Books in Myths, Legend and Folk Tales from Around the World series

The Yoruba people are descendants from a variety of West African communities. They are united by Geography, History, Religion and most importantly their Language. Many years ago, before the advent of the West African slave trade, the Yoruba people inhabited an area which stretched, along the coast of West Africa, all the way inward and down to Angola in South West Africa. Today this is not the case. The legends and fairy stories in this book belong to the Yoruba. They relate the adventures of men and animals, and try to explain the mysteries of Nature-Why Women have Long Hair, How the Leopard got his Spots, the Three Magicians, the Boa- Constrictor, How the Elephant got his Trunk and more. These stories grew from the imagination of the people. We read these folk-tales for their quaintness and humour, for their sympathy with Nature, and because we find in them the ideas and ideals, not just of one man, but of a race of people. IN modern times we have begun paying close attention to folklore - old tales, not invented by one man, but belonging to the whole people; not written down, but told by parents to their children, and so handed on for hundreds of years. The legends express primitive notions of right and wrong. As a rule, the wicked are punished and the good rewarded; and that, we feel, is as it should be. We may weep at the death of rascally Tortoise, but we may also feel that he somehow has deserved his fate! A percentage of the net sale from this book will be donated to Edgbarrow School in Crowthorne, Berkshire to augment fundraising for their Ghana Project.

From childhood we listen to tales of ghosts, banshees, haunted castles and mischievous sprites. But it is not until you immerse yourself in Gaelic literature that you realise what a heritage awaits, for Celtic folklore overflows with vivid stories that fire the imagination. This is a wonderful, enchanting collection of 12 Celtic and magical tales from Ella Young. Children aged 7-12 years old will be enchanted by the magical, mysterious stories. Tales of the Earth Shapers, Eric-Fine of Lugh, Inisfail, the classic Children of Lir, the Spear of Victory and more. So don't be surprised if when you think you have finished reciting a tale from this book that you feel a tug at your sleeve and have a request for another; and the child within you will be only too happy to read on. So take some time out and travel back to yesteryear, to a period before television and radio, a time when families would gather around a crackling and spitting hearth and granddad or grandma or an uncle or auntie would delight and captivate the gathering with stories passed on to them from their parents and grandparents from time immemorial.

This collection of Basque legends, fairy tales, ballads, and popular stories having their origin in the ancient traditions which formed a portion of the sacred inheritance bequeathed to the Basque people by their forefathers, and handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. These tales constitute the archives of the Basque people, the treasures of their science and of their beliefs; they are the records of the lives of their forefathers, the landmarks of the grandeur of their past history. In the midst of the great revolutions which have agitated the whole of Europe, causing radical changes, levelling to the ground or converting into ruins great empires, powerful nationalities, monuments; sweeping away languages, and even the very races themselves--the Basques have somehow passed unscathed through the many storms of devastation, preserving intact their nationality, institutions, laws, language, and customs. In this volume you will find the tales of Aquelarre, Arguiduna, The Song of Lamia, the Prophecy of Lara, the Virgin of the Five Towns and more. So take some time out and travel back to a period before television, or even radio for that matter, when families would gather around a crackling and spitting hearth and granddad or grandma or an uncle or aunt would delight and captivate their audience with stories passed on to them from their mothers, fathers and grandparents. A percentage of the net sale from this book will be donated to charities for educational scholarships for the underprivileged.

This volume is a treasure chest of classic Eastern tales drawing on the rich folklore of Turkey. Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales has not been in print for almost 100 years, mainly because the original edition had lavish production standards. On the used market, mint copies of the 1913 original can cost up to four figures. This volume is appropriately titled Fairy Tales because something definitely 'fairy' occurs. There are talking animals, flying horses, birds that magically change into beautiful maidens, quests to win the hand of a princess, magical objects, simple, yet brave, peasants, wizards, witches, dragons and dungeons, epic journeys, and loveable fools. The majority of these stories contain encounters with 'Dews', or Turkish supernatural beings, better known in the West as 'Genies.' Sometimes the Turkish Dews are also called 'Arabs!' There are many other specifically Turkish elements and references in the stories, for which the glossary at the end of the book is of particular help. So this isn't simply an orientalised set of European Tales, but was drawn from an authentic Turkish oral storytelling tradition by Dr. Ignácz Kúnos . Plus, there are almost 200 illustrations exquisitely crafted by Willy Pogany. While our production is not as lavish as the original, it does contain the original illustrations. Note: some of the illustrations could be considered unsuitable by 21st Century standards because they can be considered as caricatures with obvious ethnic stereotypes. However, in most cases, the illustrator is portraying imaginary creatures, which are supposed to be grotesque. Also to be remembered is the book was originally produced in 1913 when the world's attitudes towards racial tolerance and acceptance were quite different to those of today. 33% of the net will be donated to charities in Turkey for education scholarships

