World Folklore

A fascinating guide to the monsters that are part of our collective psyche, from the host of the hit podcast Lore. They live in shadows - deep in the forest, late in the night, in the dark recesses of our mind. They're spoken of in stories and superstitions, relics of an unenlightened age, old wives' tales, passed down through generations. And yet, no matter how wary and jaded we have become, as individuals or as a society, a part of us remains vulnerable to them.

Following a life of suffering and unbearable pain an old man died with his heart full of grievances. He eagerly welcomed death, anticipating the relief it would bring. Instead he discovered that the afterlife was not what he had imagined it to be. Rather than the total annihilation he expected, he entered the river of souls. Instead of obliteration, his death gave him a chance to relive his life and amend the mistakes that had haunted him. Baird’s soul transmigrated to the body of his younger self and he found that the world of his previous childhood was more enigmatic and dangerous than ...

Here are the incredible true stories of some of the mortals who achieved notoriety in history and folklore through horrible means. Monsters of this sort - serial killers, desperate criminals and socially mobile people with much darker double lives - are, in fact, quite real...including H. H. Holmes, the infamous Chicago serial killer; William Brodie, the Edinburgh criminal mastermind who inspired The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; and Bela Kiss, a Hungarian tinsmith with a most disturbing hobby: collecting women in gasoline drums.

Tales from the Eastern Cape, gathered in 1886.

Unlock the Wonders of Curiosity! Imagine you're sitting around a campfire, and out of nowhere, someone shares a hilarious fact about talking plants and male seahorses carrying babies in their wombs. You can't help but chuckle. At first, you think that those things can't be true, but soon you realize that the world is filled with astonishing secrets. These facts spark the kind of curiosity that pushes you to learn more, share more, and laugh more. Dive into a world of wonder and excitement of a book where every page brims with surprising discoveries and quirky tidbits that will light up your...

Step into ancient China and immerse yourself in a realm where gods, celestial beings, and legendary beasts shape the destiny of mortals. Whether you're new to these timeless tales or a mythology enthusiast, Chinese Mythology Unleashed offers a fascinating journey into a culture rich with wisdom, adventure, and wonder.

Unearth ancient horrors and spine-chilling legends that have haunted humanity for generations in "Nightmares: Horror Tales Based in Folklore." This collection of seven terrifying tales will transport you to the shadowy corners of the world, where folktales and nightmares intertwine to create a tapestry of fear and dread. From the eerie depths of the ocean to the mist-shrouded forests of North America, each chilling story will immerse you in the sinister realm of monsters, spirits, and creatures of the night. Prepare to confront the unimaginable as you bear witness to the terrifying power of...

A dealer of rare books, Deen is used to a quiet life spent indoors, but as his once-solid beliefs begin to shift, he is forced to set out on an extraordinary journey; one that takes him from India to Los Angeles and Venice via a tangled route through the memories and experiences of those he meets along the way.

Humans have an uncanny ability to leave their indelible mark. Homes can sometimes reflect the characteristics of their occupants, and even cities become more and more like living beings after a century or two. So, it's logical to assume that darker deeds, horrible tragedies and the worst of human nature all might leave a nefarious taint on some of these places. This third book in The World of Lore series explores dark and dreadful places on land and at sea, places haunted by tragedy and filled with echoes of evil.

Embark on a thrilling adventure into the mysterious Whispering Woods with Hikaru, a curious and compassionate blacksmith's son determined to save his village from calamity. Delve into the rich folklore of Japan as Hikaru learns ancient rites, confronts the formidable Oni, Kagutsuchi, and uncovers dark secrets buried in his picturesque village, Hanamura. Will Hikaru restore balance and teach his fellow villagers about the importance of respecting the spirits of the land? Unravel the truth in this immersive tale of courage, growth, and redemption.

In a remote age of human history, women ruled kingdoms so vast that you might even say that women ruled the world. These giant warrior women were born of the gods, and in battle, one woman fought as fiercely as 10 men. They led armies into war, built cities, roads, canals, bridges, and irrigation systems. Amazons established botanical gardens with freshwater fountains along major roadways to provide food and water for weary travelers.

Do you know what lies behind every door? There are certain buildings which can be unsettling, disturbing, and downright terrifying. Even in seemingly normal homes, the strange and mysterious can help to create a sense of unease and ill-feeling. But there are certain buildings which scream strangeness from every surface. A coldness, an eerie atmosphere, or even the half caught sight of something moving in the corner of your vision. Some homes breathe paranormal activity and can leave you scared before you've even stepped over the threshold.

Journeying alongside scholars, spies and saints, from western Europe to the Far East and the Antipodes, this is no ordinary travel guide. From profane pilgrim badges and Venetian laxatives to encounters with bandits and trysts with mysterious medieval witches, this book mixes fact and folklore to offer an entertaining encyclopaedia of wondrous stories and peoples. Offering a vivid and unforgettable insight into how medieval people understood their world, A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages blurs the distinction between real and imagined places.

This set includes all five Folklore books in the series! Kidnapped by Her Bigfoot, Loved by Her Yeti, Claimed by Her Sasquatch, Rescued by His Mermaid, and Chasing Her Unicorn. Join these couples as they go out searching for folklore characters and find their "happily ever afters", instead.

A dealer of rare books, Deen is used to a quiet life spent indoors, but as his once-solid beliefs begin to shift, he is forced to set out on an extraordinary journey; one that takes him from India to Los Angeles and Venice via a tangled route through the memories and experiences of those he meets along the way.

Here, Cosimo proudly presents Book 7 of Ancient Egypt, in which Massey explains how Egyptian wisdom–which greatly concerns itself with matters of the womb and birth, water, and the offspring of gods–was appropriated by the Hebrew holy books, and explains how the Hebrew account of creation is a clear repetition of Egyptian mythology.

Embark on an enchanting journey into the world of Mythical Hummingbirds, a fascinating new eBook that reveals the wonders of these mesmerizing creatures! Dazzling in color and captivating in flight, hummingbirds have been a source of intrigue and inspiration for centuries. Now, for the first time ever, a captivating eBook explores the countless tales, legends, and myths woven around these magical, nectar-sipping birds. Imagine delving into the rich tapestry of Mesoamerican, South American, and Caribbean folklore, learning about the legendary Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, and ...

Leo Braudy, a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, has won accolades for revealing the complex and constantly shifting history behind seemingly unchanging ideas of fame, war, and masculinity. Continuing his interest in the history of emotion, this book explores how fear has been shaped into images of monsters and monstrosity.

Monsters, in all their terrifying glory, have preoccupied humans since we began telling stories. But where did these stories come from? In Monsterland, award-winning author Nicholas Jubber goes on a journey to discover more about the monsters we've invented, lurking in the dark and the wild places of the earth—giants, dragons, ogres, zombies, ghosts, demons—all with one thing in common: their ability to terrify.

In A Vulgar Art, Ian Brodie uses a folkloristic approach to stand-up comedy, engaging the discipline's central method of studying interpersonal, artistic communication and performance. Because stand-up comedy is a rather broad category, people who study it often begin by relating it to something they recognize - "literature" or "theatre"; "editorial" or "morality" - and analyze it accordingly. A Vulgar Art begins with a more fundamental observation: Someone is standing in front of a group of people, talking to them directly, and trying to make them laugh.