cares about it.

Mythology reads like a history book. Many stories get wrapped up too quickly, and quite a few are told too simplistically. Many details are left out. The writing is juvenile at times, and paragraph flow is occasionally an issue. This is almost a Cliff's Notes on mythology. Ultimately, Hamilton makes most of these myths boring. Others, with too many details cut out, the reader will find hard to get into.

Mythology has some good things to offer, but on the whole, this is an inferior way to enjoy the myths. This book may be useful to some as a quick-reference guide, but that's about it.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Editorial Review:

Renowned for her love and knowledge of classical leterature, Edith Hamilton created a legendary bestseller in this masterful retelling of the great Greek, Roman, and Norse myths.

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews (Llewellyn's Practical Magick)

Scott Cunningham

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Llewellyn Publications Amazon Marketplace: 84 new & used starting at $5.08

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

One of the secrets of real magic is that it is controlled by the mind. The more things in your ritual to help your mind associate with your goal, the more powerful your ritual may be. Colored candles, scented oils, natural incenses, and more all add to the impact of the magic you wish to do.
But how do you know which incense to burn? Is it possible to add scented oils together to get a more powerful oil? And how do you make your own, appropriately-scented tools?
The answers to questions like these and hundreds more can be found in The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews by world-famous author Scott Cunningham. This is a greatly expanded and rewritten version of The Magic of Incenses, Oils and Brews. It includes over 100 new formulas, proportions for each element of the recipes (the most requested feature from his previous book), how to substitute ingredients, and much more. Besides the formulas, it also includes the exact methods of making all of these scented tools, including how to extract the essences from the herbs.
Each one of the formulas is precise and easy to make. Do you need luck? Take 2 parts vetivert, 2 parts allspice, 1 part nutmeg, and 1 part calamus, grind them together as finely as possible, then sprinkle the powder in a circle around you, beginning and ending in the East and moving clockwise. Sit within this circle and absorb the powder's energies. Also included are other ways to use magical powders that will have you coming up with your own ideas for them, too.
There is a legion of recipes for incenses. There are three for the sun and two for consecrating talismans. There are incenses for each of the astrological signs and ones to help you study better and gain success. You'll also find incenses for each of the planetary influences. There are four for Saturn alone!
This compendium of magical lore is a vital tool for every magical person on any magical path, whether you are a beginner or an expert.

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

Brothers Grimm

List Price: $17.50 By: Pantheon Amazon Marketplace: 13 new & used starting at $24.70

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Grimm's Fairy Tales 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales by The Grimm Brothers

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales is a great book. The fairy tales are quite like the modern versions you read today although they don't seem as fictional. I really enjoyed reading the original version of Hansal and Gretel. For those of you who haven't read it (which probably isn't a lot!) is about two poor children who's mother wants to get rid of them so she can eat more and not have to worry about them. The father doesn't agree and tries to change her mind. Hansal overhears the conversation and collects white stones that "glow" in the moonlight. The next day when they are being led into the woods, he drops the stones and at night, they are able to come back home. Their mother gets mad and tries again the next day. Hansal uses bread this time but birds eat up all the crumbs. You can only guess what happens! This story kind of reminded me of birthday parties I used to have when I was five. My parents took different colored yarn balls and made "spider webs" around our living room. On the end of each color, there would be a small toy of some sort. Then the kids would each get a color and wind it back up and it would eventually lead them to a toy. I also read a story I had never heard about a man who does favors for people and animals and when he needs something, they all return the favor. I wish people did more things like that now. I don't recommend this book for younger children because some of the words are a bit complex and some of the stories have meanings that young children might not understand.

Editorial Review:

210 traditional tales with accompanying explanatory and historical material.

Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation

Joseph Campbell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Even more enlightening than The Hero with a Thousand Faces 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I am grateful for having read this fantastic piece of work that brings together mythology and personal transformation in such a profound and articulate manner. I could notice how it strikes multiple harmonics in my mind as I read on, very much along the lines of Jung's view on the unconscious.

