China... Malta... Madagascar... Wales... and Texas: these are among the many exotic, distant lands that capture our minds and imaginations. In an era of increasing globalization, students, general readers, and business professionals need to know about the world and its varied ways. So too, a knowledge of world cultures is fundamental to an understanding of America's ethnically rich society. Folklore isn't just about the long ago and far away. It's about the here and now, and there's no better way to learn about cultural diversity than to study the folklore and folkways of different ethnic groups. More than just Cinderella and other fairy tales, folklore encompasses the whole realm of traditional beliefs and activities that define a culture. The most comprehensive work of its kind, this massive encyclopedia engagingly and authoritatively surveys folklife and traditions from around the world. Through its vast scope and lengthy entries, it transcends other references on particular national or regional folklores and is the most ambitious undertaking of its type. Organized in four volumes, the encyclopedia provides convenient access to information about folklore generally and to the traditions of particular regions: Volume 1: Topics and Themes, Africa, Australia and Oceania Volume 2: Southeast Asia and India, Central and East Asia, Middle East Volume 3: Europe Volume 4: North and South America Along with the expertise of the contributors, of Volume Editor William M. Clements, and of Advisory Editor Thomas A. Green, the encyclopedia draws upon a distinguished board of internationally recognized scholars, including:
- Roger D. Abrahams
- Cristina Bacchilega
- Gillian Bennett
- Mary Ellen Brown
- James R. Dow
- Alessandro Falassi
- Barbro Klein
- Peter Knecht
- Natalie Kononenko
- Frances M. Malpezzi
- Margaret Mills
- M. D. Muthukumaraswamy
- Gerald Pocius
- And John S. Ryan. Features:
- Brings together the knowledge of more than 200 specialists from around the world.
- Provides 39 extended entries on topics central to world folklore.
- Details the folklore and folkways of roughly 170 cultural groups.
- Entries discuss the background, beliefs, oral and theatrical traditions, arts and crafts, and contemporary concerns of each cultural group.
- Each entry cites numerous works for further reading.
- A generous selection of maps and illustrations makes world folklore come to life.
- A list of entries and a cumulative subject index, repeated in each volume, offer convenient access to the vast body of information contained in the encyclopedia.
- A selected, general bibliography directs students and general readers to the most important broad studies of world folklore.
- A glossary defines key terms, theories, and concepts. Benefits:
- Helps students learn about cultures, customs, and daily life around the world.
- Fosters respect and appreciation for the many ethnic traditions behind contemporary American culture.
- Provides valuable background information for the study of world religions, holidays, and festivals.
- Offers a valuable context for understanding world history, politics, literature, and the arts.
- Invites students to compare and contrast the values and experiences of different cultures.
- Fosters critical reading skills and serves as a model for student research. Volume 1: Topics and Themes, Africa, Australia and Oceania Certain themes and topics are central to world foklore. The thematic essays in this volume discuss such matters as:
- Antiquarianism
- Cultural Evolution
- Ethnopoetics
- Gender
- Invented Tradition
- Nativism
- Primitivism
- Public Folklore
- Race
- Trickster
- And many more. Volume 2: Southeast Asia and India, Central and East Asia, Middle East Included in this volume are entries on such cultural groups and regions as:
- Bali
- China
- Duna
- Iban
- Kazakh
- Mongol
- Orissa
- Palestine
- Tonga
- Uyghur
- And many others. Volume 3: Europe Included in this volume are entries on the folklore of such cultural regions and groups as:
- Ashkenazim
- Basque
- Brittany
- Flanders
- Germany
- Isle of Man
- Roma
- Russia
- Sami
- Ukraine
- And many more. Volume 4: North and South America The entries in this volume explore the folk traditions of such regions and groups as:
- Appalachia
- Choctaw
- Haiti
- Island Carib
- Maya
- Quechua
- Seminole
- Western Inuit and Yupik
- Xavante
- Yanomami
- And many more. Because folklore is the essence of daily life, this encyclopedia addresses the curriculum needs of high school students and is also an indispensable resource for teachers. In addition, anyone researching folklore in a public library will find this the first place to look for detailed information about cultural traditions around the world.
