Folklore History

From blanket fairs to night kings, curfews to crime, At Day's Close is an intriguing and captivating investigation into the night. Until now, this rich and complex universe in which we spend nearly half of our lives was a world long-lost to historians. Here, Ekirch explores how the night was lived in the past, through travel accounts, memoirs, letters, folklore, poems, court records and coroner's reports. More than this, it is a passionate argument in the case for less artificial light in an increasingly bright world.

They Say Harpers Ferry is Haunted. They're Right. Forget the charming shops and scenic trails for a moment. When dusk settles over Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and the fog rolls in from the rivers, the town belongs to its ghosts. And it has more than its share. This collection gathers twenty of the most chilling spectral encounters reported in this legendary haunted town: The infamous John Brown, still pacing, still watching. Armies of the dead marching on Bolivar Heights. A Screaming Lady whose terror echoes near the bridge. Lost children's laughter on Potomac Street. The terrifying ...

Winter, 1777. Valley Forge. The enemy isn’t just redcoats—it’s something far worse. While George Washington’s army struggles to survive the bitter cold and starvation, something ancient awakens in the woods. A massive, silent predator stalks the snow-covered forest, tearing through both Patriot and British forces alike. Some call it a devil. Others say it's a spirit of war. But Corbin, a seasoned tracker, knows the truth: it’s flesh and blood—and it’s hunting them all. As the Continental Army fights to stay alive, they face a new kind of war—one against a nightmare that ...

Richard Dawkins, the world’s most famous evolutionary biologist, presents a gorgeously lucid, science book examining some of the nature’s most fundamental questions both from a mythical and scientific perspective. Science is our most precise and powerful tool for making sense of the world. Before we developed the scientific method, we created rich mythologies to explain the unknown. The pressing questions that primitive men and women asked are the same ones we ask as children. Who was the first person? What is the sun? Why is there night and day?

Warriors, poets, scholars, and visionaries—from the depths of time the ancient Celts have fascinated us. Their rich heritage lives on today. But who were they? From the Druids and fairies to King Arthur and Celtic Christianity, there is much to be learned about these natives of the British and Irish islands. Their stories are fantastic and stirring, and through them, you'll gain a glimpse into what life was like during the Iron Age.

In a magisterial work, Jaan Puhvel unravels the prehistoric Indo-European origins of the traditions of India and Iran, Greece and Rome, of the Celts, Germans, Balts, and Slavs. Utilizing the methodologies of historical linguistics and archaeology, he reconstructs a shared religious, mythological, and cultural heritage. Separate chapters on individual traditions as well as on recurrent themes—god and warrior, king and virgin, fire and water—give life to Comparative Mythology as both a general introduction and a detailed reference.

Centuries after the infamous witch hunts that swept through Europe and America, witches continue to hold a unique fascination for many: as fairy tale villains, practitioners of pagan religion, as well as feminist icons. Witches are both the ultimate victim and the stubborn, elusive rebel. But who were the women who were accused and often killed for witchcraft? What types of women have centuries of terror censored, eliminated, and repressed? Celebrated feminist writer Mona Chollet explores three types of women who were accused of witchcraft and persecuted.

Stories of growing up in an Irish village told with a "blend of history, tradition and humour". Siobhán Lincoln records the social history of Ardmore village, tales of school days, dances, fishing, work, language and tradition. This book will be of interest to anyone who wants a picture of life in rural Ireland from the late 19th century to the dawning of the Millennium. From the forword by Fergal Keane: "The past slips away from us quietly. We are too consumed with the drama of the present to notice the departure of old ways and traditions. In an age of economic growth without parallel in...

I’m sure you’ve heard the name Thor, especially with all the superhero movies. In this book, we’ll tell you all about how he was born and all of the interesting things he did. But before all that, we’ll also take a quick look at what myths are, where they come from, and why they’re important.

Using an infamous deception about a fake mountain range in British Columbia as her jumping-off point, Katie Ives explores the lure of blank spaces on the map and the value of the imagination. In Imaginary Peaks she details the cartographical mystery of the Riesenstein Hoax within the larger context of climbing history and the seemingly endless quest for newly discovered peaks and claims of first ascents. Imaginary Peaks is an evocative, thought-provoking tale, immersed in the literature of exploration, study of maps, and basic human desire.

