Showing results for "The Science of Literature" in Customs & Traditions

Thomas Bulfinch introduces us to the gods of the Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologies. We learn their stories and we also observe the similarities between the deities of yore. Comparing these stories and characters to those of some modern religions may produce some surprising results!

This is a selection of the myths and legends of Scotland, filled with local color, from Scottish journalist, folklorist, and writer Donald Alexander Mackenzie. These stories offer not only glimpses of ancient times and of old habits of thought and life but also of the country itself at different times of the year.

Under the order of King Pelias, Jason embarks on a perilous journey to steal the Golden Fleece from the Land of Colchis. Far from heroic, Jason is the typical everyman. Often compared with Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Jason and the Argonauts is the only surviving poem from the Hellenistic period and was hugely influential on later literature, especially the Roman poetry of Virgil and Ovid.

Have you ever wondered about the origin of the terrifying Wendigo? How about the Philippine shape-shifting vampire? What about the Māori forest spirits? Join award winning podcaster and researcher Kamuela Kaneshiro as he takes you on a thrilling trip through Asia, the Americas, and other fascinating cultures touching the Pacific Ocean. And as you marvel at this captivating assortment of deities, monsters, and historical backdrops, you’re sure to have your imagination sparked by the wonders of the world.

Full of unforgettable figures and an unrelenting spirit of adventure, Strange Stones is a far-ranging, thought-provoking collection of Peter Hessler’s best reportage - a dazzling display of the powerful storytelling, shrewd cultural insight, and warm sense of humor that are the trademarks of his work. Over the last decade, as a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of three books, Peter Hessler has lived in Asia and the United States, writing as both native and knowledgeable outsider in these two very different regions.

Few events have sparked more legends and stories of the supernatural than America's Civil War. The accounts of gallantry and heroism have spread far and wide. Nancy Roberts grew up listening to her father's stories of the War Between the States, and she trekked over many battle sites with him during her childhood. After reading about General Joshua Chamberlain's supernatural experience at the Battle of Gettysburg, Roberts began to collect tales of the blue and gray and write them down.

The stories in this book are based upon actual events. During the course of her research into some of South Carolina's classic tales, Nancy Roberts heard accounts of happenings in the recent past and even the present day. They're all here: from the famous Gray Man of Pawleys Island who warns of coming storms to the ghost of the poor fellow whose small plane went down in the 1950s near Walhalla, leaving him to forever hitchhike Highway 107.

The chronicle of Theodore Adolphus “Dot” Babb is a factual and fascinating account of his and his younger sister’s 1865 capture by a Comanche band near what is today Decatur, Texas. They were taken to an area in what became the state of Oklahoma and adopted into the tribe, where Babb observed all facets of the tribe’s customs and participated in activities like horse taming, until both children were ransomed by their father in 1867. Babb kept in contact with the tribe and the next decade the family lived with the Comanche for a year before settling in Wichita Falls.

This collection of supernatural tales includes "The Talking Corpse"; "The Hound of Goshen"; "The Ring"; "The Phantom Rider of Bush River"; "The Witch Cat"; "The Gray Man"; "Tsali, the Cherokee Brave"; "The Ghost of Litchfield"; "City of Death"; "Treasure Hunt"; "House of the Opening Door"; "The Ghosts of Hagley"; "Return from the Dead"; "Whistle While You Haunt"; "The Brown Mountain Lights"; "Alice of the Hermitage"; "The Night the Spirits Called"; and "Swamp Girl".

The Miraculous Prophecies, Predictions, and Strange Visions of Sundry Eminent Men is an old English book which explores various mysteries, and the visions and predictions of seers like Nostradamus.

All of us are familiar with the fairy tales of youth where the young hero and heroine fall in love, defeat their enemies, marry, and live happily ever after. The fairy tales gathered here are about what happens next, when the Prince goes bald and the Princess has a midlife crisis. They portray middle-aged men and women facing the special issues dealing with crisis, aging and mortality, and the desire for renewal.

Are you tired of the traditional passive (or evil) female folktale characters? Doug Lipman has unearthed and reassembled 5 tales of women - but none of them are the hand-wringing variety. The heroines take command of their lives in entertaining and engaging ways. These tales come from all over the world, including Iraq, Poland, Vietnam, South Africa, and Spain. The collection includes "The Chicken Woman," "The Woman Who Saved the City," "The Clever Wife of Vietnam," "The One with the Star on Her Forehead" (more commonly known to Westerners as "Snow White" but with an unexpected twist), and "La Muerta: Godmother Death."

Is there life after John Wayne? After his glory days as the "cowboy" of Wall Street, the "master" of the podium and pulpit, or the "road warrior" of interstates, airports, and convention centers, the middle-aged man yearns to fill a void that he has just discovered, right in the center of his being. He wants to stop, to grow roots, to become somehow whole.