ANDREW LANG

This book is annotated with a rare extensive biographical sketch of the author, Andrew Lang, written by Sir Edmund Gosse, CB, a contemporary poet and writer.Mr. Kirks little book was written in 1691 and was probably not printed until 1815, when an edition of only one hundred copies appeared at Edinburgh from the press of James Ballantyne & Company for Longman & Company of London. Mr. Kirks book is the most curious imaginable. Written in 1691 by a Scotch divine, it is nothing less than a calm assumption of the existence at that time of a commonwealth of elves, fauns, and fairies, whose government, habits, etc., are minutely described upon the authority of "Men of Second Sight" (it is not clear whether the author himself was one of these by virtue of bis being a seventh son), the method of obtaining which gift is also carefully explained. These fairies are of a middle nature between man and angel; they inhabit subterranean abodes, which they change at each quarter of the year. "They are distributed in tribes and orders, and have children, nurses, marriages, deaths, and burials; their apparel and speech is like that of the people and country under which they live; they are said to have aristocratical rulers and laws, but no discernible religion, love, or devotion towards God," their weapons are most what solid earthly bodies, nothing of iron, but much of stone, like to yellow soft flint spa, shaped liked a barbed arrow-head, but flung like a dart, with great force." The moral character of these "subterraneans" is minutely described and the conclusion is, "But for swearing and intemperance, they are not observed so subject to those irregularities, as to envy, spite, hypocrisy, lying, and dissimulation." The author adds to the evidence given by his friends, etc., a letter from Lord Tarbott to the Hon. Robert Boyle, in which many additional instances of second sight are narrated.

JOAN OF ARC was perhaps the most wonderful person who ever lived in the world. The story of her life is so strange that we could scarcely believe it to be true, if ali that happened to her had not been told by people in a court of law, and written down by her deadly enemies, while she was still alive. She was burned to deach when she was only nineteen: she was not seventeen when she first led the armies of France to victory, and delivered her country from the English.

After the heavy rain of a thunderstorm has washed the soil, it sometimes happens that a child, or a rustic, finds a wedge-shaped piece of metal or a few triangular flints in a field or near a road. There was no such piece of metal, there were no such flints, lying there yesterday, and the finder is puzzled about the origin of the objects on which he has lighted. He carries them home, and the village wisdom determines that the wedge-shaped piece of metal is a thunderbolt, or that the bits of flint are elf-shots, the heads of fairy arrows. Such things are still treasured in remote nooks of England, and the thunderbolt is applied to cure certain maladies by its touch.As for the fairy arrows, we know that even in ancient Etruria they were looked on as magical, for we sometimes see their points set, as amulets, in the gold of Etruscan necklaces. In Perugia the arrowheads are still sold as charms. All educated people, of course, have long been aware that the metal wedge is a celt, or ancient bronze axe-head, and that it was not fairies, but the forgotten peoples of this island who used the arrows with the tips of flint. Thunder is only so far connected with them that the heavy rains loosen the surface soil, and lay bare its long hidden secrets.

When this book first appeared, the philological school of interpretation of religion and myth, being then still powerful in England, was criticised and opposed by the author. In Science, as on the Turkish throne of old, "Amurath to Amurath succeeds"; the philological theories of religion and myth have now yielded to anthropological methods. The centre of the anthropological position was the "ghost theory" of Mr. Herbert Spencer, the "Animistic" theory of Mr. E. R. Tylor, according to whom the propitiation of ancestral and other spirits leads to polytheism, and thence to monotheism. In the second edition of this work the author argued that the belief in a "relatively supreme being," anthropomorphic was as old as, and might be even older, than animistic religion.

The Violet Fairy Book Andrew Lang - The Editor makes a move to rehash what he has frequently said previously, that he isnt the writer of the tales in the Fairy Books; that he didnt develop them out of his own head. He is acquainted with being asked, by women, Have you composed whatever else with the exception of the Fairy Books? He is then obliged to clarify that he has NOT composed the Fairy Books, be that as it may, save these, has composed nearly all the other things, with the exception of psalms, messages, and sensational works. The tales in this Violet Fairy Book, as in all the others of the series, have been interpreted out of the mainstream conventional stories in a number of various dialects. These accounts are pretty much as old as anything that men have developed. They are described by exposed savage ladies to bare savage kids.

Persons not much interested in, or cognisant of, antiquarian old womanries, as Sir Walter called them, may ask what all the pother is about, in this little tractate. On my side it is about the veracity of Sir Walter Scott. He has been suspected of helping to compose, and of issuing as a genuine antique, a ballad, Auld Maitland. He also wrote about the ballad, as a thing obtained from recitation, to two friends and fellow-antiquaries. If to Scotts knowledge it was a modern imitation, Sir Walter deliberately lied.He did not: he did obtain the whole ballad from Hogg, who got it from recitationas I believe, and try to prove, and as Scott certainly believed. The facts in the case exist in published works, and in manuscript letters of Ritson to Scott, and Hogg to Scott, and in the original copy of the song, with a note by Hogg to Laidlaw. If we are interested in the truth about the matter, we ought at least to read the very accessible material before bringing charges against the Sheriff and the Shepherd of Ettrick.