Pathways to Bliss provides both a framework and an inspirational context for anyone interested in the Self as Hero. As such, I have utilized it as a prime reference for my forthcoming work in designing board games and processes that would be useful for furthering the usefulness of the Hero's Journey archetypical metaphor as a tool for personal and group learning, growth, and advancement.

Perhaps it is best to bring forth this excerpt from the book: "There's nothing you can do more important than being fulfilled. You become a sign, you become a signal, transparent to transcendence; in this way, you will find, live, and become a realization of your own personal myth." (Last paragraph, page 108). In this book, Campbell offers a rich ground for constructing that personal myth, one that would enhance the wisdom, love and inner beauty of a person's Self to mythical proportions!

Editorial Review:

Joseph Campbell is one of this century's great disseminators of the psychological wisdom of mythology. One of the basic functions of myth, he contends, is to help each individual through the journey of life, providing a travel guide to reach fulfillment — a map to discover "bliss." In Pathways to Bliss, Campbell once again draws on his masterful gift of storytelling to apply the larger themes of world mythology to personal growth and transformation. Looking at the more personal, psychological side of myth, he begins to dwell on life's more important questions — those that are often submerged beneath the frantic activity of our daily life. With characteristic wit and insight, he draws connections between ancient symbols and modern art, schizophrenia and the Hero's Journey, revealing the way myth helps identify one's heroic path.

The Arabian Nights

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton & Company Amazon Marketplace: 60 new & used starting at $4.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

So far very good, not for kids though 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I have been reading this to my 8 yr old and changing or leaving out the inappropriate parts. She loves to hear it, and with the cliff hangers she is always asking for another chapter.

Excellent Translation 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Excellent translation, from the oldest known manuscript of the tales. True to the original, it captures not just the letter, but the spirit of the text. Clearly, Haddawy is a talented writer on his own accord.

A very good place to discover Arab culture as well.

Justified New Translation 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not only do the tales read very, very well -- in good, elegant English -- but also the author does a great job at explaining why a new translation is needed. He makes his case in a detailed, very informative intro, which compares different translations of The Arabian Nights. Delightful.

Editorial Review:

Working from the definitive edition established by Muhsin Mahdi (based on the 14th century Syrian manuscript), this is a translation of "The Arabian Nights". It contains stories, of Arabic and Persian origin, which weave magic into the fabric of everday life, mixing flamboyance, pathos and humour.

Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

Tomie dePaola

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Indian legend about how different people have different talents 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

As is the case in all cultures, there are people more and less suited for various tasks. In the world of the American Indians of the plains all life revolved around hunting the buffalo. However, not all boys are meant to be fierce warriors, some are simply not suited to the task. This book is about Little Gopher, a boy who had a Dream-Vision of his grandfather where he was told that he was to paint the pictures of the warriors rather than be one. His canvas was to be stretched white buckskin, his brushes made from the hairs of different animals and his colors were made from rocks and berries. He painted scenes of his people in action, but for some time he longed to make an accurate rendition of a sunset as he never seemed able to create the right colors.
One night he had another vision where he was told that because he had remained true to his calling, on the next day he would be able to sit on a hill and capture the sunset in a painting. He succeeded and he left his brushes on the hill when he carried the painting down to show it to his tribe. The next day his brushes had taken root and had turned into plants with brilliant reds, oranges and yellows. Because of his deeds, the people of his tribe changed his name to He-Who-Brought-the-Sunset-to-the-Earth. This is the legend of how the Indian Paintbrush flowers came into existence.
Like so many other legends of the American Indians, this is a story worth reading. Superbly illustrated using a minimum of color, I recommend this story to all elementary school children.

Editorial Review:

Little Gopher follows his destiny, as revealed in a Dream-Vision, of becoming an artist for his people and eventually is able to bring the colors of the sunset down to the earth.

The Empty Pot

Demi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Should be in every child's library! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is such a wonderful book about honesty and humility. I saw it on Between the Lions one day and fell in love with the story. Not much else to say but to make sure you get this book!!

