An easy-to-use guide to American regional folklore with advice on conducting research, regional essays, and a selective annotated bibliography. * Fully annotated bibliographies on the folklore of each of eight regions of the United States * Engaging overview essays by folklore scholars introduce each of the U.S. regions covered * A list of literary authors who incorporate folklore themes in their writings, together with a brief list of some of their major works * A list of folklore-related museums, with addresses and phone numbers, a list of folklore journals, and, when possible, a list of websites

African American folklore dates back 240 years and has had a significant impact on American culture from the slavery period to the modern day. This encyclopedia provides accessible entries on key elements of this long history, including folklore originally derived from African cultures that have survived here and those that originated in the United States. * Offers the most comprehensive compilation of resources on African American folklore, in the forms of bibliographical citations, lists of websites, and lists of cultural centers * Demonstrates the importance of black folklore to the development of American culture * Contains a unique collection of entries on black folk traditions * Documents the historical, aesthetic influence of African culture on African American folklore

Are there any legends about cats? Is Cinderella an English story? What is a Mumming Play? The subject of folklore covers an extremely wide field, with connections to virtually every aspect of life. It ranges from the bizarre to the seemingly mundane. Similarly, folklore is as much a featureof the modern technological age as the ancient world, of every part of the country, both urban and rural, and of every age group and occupation.Containing 1,250 entries, from dragons to Mother Goose, May Day to Michaelmas, this reference work is an absorbing and entertaining guide to English folklore. Aimed at a broad general readership, the dictionary provides an authoritative reference source on such legendary characters as The Sandman,Jack the Giant Killer, and Robin Hood, and gives entertaining and informative explanations of a wide range of subjects in folklore, from nosebleeds and wishbones to cats and hot cross buns.'From an exemplary, clear, and concise introduction to an admirably comprehensive, yet selective, bibliography, but above all from more than 1,250 A-Z entries in between, it is good to know that Oxford University Press can still commission and publish new standard reference titles. .. A welcomedegree of scholarly rigour...coverage is excellent...the quallity of the entries is also outstanding...It is all very readable, concise, and clear throughout - another one of those reference works one can wish to read from cover to cover...a huge amount of fascinating material in this clearly andattractively designed, deceptively concise and reasonably priced volume. It becomes at once a new standard reference book in its field...As such it belongs in any reference collection in or about England, and any collection dealing with folklore.' Library Review

This comprehensive compilation of entries documents the origins, transmissions, and transformations of Asian American folklore and folklife. * More than 600 entries * Contributions from more than 170 expert contributors * Introductory essays covering disciplinary theories and methods in the study of folklore and folklife * An appendix of Asian American folktales

This multicultural reference work on Jewish folklore, legends, customs, and other elements of folklife is the first of its kind.

From the stone age to the cyber age, women and men have experienced the world differently. Out of a cosmos of goddesses and she-devils, earth mothers and madonnas, witches and queens, saints and whores, a vast body of women's folklore has come into bloom. International in scope and drawing on more than 130 expert contributors, this encyclopedia reviews the myths, traditions, and beliefs central to women's daily lives. More than 260 alphabetically arranged entries cover the lore of women across time, space, and life. Students of history, religion and spirituality, healing and traditional medicine, literature, and world cultures will value this encyclopedia as an indispensable guide to women's folklore. In addition, there are entries on women's folklore and folklife in 15 regions of the world, such as the Caribbean, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe. Entries provide cross-references and cite works for further reading, and the encyclopedia closes with a selected bibliography of print and electronic resources. Students learning about history, world cultures, religion and spirituality, healing and traditional medicine, and literature will welcome this companion to the daily life of women across time and continents.