Mythology and Folklore Books

An absolutely refreshing and captivating read that mere words cannot describe.

I too listened with great interest to the CBC's captivating production where the author warmly and intelligently read this wonderful book. I have attended a number of Soulpepper productions (the theatre company that she and her husband started), it is a soul expanding experience to see one of their plays.

The best part of being Canadian? Small things. Like the CBC's 'sometimes' greatness in bringing books like this to an audience starved for art that touches your soul. Like the Soulpepper theatre company, who does the same much more consistently. And like Susan Coyne, who if she had been raised somewhere else in the world, may never have written this wonderful book.

When I was young and we were new in this country, I sometimes wished that my parents and I would have emigrated to New York or Paris or some other 'exciting' place instead of Toronto. Reading Kingfisher Days, I am glad they did not.

The figure of Kokopelli is found chipped into desert stone at various ancient sites throughout the American Southwest. It also appears in contemporary forms, painted on canvas, etched into glassware, printed on Christmas cards, and sculpted into candelabra, in presentations that range from the holy to the kitschy. What energizes the frequent appearances of the enigmatic hunchbacked flute player? The authors suggest that the centuries-old drawing power of this archetypal figure may lie in both its protean nature and its spiritual origins.

Hill acquaints the reader with images of Kokopelli as hunter, warrior, healer, gambler, fertility bringer, and even mythological insect who appears in some Native American accounts of the Creation, by presenting a broad review of the available literature on the topic. Wisely, he presents Kokopelli's multiple manifestations without seeking to narrow them to a definitive representation that would deny the complexity of the image. His smart narrative contains a mine of information that yields a pocketful of nice nuggets with each perusal; and his readable style turns them up without a lot of digging.

In stunning visual images that complement the text, Montoya presents Kokopelli as an avatar figure who both generously offers and thankfully celebrates the receipt of the gifts of a bountiful earth. To Hill's scholarly analysis, Montoya adds the cultural insights of one steeped in the kind of ceremonialism from which Kokopelli likely first emerged, and the imagination of a skilled contemporary artist. Their collaboration is a complimentary one in which the text illuminates the paintings, and the visual images add an intuitive content that transcends the text.

Hill is frank about his intention to produce a hybrid text that is concurrently an art book, a study of Native American spiritual beliefs, and a review of Kokopelli literature. The challenge in such an undertaking is to do it seamlessly. How that challenge was met produced my only caveat, and a small one considering the ambitious nature of the project. The book's divisions make it seem a bit episodic, particularly the insertion of a short chapter by art critic James Bialac that might better have been placed in an appendix. At the same time, the holistic approach to the book's subject matter is an essential part of what makes it original and interesting. Hill and Montoya have added an important spiritual component to an art/cultural study without becoming simplistic or sappy, a laudable achievement.

Kokopelli Ceremonies provides some satisfying depth in an area in which much of the available material only skims the surface. Although the book is brief, it contains a well-selected bibliography for those readers who wish to further pursue the elusive Kokopelli through the avenue of cultural studies. For the text-challenged and those who prefer to see beyond black and white, sixteen gorgeous color plates provide a visual feast. Leave Kokopelli Ceremonies out where you can reach for it often--you'll probably make frequent journeys following the elusive notes of the ancient pied piper.

Unfortunately, the binding of the perfect-bound paperback edition is not strong, and I cannot recommend it in a book that will receive continual use like 'Larousse Encyclopaedia of Mythology'. The cover came off mine in under a year.

The author is familiar with all the aspects of the fall of the Alamo and puts the story from the view of the dogs (named Liberty, Justice and Furall) that were owned by the main characters of the hitorical incident.

The characters are easy and fun to follow for every adult that may read this wonderful and heartwarming story to their children. There is no political overtone, only a pivital hitorical event told from a different aspect.

This book has been chosen by the Daughter's of the Texas Revolution to be sold AT the Alamo book shop!

As a practitioner faculty at the University of Phoenix, I facilitate discussions of literary works in terms of what we can learn about ourselves. For example, I ask my students, "How can we apply the lessons learned in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House to our own lives?

For those of you who may be concerned that myths are about religion, faith, and worship--they are not! We would no more worship Nora in A Doll's House than we would worship Heracles in "The Labors of Heracles." (Chapter 6) However, both characters serve as inspirational models to live by.

Therefore, I am pleased that the authors take a secular approach with the myths. First, they provide us insights as to how we can apply these highly imaginative Greek myths to our own lives. Secondly, they provide us with activities to heighten our self-awareness and with relevant, thought-provoking questions so we can "live the myths." Thirdly, in the appendices, they give us other excellent resources (models, etc.) to heighten our self- awareness and, dare I say it, to improve our character.

Live the Myth! gives us much food for thought and growth.

Jack Tirrell
Practitioner Faculty Member
University of Phoenix