Simply Beautiful! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As expected from Demi a beautifully illustrated (clean colored and detailed) book, a simple, sweet story with a gentle message. Ages 3 1/2 +

A great introductory book to different cultures. Can also be used as a jump start to many conversations (doing your best, being brave, honesty, growing seeds, seed viability etc)

Editorial Review:

A long time ago in China there was a boy named Ping who loved flowers. Anything he planted burst into bloom.The Emperor loved flowers too. When it was time to choose an heir, he gave a flower seed to each child in the kingdom. "Whoever can show me their best in a year's time," he proclaimed, "shall succeed me to the throne!"Ping plants his seed and tends it every day. But month after month passes, and nothing grows. When spring comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot.Demi's exquisite art and beautifully simple text show how Ping's embarassing failure is turned triumphant in this satisfying tale of honesty rewarded.

Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide

Hiroko Yoda, Matt Alt

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Total reviews: 51 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Yokai are Japan's traditional creepy-crawlies. Almost always encountered in the dark of night, they were once feared throughout the land. But they're more than just myth, more provocative than pop culture--references to yokai abound in Japanese idioms, and nearly every Japanese person has at least a passing knowledge of the most famous of these captivating creatures from times of old. Now, after collecting data and descriptions from a variety of sources, including first-hand accounts and microfilms of 18th-century publications stored in the National Diet Library in Tokyo, authors Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have produced the first English-language guide to Japans yokai monsters. Original illustrations, created by the talented Tatsuya Morino, detail the potential visible appearance of each yokai. And alongside each and every one are data points allowing you to take in each yokai's characteristics at a glance.
Forget Godzilla. Forget the giant beasties karate-chopped into oblivion by endless incarnations of Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Power Rangers. Forget the Pocket Monsters. Forget Sadako from The Ring and that creepy all-white kid from The Grudge. Forget everything you know about Japanese tales of terror. Their roots may extend back to days of yore, but Yokai Attack! will convince any reader that Japan's bewitching tradition of yokai monsters is far from being history.

Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 76 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVARSARY EDITION FAERIES 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I LOVE THIS BOOK ABOUT FAERIES. I READ IT OVER AND OVER.
THANK YOU
PEGGY BOND

Editorial Review:

It has been 25 years since Brian Froud and Alan Lee created the delightful, imaginative, and surprising Faeries -- a book that quickly became a massive international bestseller and went on to sell more than a million copies. Readers continue to offer praise: "This is the most influential book I have ever read." "This book is -- where are the words to describe it? Magnificent/Fabulous/Beautiful/Moving/Terrifying/Fantastic...." In celebration of Faeries' 25th anniversary, Abrams is delighted to publish a special edition featuring eight new pages and 20 new pieces of art by Froud and Lee. The artists have also contributed new introductions. Since Faeries first appeared, both men have become tremendously successful and respected figures in the worlds of film, art, and publishing. But Faeries remains perhaps their most enduring work, a superb exploration of the myths, legends, folklore, and fantasy of the world of the faeries.

The Complete World of Greek Mythology

Richard Buxton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

disappointing 3 out of 5 stars.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Somewhere amid the oodles of glossy photos of athlete-festooned kraters and oinochoes, I was hoping to discover some well narrated myths. My quest was frustrated. Not only does the book provide, at best, sketchy coverage of the thrilling heroic epics (e.g., Theseus, Perseus, Herakles), but one must hunt around for a sentence here and a paragraph there--even to reconstruct something as basic and tightly definable as the "birth of Zeus and overthrow of Kronos" story. That said, I feel strongly obliged to assign three stars merely because the volume is so overwhelmingly physically beautiful. Give this book wide berth and reach for either Schwab (a narrative cyclopedia) or D'Aulaire (a fun, richly illustrated--if purportedly juvenile--panorama). Graves isn't bad, either, but it's oriented toward the scholar of comparative evolution of mythosystems or some such, not for the seeker of glorious old tales, spicily woven; nor can you go wrong with Hamilton, though that's clearly showing its age.

Editorial Review:

A retelling of Greek myths is combined here with a comprehensive account of the world in which the myths developed - their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape.