Showing titles in Customs & Traditions

The human mind needs monsters. In every culture and in every epoch in human history, from ancient Egypt to modern Hollywood, imaginary beings have haunted dreams and fantasies, provoking in young and old shivers of delight, thrills of terror, and endless fascination. In Monsters: Evil Beings, Mythical Beasts, and All Manner of Imaginary Terrors, anthropologist David D. Gilmore explores what human traits monsters represent and why they are so ubiquitous in people's imaginations and share so many features across different cultures.

The Sàmi are the indigenous people of Scandinavia. Residing in four countries. Lapland of Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Learn about the connections between Sámi and Scandinavian mythology and Disney's Frozen II, which was made in collaboration with the representatives from Sámi nations. We will also dive into gender roles, motherhood, and ancestral beliefs.

An assortment of real Canadian mysteries published on MysteriesOfCanada.com throughout the years 2022 and 2023. Includes tales of Sasquatch, Canada's Bigfoot; the Ogopogo, Canada's Loch Ness Monster; the Wendigo, an evil man-eating spirit of First Nations legend; the Thunderbird, a legendary bird of prey with the ability to create thunder and lightning; and traditional folktales endemic to Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Here is a rosary of soaring myth, gripping narrative, and deep wisdom, all told with breathtaking verve that enchants and sweeps us along, from first word to last. A superb, inspiring read.” —GABOR MATÉ, author of The Myth of Normal From "one of the...

The World Mythology Encyclopedia is your portal to the legendary tales that have mesmerized humanity for thousands of years. This is not just a book—it’s a journey through time, a front-row seat to the most thrilling sagas ever recorded. You’ll encounter gods, monsters, tricksters, and heroes beyond your wildest imagination. Each chapter is concise, thrilling, and packed with insights, making it easy to absorb thousands of years of mythological history in no time.

Tapping into the political power of magic and astrology for social, community, and personal transformation. In a cross-cultural approach to understanding astrology as a magical language, Alice Sparkly Kat unmasks the political power of astrology, showing how it can be channeled as a force for...

Parker unlocks secrets that point to more complex motivations within the marauding army that in the late-9th century voyaged to the shores of eastern England in its sleek, dragon-prowed longships. Exploring legends from forgotten medieval texts, and across the varied Anglo-Saxon regions, she depicts Vikings who came not just to raid but also to settle personal feuds, intervene in English politics and find a place to call home. Native tales reveal the links to famous Vikings like Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, Cnut, and Havelok the Dane.

Quand l'ambition et la tradition tuent l'amour... Boussoura et Seini forment un couple moderne qui vit à Yaoundé. Il est médecin, elle est professeure de littérature. Une famille épanouie jusqu'au jour où tout bascule quand Seini est rattrapé par son passé. Fils de roi, il est appelé à prendre la succession. Malgré les réserves de son épouse, l'attrait du pouvoir est le plus fort. Devenu lamido, commandeur des croyants et garant des traditions et de la religion, il se transforme en roi tout-puissant.

Using an infamous deception about a fake mountain range in British Columbia as her jumping-off point, Katie Ives explores the lure of blank spaces on the map and the value of the imagination. In Imaginary Peaks she details the cartographical mystery of the Riesenstein Hoax within the larger context of climbing history and the seemingly endless quest for newly discovered peaks and claims of first ascents. Imaginary Peaks is an evocative, thought-provoking tale, immersed in the literature of exploration, study of maps, and basic human desire.

Explore the enchanting world of Polynesian folklore in this beautifully illustrated 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...

The grandson of an eminent ayatollah and the son of an Iranian diplomat, journalist Hooman Majd is uniquely qualified to explain contemporary Iran's complex and misunderstood culture to Western listeners. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ provides an intimate look at a paradoxical country that is both deeply religious and highly cosmopolitan, authoritarian yet informed by a history of democratic and reformist traditions.

In this book, author Alda Sigmundsdóttir presents 20 translated elf stories from Icelandic folklore, along with fascinating notes on the context from which they sprung. The international media has had a particular infatuation with the Icelanders’ elf belief, generally using it to propagate some kind of “kooky Icelanders” myth. Yet Iceland’s elf folklore, at its core, reflects the plight of a nation living in abject poverty on the edge of the inhabitable world, and its people’s heroic efforts to survive, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Journey to the center of Naples and the Amalfi Coast! Oh, the magnificent beauty of the south of Italy - what are you waiting for? Passport to European Travel Guides offers this comprehensive, yet quick and concise, five-day guide to Naples and the Amalfi Coast - one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world!

Don’t just see the sights―get to know the people. A land of mountains, hills, and fertile plains, Romania is a tourist destination waiting to be discovered. It is a rich and complex country: a place whose cities are home to beautiful parks and vibrant cultural scenes; whose people welcome...

France is one of the most enchanting countries in the world — so what are you waiting for? Passport to European Travel Guides offers this comprehensive, yet quick and concise, guide to France — one of the most romanticized countries in the world!

From the beautiful apsaras of Hindu myth to the swan maidens of European fairy tales, stories of flying women - some carried by wings, others by clouds, rainbows, floating scarves, and flying horses - reveal the perennial fascination with and ambivalence about female power and sexuality. In Women Who Fly, Serinity Young examines the motif of the flying woman as it appears in a wide variety of cultures and historical periods, in legends, myths, rituals, sacred narratives, and artistic productions.  

Best-selling author Frank Delaney deconstructs the Vampire myth through the ages, and shows us how Stoker’s 1897 novel, one of the most widely read books of all time, heightened the allure of sex, the glamour of blood, and the defeat of death in a way that continues to pulse - and faster than ever - on the page and on the screen.

Eine starke Geschichte kann die Welt retten - oder sie zerstören. Sie kann Wahlen entscheiden, Menschenleben retten, aber auch Kriege auslösen und Ungerechtigkeit zementieren. Samira El Ouassil und Friedemann Karig verfolgen diese ambivalente Wirkungsmacht anhand wichtiger Narrative von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart. Und sie zeigen, welche Erzählungen uns heute gefährden und warum wir neue benötigen. Wie gelingt es, den Klimawandel so zu erzählen, dass er zum Handeln drängt? Aus welchen Überlegenheitsmythen entstehen Rassismus und Antisemitismus?

Wir werden um die Welt reisen, eine Reise durch Raum und Zeit, durch die verschiedenen Kulturen, Mythen, Legenden und Geschichten, die uns seit Tausenden von Jahren verzaubern.

Invoke the power of these 52 goddesses throughout the year to empower yourself and improve your life. Women today are banding together in magical ways to celebrate and encourage one another, and many are turning to the sacred goddesses of the past to guide their way. Your Goddess Year provides a...