Dictionary of Folklore

From dragons, fairies, giants, and trolls to Paul Bunyan, Robin Hood, and UFOs, A Dictionary of Folklore is an illuminating and comprehensive onevolume guide to the central themes and traditions of world folklore from ancient times to the present day. More than 1,000 AtoZ entries emphasize the social and oral traditions of the British Isles, Western Europe, and North America, with selective coverage of legends and lore from Africa, India, South America, Asia, and other parts of the world.

Library Journal

Although this reference book admits to being somewhat Eurocentric, it does touch upon the folklore of Asian, African, South American, and Native American cultures as well. Pickering (Cassell Dictionary of Superstitions, Cassell Dictionary of Proverbs) provides succinct but informative entries (longer when the topic is more complex) on such subjects as herbal remedies, the superstitions connected with various gemstones, and the folklore associated with selected trees, plants, birds, and animals. He also covers the ritual tradition of holidays and festivals and the origins of proverbs and sayings. In addition, the dictionary mentions characters and heroes from selkies to Joe Magarac, fantasy beings such as sprites and pixies, and some urban myths. While making what the introduction calls only "modest" claims to comprehensiveness, this dictionary nonetheless pulls together disparate strands of information not always available in mythology sources. Cross references help locate material. Recommended for public and school libraries as a basic reference on folklore.--Katherine Kaigler-Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\