Mythology Books

I went searching for a book on the Dena'ina. This book has been extremely helpful towards my studies. I highly reccomend it for someone who wants to learn the stories. It has also helped me in learning the language. By the way I'm only a kid.

One of the best resources for historical documentation of native life and folklore in the Kenai/Kasilof area. Historical photographs are included in the book from 1890-1920. A true classic in a special place on my bookshelf. I highly recommend this book to all students of Dena'ina and local history buffs.

This is the collected writings of Peter Kalifornsky, a Dena'ina Athabascan elder who, in order to write the book, first had to study and help create the written version of the Dena'ina language, and then went about writing down all the stories of his cultural language of Dena'ina. Peter wrote the stories in Dena'ina first, and then translated the stories into English. The Dena'ina translation appears on the left pages and the English translation on the right pages. It covers the full spectrum of cosmology of the Dena'ina culture. A great resource for anyone interested in understanding about one of the most successful subsistence cultures ever on Earth.

Hail! This book is very important for those whom hope to understand pagan religion at a folk level....or more specifically pagan religion as it was practiced in England in anceint times(most specifically the Anglo Saxon, Norse, and Frisian settlers). This will help you capture the spirit of how the farmer, cunning folk, trademan and other peasent level folk thought in anceint teutonic society. Too often are people swayed into thinking that anceint teutonic religion was purely a "warrior religion", instead of understanding that it was an all encompassing religion that pervaded all walks of life. This book is read best right next to True Hearth by James Chisolm, Witchdom of the True by Edred Thorsson, Leechcraft by Stephen Pollington,and Wiccan Sex Magic by Inga Steddinger.Living Asatru by Stephen McNallen is also an excellent book as well(by the way, be sure to wassail the apple trees during Yule Tide!) For Frith and Kinfolk, Isenwulf Wodheart

I have read issues of the Folklore journal, and have always been allured by the true origins of folklore, rather than the fanciful relics of ancient practice theories. It's a shame people still believe in this type of theorising whereby one explanation can be stretched to explain everything from corn dollies to the rising price of fish, but hopefully books like this might counterbalance the trend. I find the main culprits are those in the field of withcraft, paganism etc where all too many authors accept & propagate complete rubbish about the past.

This book is an excellent resource of folklore, much of which I have been brought of with or come across. This book has contributed greatly to an understanding of the reasons behind so many things that seem commonplace, such as maypole dancing (which I did as a child at school!), making daisy chains, not stepping on the cracks in pavements etc.

It's one of those books which I tend to flick open, read one entry, refer to another & then find myself wanting to explore the subject further.

One other attraction of this book for me is that it's about my own country. It seems a real shame that so many people in England seem to find other countries so alluring that they completely neglect the vast heritage of their own, turning instead to the East, the Indians etc. This book is a real celebration of our country, and hopefully will bring our customs into the popular consciousness.

However, this book also takes into account the fact that folklore is not dead, it carries on creating itself in the forms of urban legends, rumours etc, and that todays gossip could become tommorows legend.

Don't let the review below mislead you into to thinking that this is a piece of new-age fluff. Though neo-pagans may also get something out of it, "A Dictionary of English Folkore" is a work of serious scholarship and eruditon, compiled by two internationally recognized folklore scholars and published by Oxford University Press. As such, it is best compared to other reference guides published by academic presses (e.g. "The Oxford Dictionary of Saints", "The Concise Dictionary of American History", "The Norton Dictionary of French Literature", etc.), rather than to books on how to perform Wiccan sex magic.

Essentially, this is an alphabetical dictionary of English (not British, just English) folklore. The editors use a fairly broad definition of folklore and the 1000+ entries deal with nursery rhymes, fairy tales, folktales and legends, superstitions, holidays, customs, and even folk medicine and folk music and dancing. Topics discussed include: Mother Goose, Robin Hood, wassailing, the tooth fairy, Michaelmas, splitting wishbones, kissing under the mistletoe, and Morris dancing. The folkloric origins of many colloquialisms and other turns of speech (i.e. why is a ne'er-do-well refered to as "the black sheep of the family") are discussed, and there are even entries for a a few modern urban legends as well.

