World Folklore

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.

What did Japanese mythology say about the beginning of the universe? How did Oedipus become the classic tragic hero in Greek mythology? Who brought about the origin of death in Maori mythology? With vivid retellings of famous legends, Myths and Legends makes it easier than ever before to understand the stories that are central to every culture.

"Terrifyingly Fun: The Urban Legends You Can't Stop Talking About!" Do you love a good scare? Are you the kind of person who reads ghost stories late at night, then double-checks the locks before bed? "Whispers in the Dark" is the perfect mix of chills, thrills, and a healthy dose of laughter. From the terrifying Bunny Man of Virginia to Japan’s vengeful Slit-Mouthed Woman, and even a cursed elevator ritual, this book dives into the world’s scariest—and weirdest—urban legends. Packed with spine-tingling stories, sarcastic humor, and the kind of suspense that makes you leave the ...

Many yoga practitioners explore the benefits of yoga through its poses, but did you know that the magic and mystery of yoga lie within the power of yogic mythology? Myths of the Asanas was the first book to collect and retell the ancient tales of yogic myth to a modern audience, and has since become a beloved resource for yoga practitioners and instructors the world over. This expanded edition contains nine unheard stories about some of the yoga world's most beloved poses.

I may be an Angel, but I'm no choir boy. When I met Bolin Tangzhou, a wereleopard tracker, I knew I had to have him. His badboy reputation to matched mine and the look in his eyes promised pleasure with no strings attached. Regrettably, our sex stars weren't aligned, and I got called onto a mission before I could explore his talents as thoroughly as I'd hoped. The last thing I expected was for Bolin to convince me to hire him for his other talents—that of tracking. Now, we're hunting a psychotic Angel together, chasing her across worlds and realms, trying to stop her from starting the ...

King David Kalākaua introduces us to the people upon whom the legend of the Pele family is based. They departed Samoa as war refugees in the 12th century, settling in the foothills of Mauna Loa. As earthquakes and eruptions occurred during their interactions with the Hawaiians, this family of kahuna were accorded what the king described as “unique sanctity and power”. Pele was as mighty as she was beautiful. The tales of the volcano goddess earned the attention of Kamapuaa, the outcast son of the chief of Oahu who terrorized the island with his band of renegades.

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.

The Godhunter Saga heads into a new realm! Married life has proven to be complicated for Vervain Lavine. Maybe it's the pressure of being the last dragon-sidhe in existence, the hope of an entire race of faeries. Or maybe it's the fact that her husband lives in the Faerie Realm where he rules the Kingdom of Fire. Or then again, it could be because he married her after abducting her and stealing her memories of her four other lovers. That's a tough one. He did do a lot to make it up to her though, and she's forgiven Arach but that doesn't mean that the Godhunter is ready to hang up her ...

Blood tells all. Vervain Lavine has been through Hell. Two Hells actually, one of which she's been barred from. Despite all that, things are going pretty well for the Godhunter. At least they were until she turned on the news. Crops across America are dying, children in Hawaii are missing, and havoc is being wrecked upon her nightclub, Moonshine. It's obviously God messing with her again but which one is it this time? There's so many gods who want her dead these days. Then one wrong word sends her tumbling into an unknown realm. A strange place filled with even stranger beings who seem to ...

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...

“The People Could Fly,” the title story in Virginia Hamilton’s prize-winning American Black folktale collection, is a fantasy tale of the slaves who possessed the ancient magic words that enabled them to literally fly away to freedom. And it is a moving tale of those who did not have the opportunity to “fly” away, who remained slaves with only their imaginations to set them free as they told and retold this tale.

Rich in detail derived from the author's fieldwork and the anthropological literature, this work paints a picture of possession as one of the usually positive and most widespread of human religious experiences. It also details the ritual of exorcism, which is applied when things go wrong.

A few years ago, Mark Adams made a strange discovery: Everything we know about the lost city of Atlantis comes from the work of one man, the Greek philosopher Plato. Then he made a second, stranger discovery: Amateur explorers are still actively searching for this sunken city all around the world, based entirely on the clues Plato left behind.

A controversial examination of the influence and presence of the Norse god Odin in contemporary history and culture.

After thousands of years of magical conflict, wonders and dangers fill the world. Three sisters will uncover its secrets, and one secret most of all: the plot of a tyrant with an ancient grudge.One sister is a spymaster, one is a revolutionary, and magic will transform one. Accompanied by nine rogues, they will adventure amongst legends, dragons and sleeping gods–discovering it is in their power to shape the fate of not just one world, but many. If they don’t kill each other first. In a world forged by millennia of magical conflict, wonders and dangers lie in every shadow. "Iron Waifs" ...

When Heimdall and Hyrrokkin abandon their "children" to go on holiday, Odin sends Baldur—Thor's half brother and god of making Loki look bad—to babysit. As Baldur and Thor bond, Loki's attempts to prove he's good start getting a bit desperate. After the drama teacher casts him as the villain in the school play, Loki starts to wonder whether there's any point in being good when everyone seems convinced of his villainy.

Explore the enchanting world of Polynesian folklore in this beautiful collection of traditional stories. A woman falls in love with the king of the sharks. Two powerful sorcerers compete in a battle of magical wits. The king of Maui's fastest messenger races to bring a young woman back from the dead. In these traditional tales, the borders blur between life and death, reality and magic, and land and sea.

Tales from the Eastern Cape, gathered in 1886.

This valuable box or combo contains six titles that are each targeted towards a different area of the world. Most are in Europe, and a couple of them beyond that continent. You will listen about myths, deities, people being killed, people betraying each other, animals that can talk, supernatural powers that are exerted, and much, much more. Each of these audiobooks is not only filled with the stories from those times, but a number of background details of that particular society as well.

Jim Clary presents a compelling and riveting digest of beliefs, customs, and mystery in Superstitions of the Sea. Clary focuses on the vast array of strange, mythical, and often comical beliefs of mariners from ancient times to the present. Collecting the various topics for years, Clary found that maritime superstition was weaved throughout every fabric of his study. The folklore was so interesting that it often lured him far away from his subject search and held him spellbound for hours at a time.