Supernatural Beings From Slovenian Myth And Folktales

Focusing on Slovenian mythology the book contains a review of Slovenian mythological, historical, and narrative material. Over 150 supernatural beings are presented, both lexically and according to the role that they have in Slovenian folklore. They are classified by type, characteristic, features, and by the message conveyed in their motifs and contents. The material has been analysed in the context of European and some non-European mythological concepts, and the author deals with theory and interpretations as well as the conclusions of domestic and foreign researchers. The book forms new starting points and a classification of supernatural beings within a frame of a number of sources, some of which have been published for the first time in this book.

Focusing on Slovenian mythology the book contains a review of Slovenian mythological, historical, and narrative material. Over 150 supernatural beings are presented, both lexically and according to the role that they have in Slovenian folklore. They are classified by type, characteristic, features, and by the message conveyed in their motifs and contents. The material has been analysed in the context of European and some non-European mythological concepts, and the author deals with theory and interpretations as well as the conclusions of domestic and foreign researchers. The book forms new starting points and a classification of supernatural beings within a frame of a number of sources, some of which have been published for the first time in this book.

“Here there be dragons”—this notation was often made on ancient maps to indicate the edges of the known world and what lay beyond. Heroes who ventured there were only as great as the beasts they encountered. This encyclopedia contains more than 2,200 monsters of myth and folklore, who both made life difficult for humans and fought by their side. Entries describe the appearance, behavior, and cultural origin of mythic creatures well-known and obscure, collected from traditions around the world.

The Spirits and Creatures series takes an in-depth look at spirits and creatures across Eastern Europe. Author Ronesa Aveela grew up in Bulgaria where many of these entities were part of the tales and beliefs her grandmother told to her. This series will look at the origins of these beings, and popular ways people believed you could appease or defeat them. Illustrations, stories, music, and videos add to the details of these fascinating beings. This collection contains the first three books of the series, plus a book of additional dragon tales: *A Study of Household Spirits of Eastern Europe *A Study of Rusalki – Slavic Mermaids of Eastern Europe *A Study of Dragons of Eastern Europe *Dragon Tales from Eastern Europe Although the books have extensive research, they are meant for a non-academic audience.

T.D. Kokoszka grew up in Texas with a Jewish mother and a Polish-American father. While he was aware of roots going back to Eastern Europe from both families, he found it hard to learn very much about them. He knew that Polish people would whack one another with palm leaves around Easter, and he knew that his great-grandmother purportedly believed in forest spirits known as borowy. However, it wasn't until he was in his teens that he became vaguely aware of an ancient people known as the Slavs who gave rise to the Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Slovakian, Slovene, and Czech languages. It quickly became clear to him that this was a family of cultures currently under-represented in popular culture, and even in western scholarship. Not simply a regurgitation of scholarship from the Soviet period - and presenting new analyses by using previously neglected resources - Bogowie: A Study of Eastern Europe's Ancient Gods offers one of the most painstaking scholarly reconstructions of Slavic paganism. These new resources include not only an overview of folklore from many different Slavic countries but also comparisons with Ossetian culture and Mordvin culture, as well as a series of Slavic folktales that Kokoszka analyzes in depth, often making the case that the narratives involved are mythological and shockingly ancient. Readers will recognize many European folktale types and possibly learn to look at these folktales differently after reading this book.

Do you love all things paranormal? What you know about the spirit world is about to change as you discover these nine unusual household spirits. Author Ronesa Aveela grew up in Bulgaria, spellbound by her grandmother’s tales of spirits and other creatures that haunted the countryside. Some scary. Some friendly. All fascinating. She shares those and others in this series of studies about Eastern European mythology and folklore—a rich, colorful blend of Christian and pagan tales, customs, and rituals. Many have lost their original significance, but others are still practiced—especially in remote, rural locations. Household Spirits, the first book in the series, takes you on a journey of discovery of spirits closest to home. You’ll learn historical facts, discover intriguing and horrifying stories, and enjoy beautiful illustrations to gain a complete experience of these elusive house spirits. Here are a few tidbits about what you can expect to find within the book’s pages: Builders often measure passersby with string or “capture” their shadow in the mortar of a wall to make structures strong. Forgetting to wash your dishes at night and leaving your house messy anger a Kikimora, and she’ll get her revenge. Have you heard of the Bannik? Taking a steam bath will never be the same again after you learn about his habits. Household Spirits is an enlightening nonfiction cultural study in the Spirits and Creatures series. If you like impeccable research, chilling stories, and clever humor, then you’ll love Ronesa Aveela’s educational folklore series. Explore the pages of Household Spirits today to discover a world of wonders.

Examining the fairies of medieval romance as liminal beings, this book draws on anthropological and philosophical studies of liminality to combine folkloristic insights into the nature of fairies with close readings of selected romance texts. Tracing different meanings and manifestations of liminality in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Orfeo, Sir Launfal, Thomas of Erceldoune and Robert Henryson’s Orpheus and Eurydice, the volume offers a comprehensive theory of liminality rooted in structuralist anthropology and poststructuralist theory. Arguing that romance fairies both embody and represent the liminal, The Liminality of Fairies posits and answers fundamental theoretical questions about the limits of representation and the relationship between romance hermeneutics and criticism. The interdisciplinary nature of the argument will appeal not just to medievalists and literary critics but also to anthropologists, folklorists as well as scholars working within the fields of cultural history and contemporary literary theory.

The Silver Bough is a journey into a forgotten Otherworld of hollow hills, glass mountains and fabled islands. With over twenty myths and folktales arising from the rich traditions of the world, from ancient Egypt and Iceland, to New Zealand, Siberia and the Celtic lands, among the stories are Gwyn and the Lady of the Lake, The Shipwrecked Sailor, Galahad's Quest for the Grail and Apples of Immortality. Each of the five accompanying sections is woven from the threads of each tale. Rich in symbolism, shamanic traditions and esoteric wisdom, The Silver Bough traverses ancient cosmologies, from the kingdom of the dead and the starlit realm, to the domain of the flood and the land of the hidden folk.