The entries are arranged alphabetically rather than thematically (it is a 'dictionary' after all) and tend to be fairly brief (a few sentences to one paragaph long). They do, however, have cross-references to related entries and come with citations so that those seeking more detailed information about a particular item can go find a source that treats it at greater length.

This isn't necessarily a book that everyone needs, but it is an *outstanding* reference guide and will be very useful to those interested in English culture, literature, and history. And frankly, even folks who don't really need a reference guide to English folkore will probably still find this a lot of fun to browse though. (The short entries actually make it great for casual 'bathroom reading' as it were). I don't give out five-star reviews lightly, but a well-researched, well-presented reference work like this deserves it.

It never fails to mystify me that people will take a very old work of quasi-scholarship by an amateur and decide that it puts all later, more professional scholarship on it's head, simply because it tells them something they like. Put this book in the context of its creation and it's a fascinating view into late 18th/early 19th century views of the past, religion, the evolution of man, etc. Otherwise, your entire argument rests on the dubious notion that some person just happened to know something, some group of facts that no one else did or has since, and so they are speaking "truth" and all the many others, trained, practiced, and informed to a level unimagined by the amateur are somehow just deluded. Let's not forget the enormous amount of archaeological and linguistic data we have accumulated in the past 200 years, or the development of better methodologies for understanding one's own biases.
And by the way, Joseph Campbell's career, if you will, had its genesis in Jung and a lot of reading in Sanskrit texts, not 18th and 19th century armchair social science.

Together with Thomas Wrights, Worship of the Generative Organs in Medaevil Western Europe, an almost complete picture is drawn displaying how much embedded religion can endure despite duress. I believe it is from this model, and that of Alexander Hislop, that Joseph Campbell built the foundations of his prolific career. The importance of symbols in ancient culture was absolute. To an illiterate populace, or one without written language for that matter, symbols of worship were a unifying commonality (as well, a method of control by those who interpretted those symbols) as much as language and media are to cultures today. The glaring question remains though. How could the widespread practice of one religion with exact means of worship occur considering the current stance of historians and anthropologists? If one were to weigh the evidence with the scales of scientific reasoning the balance would surely tip in favour of the opposition to the modern understanding of cultural derivation. Read it. Enjoy it. See its relevancy today.

A complete study of the practice of sexual superstition in ancient times and during the middle ages. A classic work.

The Dragon's Eye is a unique book as a result of its narrative and familiar tone which welcomes rather than alienates its readers. Herta Payson provided me with answers to questions that I didn't even know I had, while subtly encouraging me to reclaim my roles as woman, sister, daughter, and healer. I found it fascinating to read other women's accounts of experiences I share as well as read of those unfamiliar to me. I have always shied away from more mystical interpretations of woman in society because I have found them inapplicable to my life and times. The Dragon's Eye manages to capture spirit in a tangible way through Payson's concise examples, beautiful narration, and stunning insights.

Poetic and theraputic, insightful and empowering; this book opened my eyes to the not so uniqueness of my gifts. The Dragon's Eye encourages an inner dialouge as well as a forum for open discussion about the "lost" wisdoms that we(as women) have put aside from childhood because such things were unacceptable. The book stirs up the memory and asks us to remember: Some of us flew, saw imaginary friends, talked to angels, felt energy, etc... This text opens the door to reconnect and discuss where it went. And perhaps as we open up to this wisdom we can take the next step toward using and healing ourselves and the Earth.

Readable, and poetic in style, the text evolves and moves you through recognition and analysis... a great read.

This book touches to the core of being a women. Secret's deep within are honored, blessed and spoken with a tenderness that is awesome. I love this book and recommend it to all!

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Florrie Binford-Kichler, Founder of Patria Press, Inc.- an award-winning independent publisher and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

My goodness, what can I say about this splendid novel? For starters, you can enjoy it on so many levels and read into its moral implications in a way that hasn't been true for centuries past.

The protagist is not a "hero" in the superficial sense, nor is he an antihero, or even an antagonist. Instead, he is a real soul, trying to find the right path in life without hurting the ones he holds near his heart.