It is found among the old, old histories of the Tibetans that a female demon living among the mountains in Northern India mated with a monkey from the forests of Tibet, and from this union sprang the Tibetan race of people. The greater part of their literature is of a sacred nature, telling of their creation, of the formation of the world, of Buddha and his miraculous birth and death, of his reincarnations and the revisions of his teachings. A kind of almanac, a little astronomy, plans for casting a horoscope, and many books filled with religious teachings and superstitions, including the worship of devils and demons, are about all that can be found. The 49 little stories in this book are told as the people sit around their boiling tea made over a three stone camp-fire. They are handed down from father to son, from mother to daughter, and though often filled with their superstitious beliefs, through them all run a vein of humor and the teachings of a moral truth which is quite unexpected. These tales were gathered by Dr. A. L. Shelton on his trips among the Tibetans, around their camp-fires at night, and in their black tents high up in the mountains. Every country has its folk-lore tales that have always been a joy and pleasure to the children, not only of their own land, but of other lands as well. May these stories add a little to this pleasure and enjoyment everywhere, in whatsoever tongue they may be translated or in whatever land they may be read. Flora Beal Shelton 1925

It is not widely known that the Caucasus corridor, geographic home to the nation of Georgia, was a well travelled arm of the famous Silk Route that linked Asia and Europe. Silk, merchandise, and stories were traded through this region for countless generations. On one hand, Georgia shared a religious and political connection with Byzantium (Christendom), and on the other a constant cultural discourse with Persia and Turkey (Islam). In later years, links to Russia further enriched the cultural traditions of this crossroad of civilisations. It is therefore not surprising that the nation of Georgia overflows with folklore. We invite you to enjoy Georgian Folktales, a short collection of thirty-eight traditional stories from Georgia, Mingrelia and Guria translated by Marjorie Wardrop in 1894. Princes, kings, viziers, wicked stepmothers, princesses, fools, speaking serpents, and simple folk who make good abound in the pages of this delightful volume. The twenty-eight Mingrelian proverbs are a bonus and provide additional insight into the culture of the region. Many of the themes in these stories are also reflected in European folklore, giving credence to the claim that folklore originated in Asia eons ago and was transported to Europe by the Gypsy and Roma folk. Indeed, some of these stories closely parallel those published in Abela Publishing's Gypsy Folk Tales and Roumanian Folk Tales. A percentage of the sale from this book will be donated to scholarships for the underpriviledged in Georgia.

This book, compiled by Sir George Douglas, contains not just fairytales but also tales of kelpies, brownies, stories of animals - foxes, crows, frogs and stories of mermen and comic tales as well. Contained herein are eighty-five stories like The Story of the White Pet, The Fisherman and the Mermen, The Seal-Catcher's Adventure, The Frog and the Crow, Habitrot, The Wee Bunnock and many, many more. In the days long before the advent of radio and television, the arrival of a story-teller in a village was an important event. As soon as it became known, there would be a rush to the house where he was lodged, and every available seat--on bench, table, bed, beam, or the floor would quickly be appropriated. And then, for hours together--just like some first-rate actor on a stage--the story-teller would hold his audience spell-bound. Campbell of Isla, who gathered and penned the Popular Tales of the West Highlands series in the 1870's, records that in his day the practice of story-telling still lingered in the remote Western Islands of Barra. Maybe, just maybe, there are a few alive today who remember this custom being continued at Poolewe in Ross-shire where the young people used to assemble at night to hear the old ones recite the tales which they had learned from their fore-fathers. This book is a treasure chest of classic Scottish Folklore, and will make fascinating reading for those interested in folklore in general. So take some time out and travel back to a period before television and radio, a time when tales were passed on orally--at the drying kilns, at the communal well and in homes. YESTERDAYS BOOKS for TODAYS CHARITIES

Given Romania's long and diverse cultural history, it is no surprise that the country has such a rich tapestry of folk tales, fairy tales, and legends. It is fortunate that so many of these stories survived the country's turbulent history and were passed down throughout the ages to countless Romanian children. Roumanian Fairy Tales & Legends is a collection of seventeen of Romania's most fascinating tales, painstakingly researched and deftly translated by E.B. Mawr. A percentage of the sales from this book will be donated to support the under-privileged people of Romania in their fight against poverty and discrimination