Storyland begins between the Creation and Noah's Flood, follows the footsteps of the earliest generation of giants, covers the founding of Britain, England, Wales, and Scotland, the birth of Christ, the wars between Britons, Saxons and Vikings, and closes with the arrival of the Normans. These are retellings of medieval tales of legend, landscape, and the yearning to belong, inhabited by characters now half-remembered: Arthur, Brutus, Albina, and more.

Venus and Aphrodite brings together ancient art, mythology, and archaeological revelations to tell the story of human desire. From Mesopotamia to modern-day London, from Botticelli to Beyoncé, Hughes explains why this immortal goddess continues to entrance us today - and how we trivialize her power at our peril.

Dive into the world of Norse legends and uncover the extraordinary life of Lagertha, the legendary shieldmaiden whose tale defies the conventions of her time. In "Lagertha," journey through the sagas and historical narratives that bring to life the fierce warrior known for her unparalleled bravery, strategic prowess, and indomitable spirit.

Dillan and his two best friends never imagined that a map in their possession could lead them to a treasure so large it would change their lives forever. They also never imagined how finding that treasure would guide them to an even more extraordinary discovery, one that could rewrite human history as we know it. Travel through a time when giants controlled the Americas, and underground kingdoms helped mankind survive cataclysmic events. Experience alternative history told through fiction in a way that only author James Keenan, creator of The UFO and an Alien series, can do. Follow along as...

From monsters to witches and ancient libraries to lost islands, The Life Fantastic seeks to trace the origins of ideas, their surprising paths, and unexpected ways in which they interact and manifest throughout history. By digging around the roots of literary genres, popular stories, and ancient myths, Noa propels the listener back and forth through time, from high to popular culture, from art to politics and religion, on a journey to ever-expanding horizons. This is an invitation to explore the collective subconscious of Western culture.

This audiobook includes tales of gods and goddesses, both major and minor, as well as kings and heroes, both historical and mythical. One such king is the hero of what many scholars believe to be the first written epic: Gilgamesh. In addition to creating connections between the human world and the divine, Sumerian myths explain how the world came to be in the first place. These myths establish the cosmic order, which places the greater gods, or Annunaki, at the top of the hierarchy, with the lesser gods, or Igigi, below them.

The traditional retold fairy tales in this volume speak of the awesome and the marvellous, of the perilous and the exhilarating. We shall explore the traditional, age-old stories for children our ancestors have told us about Dragons. These fairy tales of awe have grown and flourished all over the globe, although as you travel futher East it’s likely that you’ll find more dragons — and also kindlier ones. For not all dragons are the same: they’re not really siblings to each other, they’re more like removed cousins. Some are imbued with fire, others with light, and others with rain ...

In the eleventh book of the Urban Legends of the U.S.A series we head to some more creepy places to find legends and folklore from Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee. Inside are Native American legends and folklore from the deep woods and hills of the United States. Drive into legends about werewolves, witches, cryptids, curses, haunted roads, woods, hotels, trains, lakes, cemeteries, ships and roads. Read personal stories from locals about their encounters with the paranormal. Use the directions inside to have your own adventures hunting for legends and lore.

Santa Muerte (Holy Death or Saint Death) is considered to be the female personification of death. This powerful and mysterious folk saint provides blessings including safe passage to the afterlife. Hailed as a potent and powerful protector, she is also the patron saint of those who live on the fringes of society as well as those who face violence and death. Santa Muerte is a complete ritual guide to working with this famous - and infamous! - Mexican folk saint. It takes us beyond the sensational headlines to reveal the truth about why Santa Muerte is so beloved by so many.

The first robot to walk the earth was a bronze giant called Talos. This wondrous machine was created not by MIT Robotics Lab, but by Hephaestus, the Greek god of invention, more than 2,500 years ago. In this groundbreaking account of the earliest expressions of the timeless impulse to create artificial life, Adrienne Mayor tells the fascinating story of how ancient Greek, Roman, Indian, and Chinese myths envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices, and human enhancements - and how these visions relate to and reflect the ancient invention of real animated machines.