The antagonist is splendid to a point of malicious bliss: the evilness he exudes from every literary pore makes me want to exfoliate my metaphorical epidermis.

A stunning cast of multidimensional minor characters completes this stunning debut with verisimilitude that took my firy dragon breath away.

For a wonderful romp in the world of literature, tune in to this tome!

The book I have in my lap at this moment is a picture book it was written by Judy Tatchell, designed by Reuben Barrance and illustrated by Peter Scott.

While it is certainly not a novel with characters and plot lines it is a fun and informative read for children under the age of 8. It has many small flaps and mini pages within pages, these may be torn by very young children so be careful. The book is a hard cover without a dust jacket - this makes it durable for it will be looked at again and again. The illustrations are just stunning - the colours and smooth lines are perfect for the 4-8 age group.

The content introduces young readers to Oriental as well as classic European dragons and highlights myths and legends surrounding them such as hoarding treasure and the tale of St George.

Well worth the price for fantasy loving littlies.

MY SON RECEIVED SEVERAL OF THESE BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS. HE LOVES THE BOOKS. AS AN ART STUDENT IN SCHOOL, HE IS REQUIRED TO TURN IN ONE SKETCH FROM HOME EACH WEEK. THE BOOKS GIVE HIM SO MANY IDEAS. WE ARE VERY PLEASED

I teach art in a middle school. When students have finished their assignments early, they may choose one of the how to draw books in my classroom. This book is always chosen first for those that like to draw fantasy pictures. I like to see their excitement after they try one of the pictures. I recommend this book for the 12-14 year old age group, because it is the most requested how to draw book in my classroom.

When I began to read this book I couldn't draw dragons for my life. Now I am the best dragon drawer in the class. It was really helpfull to me, and will be to you to!

This book is amazing. Not only does this book teach you how to draw a dragon, but it teaches you how to bring your dragon to life using different postures, expressions, and personalizing features. The author does a great job at breaking the complexity of dragons into simple starting patterns and pieces, then shows you how to add detail and personality to achieve the final effect.

I've been trying to draw dragons for years...and to my dismay it has dodged me like a funny shaped arrow flying sideways through a blackhole...alas, I had almost given up, that was, until I came across this gem of a drawing book! I don't know what else to say, it has changed the way I look at a blank sheet of paper, really people, for the price, it should be a no-brainer to add to your collection of inspiration of these mythical beasts!

I am the author of this book so obviously I am going to be biased that this is simply the BEST dragon drawing book on the market...but putting that aside, here is some useful information about this book.


1. It is 150 black and white pages, but it does include a 16 page colour insert of full page illustrations.

3. I drew the entire book in pencil. Unlike drawing books that claim "all you need is a paper and pencil" but then the artwork is all done in computer programs like Adobe Photoshop, this book is truly drawn all in pencil! Not that I have anything against digital medium mind you, but if you want to learn how to draw and SHADE dragons using more traditional- and less expensive- mediums, than "photo shopped" artwork isn't going to teach you what you need to know. So this book is all done in graphite pencil. The colour insert is also done using coloured pencil.

4. The style I draw in could be called "fantastic realism" in that, unlike many other fantasy/dragon drawing books out there, my artwork is not all cartoony or comic bookish. I try to draw most of my dragons realistic looking.

5. I get many emails from people asking me how to shade, and I find shading is one important aspect of drawing that most fantasy/dragon drawing books lack! So for each drawing tutorial I have included steps on how to shade each dragon.

6. This entire book is all about drawing dragons. There is no big filler section in the back covering all kinds of unrelated creatures or characters, or full page spreads filled with loosely drawn sketches with zero detail. I do have some great sections on drawing all different types of scales, ridges, horns, and more, so if you do pick up the book I hope you enjoy it!


For more information on this book, or for a sneak preview at some of the artwork within, come and join my Facebook group at:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33674938744

Thanks!

-Sandra
Canadian Dragon Fantasy Art
http://www.canadiandragon.com

I have owned this book for at least seven years now, and it continues to astonish me. These poems are brief, simple, universal, and beautifully translated. Most notably, Andrew Schelling spotlights Vidya, a poet that should take her rightful place beside Sappho and Japan's Lady Komachi. Although she wrote a thousand or more years ago, you read her and she comes to glorious life with what is, for me, some of the most erotic poetry ever written. Rapturous. Don't miss it.

