Books with author John R. Swanton

This is a massive study of the myths and legends of the Tlingit, Native Americans of southern Alaska. These texts include a lengthly cycle of stories about Raven, the trickster figure of the Northwest, the equivalent of the better known Coyote of the Southwest. Another major thread that runs through these stories is the typical Northwestern preoccupation with wealth and status. The land was abundant with marine life, wildlife and other resources. The Tlingit, along with other cultures in the region, had developed a very high level of material wealth, as well as levels of social inequality not found elsewhere in North America. For this reason, many of the stories are parallel to European folklore (without being derivative in the slightest way), in which a low-status person achieves wealth and respect by supernatural intervention or a series of epic trials. On the other hand, the Tlingit were also avid believers in the Potlatch system, by which wealth was distributed by the rich at festivals, in order to reinforce their status. Hence there are also stories in this collection in which altruism and sharing wealth are rewarded. Usually in 19th century ethnographies the texts are presented without any clue as to the cultural context in which they were told. This collection diverges from this sometimes maddening practice. The function of stories is often described in an footnote by the informant, for instance, as fables for young people. In another instance at the end of the book the myth cycle is retold, woven into a grieving ceremony. --J.B. Hare

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This collection of stories from the Southeastern Native American region covers mythology and folklore from the Creek, Hitchiti, Alabama, Kosati, and Natchez. The Creek (including the Alabama, Hitichi and Kosati) originally lived in northern Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. The Natchez resided in Louisiana.The Southeast tribes once had a sophisticated culture, including a stable federal form of government. They built huge earthworks, the largest indigenous buildings north of Mexico. Decimated by smallpox and contact with the Europeans, the inhabitants of this region were forcibly relocated to the Oklahoma area in the 19th century, alongside the better-known Cherokee.These stories were collected from survivors in the early twentieth century. At this time, their folklore had been influenced for centuries by both European and (particularly) African sources. The tales included here include such 'modern' elements as guns and dry-goods stores, and obvious post-relocation wildlife such as Buffalo. However, the original stories are visible in strong relief, including the trickster (in this area, a very rascally Rabbit), the Corn-mother, and many tales that are similar to the Cherokee and other tribes farther afield. (Quote from sacred-texts.com)About the AuthorJohn Reed Swanton (1873 - 1958)John Reed Swanton (19 February 1873 - 2 May 1958) was an American anthropologist who worked with Native American peoples throughout the United States.Born in Gardiner, Maine, Swanton's work in the fields of ethnology and ethnohistory is well recognized. He is particularly noted for his work with indigenous peoples of the Southeast and Pacific Northwest. He attended Harvard University from which he earned a Masters in 1897 and a doctorate in 190

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Be careful what you dream ... Tommy Payne is 11. He looks 9 and thinks like 20. He lives in a third floor apartment of a decrepit old building. He and his three best friends have banded together as The Loyal and Adventurous Knights of the Air Shaft. The LAKOTAS -- 'kotas for short. The 'kotas fall asleep in their cockroach-infested bedrooms and wake up in a strange place where werewolves are the norm and humans the monsters. Hunted relentlessly by Zooters and smoke-like Skincrawlers, the 'kotas are unwittingly dragged into a deadly game. Their mission? Rescue hundreds of kids whose very spirits are being sucked dry by a diabolical machine concocted by a clown-like maniac from some bizarre nightmare realm. "Dream worlds are real," says Mr. Graber, considered the neighborhood drunk. But looks can be deceiving. Only he knows the real dangers ahead for Tommy, Bobby, Val and Pal.