"...The foul and foggy night of early February was descending, some weeks after the scene in the Cockpit, on the river and the town. Night was falling from the heavens; or rather, night seemed to be rising from the earthsteamed up, black, from the dingy trampled snow of the streets, and from the vapors that swam above the squalid houses. There was coal-smoke and a taste of lucifer matches in the air. In the previous night there had been such a storm as London seldom sees; the powdery, flying snow had been blown for many hours before a tyrannous northeast gale, and had settled down, like dust in a neglected chamber, over every surface of the city. Drifts and "snow-wreathes," as northern folk say, were lying in exposed places, in squares and streets, as deep as they lie when sheep are "smoored" on the sides of Sundhope or Penchrist in the desolate Border-land. All day London had been struggling under her cold winding-sheet, like a feeble, feverish patient trying to throw off a heavy white counterpane. Now the counterpane was dirty enough. The pavements were three inches deep in a rich greasy deposit of mud and molten ice. Above the round glass or iron coverings of coal-cellars the foot-passengers slipped, "ricked" their backs, and swore as they stumbled, if they did not actually fall down, in the filth..."

"...The story of Kaspar Hauser, a boy, apparently idiotic, who appeared, as if from the clouds, in Nuremberg (1828), divided Germany into hostile parties, and caused legal proceedings as late as 1883. Whence this lad came, and what his previous adventures had been, has never been ascertained. His death by a dagger-wound, in 1833whether inflicted by his own hand or that of anotherdeepened the mystery. According to one view, the boy was only a waif and an impostor, who had strayed from some peasant home, where nobody desired his return. According to the other theory, he was the Crown Prince of Baden, stolen as an infant in the interests of a junior branch of the House, reduced to imbecility by systematic ill-treatment, turned loose on the world at the age of sixteen, and finally murdered, lest his secret origin might be discovered.

By the nature of things this book falls under two divisions. The first eight chapters criticise the current anthropological theory of the origins of the belief in spirits. Chapters ix.-xvii., again, criticise the current anthropological theory as to how, the notion of spirit once attained, man arrived at the idea of a Supreme Being. These two branches of the topic are treated in most modern works concerned with the Origins of Religion, such as Mr. Tylers "Primitive Culture," Mr. Herbert Spencers "Principles of Sociology," Mr. Jevonss "Introduction to the History of Religion," the late Mr. Grant Allens "Evolution of the Idea of God," and many others. Yet I have been censured for combining, in this work, the two branches of my subject; and the second part has been regarded as but faintly connected with the first.

Is there any human institution which can be safely called "Totemism"? Is there any possibility of defining, or even describing Totemism? Is it legitimateis it even possible, with due regard for "methodology" and logicto seek for the "normal" form of Totemism, and to trace it through many Protean changes, produced by various causes, social and speculative? I think it possible to discern the main type of Totemism, and to account for divergences.

In "The World of Homer," Andrew Lang meticulously delves into the rich tapestry of ancient Greek culture through the lens of Homers epic poetry. Lang employs a fluid and engaging narrative style, weaving together historical context, linguistic analysis, and comparative mythology to elucidate the profound impact of Homeric narratives on Western literature. This work not only explores the themes of heroism, fate, and divine intervention prevalent in the Iliad and Odyssey, but also positions them within the broader context of Greek civilization, making the text both educational and captivating for scholars and lay readers alike. Andrew Lang, a Scottish novelist, poet, and anthropologist, was a prominent figure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for his diverse interests in folklore, anthropology, and literary pursuits. His extensive studies and admiration for classical literature prompted him to craft this illuminating examination of Homer, as he sought to make the complexities of ancient texts accessible to contemporary audiences. Langs background in anthropology particularly informs his explorations of how Homers works illuminate cultural values and societal structures of the time. "The World of Homer" is highly recommended for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of classic literature and its enduring influence on modern storytelling. Langs scholarly yet approachable style invites readers to engage with Homers profound insights, making this work an essential addition to the library of any literature enthusiast or student of history.

Contents:PrefaceLovely IlonkaLucky LuckThe Hairy ManTo Your Good Health!The Story of the Seven SimonsThe Language of BeastsThe Boy Who Could Keep A SecretThe Prince And The DragonLittle WildroseTiidu The PiperPaperarellooThe Gifts Of The MagicianThe Strong PrinceThe Treasure SeekerThe Cottager And His CatThe Prince Who Would Seek ImmortalityThe Stone-CutterThe Gold-Bearded ManTritill, Litill, And The BirdsThe Three RobesThe Six Hungry BeastsHow the Beggar Boy Turned into Count PiroThe Rogue And The HerdsmanEisenkopfThe Death Of Abu Nowas And Of His WifeMotiratikaNiels And The GiantsShepherd PaulHow The Wicked Tanuki Was PunishedThe Crab And The MonkeyThe Horse Gullfaxi And The Sword GunnfoderThe Story Of The Sham Prince, Or The Ambitious TailorThe Colony Of CatsHow To Find Out A True FriendClever MariaThe Magic Kettle

One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of stories collected over many centuries by various authors, translators and scholars in various countries across the Middle East and South Asia. These collections of tales trace their roots back to ancient Arabia and Yemen, ancient Indian literature and Persian literature, ancient Egyptian literature and Mesopotamian mythology, ancient Syria and Asia Minor, and medieval Arabic folk stories from the Caliphate era. Though the oldest Arabic manuscript dates from the fourteenth century, scholarship generally dates the collections genesis to somewhere between AD 800900.