Much of the available poetry translated from Sanskrit is still translations from the colonial period - translations which are accurate but stilted to our ears. Andrew Schelling has produced a translation which reads as poetry - as poetry that can be enjoyed without any cultural introduction - that can be enjoyed even more if one knows something of its context. An example: "Unable to cast / a semblance / of my girl's face, her dark eyes, / no doubt the moon / is reshaping its cold / disc, only / again to dissolve it"

Exquisite poetry in Sanskrit, exquisite poetry in English. Translations such as this create an easy bridge across cultures - and a step towards less European artistic norms.

The translation appears highly contemporized but the beauty of the sentiment comes through. I throughly enjoyed reading all the poems and continue to marvel at the power and transcendability of poetry written 2000 years ago. Have bought extra copies to give as gifts. Well worth the wait.

R.J. Stewart has written an incredible book introducing us to the Fairy Kingdom Tradition. This is a tradition that was readily accepted and believed in until the turn of the century. Now much of the planet has lost this connection. He explores what the fairy kingdom is, who fairies are, and why its important for the survival of humans and the planet to re-establish this connection. It is a very real place with real beings. There are a lot of wonderful exercises/ journeys in the book to help take you there (similar to shamanic journeys). The sequal to this book is the Power Within the Land. I use a lot of his work and journeys with the groups that I take to sacred sites in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Stewart opens the way for many people searching to make contact with the OtherWorld. A lovely book and guide -- I have found his work to be invaluable to our community and would like to personally thank him for being in service to the Faery so faithfully. All his books appear on my recommended reading lists! A must have!

Scotsman Stewart presents techniques of transformation from the Celtic faery tradition.He shows how you can regenerate Mother Earth by entering the Underworld and contacting otherworld beings(faeries).At the core of this book are visualization exercises (inner journeys): the Dark Goddess; the Tree Below; the Four Cities; and the Weaver Goddess.These are effective visualizations because they are placed firmly in the age-old Celtic traditions.This book helps you get in touch with the land and the deeper levels of you own being.Stewart is an authoritative writer on the esoteric, and on genuine Celtic traditions.

Ginzburg is one of the first historians who has come forward with a convincing theory that there may well have been pagan sects during the Middle Ages that were the focus of persecutions and regionalized hunts and crazes. This is a fascinating analysis of the legendary Witchs' Sabbath and its mythical foundations, as well as a convincing theory of what led localities to persecute those suspected of being witches.

Yes, Ginzburg actually contends that the so-called "witches" of old Europe were in fact remanents of the old Shamanic cultures of Europe, and he does make an excellent arguement for it. I will admit, I do agree with him on some points. Shamanism is a universal phenomena, and yet (with the notable exception of the Lapps in Scandinavia and a few scattered myths and legends like Orpheus and Odin) Shamanism seems to have all but been absent in Europe, and this has always puzzled me. Certainly, had Shamanism been widespread in Europe, it probably would have survived well into the Christian era, just as it has in other parts of the world. As such, Ginzburg may be right on the money about the witch hunts and such. Regardless of your thoughts on the subject, this remains an excellent book. And if you like it, he has another book, entitled "Night Battles" about a community of Shaman in northern Italy.

It is easy to be acquainted with the mainstream Greek, Roman, Norse and Egyptian mythologies that are so easily acquired from any mythology shelf in library or bookstore but the mainstream doesn't talk about the deities and their mythologies discussed in Carlo Ginzburg's books although his research shows they were obviously widely worshipped just more actively/successfully repressed.

It is also easy to pick up a book on modern paganism/shamanism or on pagan/shamanic religions of exotic cultures--far harder to find anything on European shamanic roots.

Research in many books also too often divorce the mythology from religion; rituals, customs and practices from their adherents and their geographical locations; and don't quote their original sources. Carlo Ginzburg puts this all together and the depth and breadth of the research in this book is fabulous.

The book is a feast for anyone interested in mythology, folklore, old religions, the history of witchcraft, werewolves, history of shamanism or medieval history.