An entertaining and enchanting collection of myths, tales and traditions surrounding the seas, skies and woodlands that make up our natural world. Enter an enchanting world where the mysteries of the seas, skies and woodlands come alive through shared myths, legends and folk tales. From the majestic creatures that dance beneath the waves to the celestial beings that populate the heavens and the spirits that reside within the forests, The Treasury of Folklore offers a portal into the lore of the natural world that has been whispered through the generations. In this mesmerising compendium you'll embark on a journey through the rich tapestry of myths, legends, and tales that have been woven into the very fabric of our natural world. You'll tread mysterious waters and be beguiled by the sirens and sea monsters, soar to new heights with winged Pegasus and uncover stories of celestial beings, from thunder gods to constellations that have guided traveller's across the heavens. And as you wander through the ancient woods, you'll encounter spirits between the branches, insatiable cannibalistic children hewn from logs and the promise of the big, bad wolf. The stories included here traverse countries and continents and have been carefully selected to highlight how humans are linked through time and place, with shared dreams, fears and ways of rationalising the unknown. Immerse yourself in the tapestry of tales collected in these pages, each story a testament to the enduring enchantment of the seas, skies, and woodlands.

Folklore.

Enthralling tales of the sea, rivers and lakes from around the globe. Folklore of the seas and rivers has a resonance in cultures all over the world. Watery hopes, fears and dreams are shared by all peoples where rivers flow and waves crash. This fascinating book covers English sailor superstitions and shape-shifting pink dolphins of the Amazon, Scylla and Charybdis, the many guises of Mami Wata, the tale of the Yoruba River spirit, the water horses of the Scottish lochs, the infamous mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, and much more. Accompanied by stunning woodcut illustrations, popular authors Dee Dee Chainey and Willow Winsham explore the deep history and enduring significance of water folklore the world over, from mermaids, selkies and sirens to ghostly ships and the fountains of youth. With this book, Folklore Thursday aims to encourage a sense of belonging across all cultures by showing how much we all have in common.

Tales of Spanish galleons, convicts, cannibalism, stories of shipwreck survivors, lost children, black trackers, and bushrangers. Feats of daring and endurance in the unforgiving outback. Australia's rugged history is evoked in this spellbinding anthology of tales.

Following on from the hugely popular Treasury of Folklore: Seas and Rivers and Woodlands and Forests comes Treasury of Folklore: Stars and Skies, an exploration of the mysteries of the stars, skies and heavens above. People have gazed up at the same stars for millennia, trading stories about them; conjuring gods and goddesses; mapping the constellations; and navigating the complex human world below. The tales, traditions and myths included here traverse countries and continents and have been chosen to highlight how humans are linked through time and place, with shared dreams, fears and ways of rationalising the unknown. Under 'Stars and Heavens' Willow delves into rosy fingered dawn and the hubris of Icarus, the Greek myths surrounding the constellations and the omen of meteors, the trials of the Hawaiian goddess Hina and the legend of the rabbit in the moon. In the section on 'Skies' we are introduced to winged Pegasus and the Firebird, the Witch of Westray and stories of storms, the mysteries of the Northern Lights and unexplained UFOs. Treasury of Folklore: Stars and Skies is a fascinating portal into a rich history of myths surrounding the sky, an aspect of the natural world that continues to fascinate and confound.

One of the best ways to ascertain a nation's character is to examine its informal or unofficial culture - its folklore. Australians' sense of nationality is defined not merely in relation to the places they inhabit and the careers they pursue, but also via the slang and languages they speak, the jokes and yarns they exchange, the objects they make, the way they behave towards one another, and the games they play. As Australia approaches the centenary of Federation, it is timely that questions should be asked about the nature of the Australian identity in a changing, urbanized, multicultural society. The Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore addresses these questions and illustrates the range and importance of Australia's folkloric heritage. Some of Australia's best-known writers, folklorists and academics have contributed articles to the Companion. Entries range from the descriptive (Gumleaf playing) to the analytical (Popular culture and folklore); from country halls to graffiti to archival preservation of audio tapes; from the bunyip to rebetika (Greek blues); from chain letters to patchwork quilts and Wagga rugs. Also included are biographies of notables in the folklore field, and short entries on myths and heroes such as Ned Kelly, Henry Lawson, 'The Wild Colonial Boy' and 'The Dog on the Tucker Box'. Many entries contain references for those wishing to read further on a particular topic, and an appendix supplies bibliographic guidance for researchers. Until recently, Australia was one of the few countries in the world that tended to disregard the collection, preservation, study and recognition of its folk heritage and its contemporary folklore. As well as being an invaluablereference for students, families and cultural historians, The Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore is a milestone in the scholarship of Australian folklore.

Written by an international team of acclaimed folklorists, this reference text provides a cross-cultural survey of the major types and methods of inquiry in folklore. Did you know that the tale of Cinderella is over 1,000 years old, and similar versions of this singular story exist in hundreds of cultures around the globe? Have you heard of "deathlore," a subgenre of folklore involving tombstones, coffins, cemeteries, and roadside memorial shrines? Did you realize that UFO sightings and cyber cultures constitute modern folklore? The broad field of folklore studies, developed over the past two centuries, provides significant insights into many aspects of human culture. While the term "folklore" conjures images of ancient practices and beliefs or folk heroes and traditional stories, it also applies to today's ever-changing cultural landscape. Even certain aspects of modern Internet-based popular culture and contemporary rites of passage represent folklore. This encyclopedia covers all the major genres of both ancient and contemporary folklore. This second edition adds more than 100 entries that examine the folklore practices of major ethnic groups, folk heroes, creatures of myth and legend, and emerging areas of interest in folklore studies.

Contains only publications culled from Ferguson and the Australian national bibliography (and it predecessors).