The tales in the Grey Fairy Book are derived from many countries—Lithuania, various parts of Africa, Germany, France, Greece, and other regions of the world.

The Fairy Book Series is further enriched by the addition of this latest volume, which is quite as gorgeous as the preceding ones-though the author might well be supposed to have exhausted his supply of colors and fairy tales. Mr. Lang, after traveling the world over to collect stories, asks why the stories of the remotest people resemble each other. Fortunately, he answers the question himself."Of course, in the immeasurable past, they have been carried about by conquering races, and learned by conquering races from vanquished peoples. Slaves carried far from home brought their stories with them into captivity. Wanderers, travelers, shipwrecked men, merchants, and wives stolen from alien tribes have diffused the stories; gipsies and Jews have peddled them about, Roman soldiers of many different races, moved here and there about the Empire, have trafficked in them. From the remotest days men have been wanderers, and wherever they went their stories accompanied them.""The Story of the Hero Makowa" begins in the good old way, "once upon a time" and the temptation to follow the hero Is irresistible even though he seeks a deep black pool where the crocodiles lived. He makes giants shrink, and claps them into a bag which he carries easily because he Increases in size and strength with every encouuter with an enemy. Perhaps the author intends to point a moral and he certainly adorns the tale with incredible deeds of adventure."Ian, The Soldiers Son" has a wonderful career in his search for the daughters of Grianaig. Magic transformation takes place on every page. Thus, a brown-haired youth is changed into a raven, and back again to his own self; and a beautiful maiden whom the wicked enchanter had turned Into a horse is released from the spell through the courage of the soldiers son.

This book is the natural sequel of Social Origins and Primal Law, published three years ago. In Primal Law, Mr. J. J. Atkinson sought for the origin of marriage prohibitions in the social conditions of early man, as conceived of by Mr. Darwin. Man, in the opinion of the great naturalist, was a jealous animal; the sire, in each group, kept all his female mates to himself, expelling his adolescent male offspring. From this earliest and very drastic restriction, Mr. Atkinson, using the evidence of "avoidances" between kinsfolk in savage society, deduced the various prohibitions on sexual unions. His ingenious theory has been received with some favour, where it has been understood.Mr. Atkinson said little about totemism, and, in Social Origins, I offered a theory of the Origin of Totemism; an elaboration of the oldest of all scientific theories, that of Garcilasso de la Vega, an Inca on the maternal side, the author of the History of the Incas. Totems, he conceived, arose in the early efforts of human groups to differentiate each from the others. Mr. Max Muller and Dr. Pikler set forth the same notion, independently. The "clans," or, as I say, "groups," needed differentiation by names, such as are still used as personal names by savages, and by names easily expressed in pictographs, and easily signalled in gesture language. The origin of the group names, or sobriquets, once forgotten, the names, as usual, suggested a relation between the various name-giving objects and the groups which bore them. That relation was explained by the various myths which make the name-giving animals, plants, and other objects, mystic kinsmen, patrons, or ancestors of the groups named after them. From reflection on this mystic rapport between the objects and the human groups of the same names, arose the various superstitions and tabus, including that which prohibits unions between men and women of the same animal group-name, whether by locality or maternal descent.

A magia dos contos de fadas dessa vez encarna a cor vermelha. O folclorista e literato Andrew Lang organiza mais uma coletânea de contos de fadas advindos de várias tradições: a francesa, a alemã, a

Há muitos e muitos anos, antes mesmo da invenção da escrita, as pessoas contavam histórias. As mais antigas remontam ao Egito e ao Extremo Oriente, mas possuem raízes nos quatro cantos do mundo: onde

The roars of the hungry Minotaur came nearer and nearer - his feet could be heard thundering along the echoing floor of the labyrinth . . .Meet the original heroes of Greece as they battle the mythical creatures that have inspired imaginations for thousands of years, from the Minotaur to Cyclops.Written by a Homeric expert, this condensed retelling of the Greek legends brings these ancient bestsellers to a new generation of fans. This edition is perfect for younger readers who want stories that are easy to read, without losing any of the thrilling detail, and includes classic Greek stories, from Perseus and Medusa to Theseus and the Minotaur, as well as more unusual ones, such as Ulysses and Calypso.This beautiful new edition has a stunning cover by Erica Williams.