"At the turn of the twentieth century, over forty percent of the world's Jews lived within the Russian Empire, almost all in the Pale of Settlement. From the Baltic to the Black Sea, the Jews of the Pale created a distinctive way of life little known beyond its borders. This led the historian Simon Dubnow to label the territory a Jewish 'Dark Continent.' Just before World War I, a socialist revolutionary and aspiring ethnographer named An-sky pledged to explore the Pale. He dreamed of leading an ethnographic expedition that would produce an archive--what he called an Oral Torah of the common people rather than the rabbinic elite--which would preserve Jewish traditions and transform them into the seeds of a modern Jewish culture. Between 1912 and 1914, An-sky and his team collected jokes, recorded songs, took thousands of photographs, and created a massive ethnographic questionnaire. Consisting of 2,087 questions in Yiddish--exploring the gamut of Jewish folk beliefs and traditions, from everyday activities to spiritual exercises to marital intimacies--the Jewish Ethnographic Program constitutes an invaluable portrait of Eastern European Jewish life on the brink of destruction. Nathaniel Deutsch offers the first complete translation of the questionnaire, as well as the riveting story of An-sky's almost messianic efforts to create a Jewish ethnography in an era of revolutionary change. An-sky's project was halted by World War I, and within a few years the Pale of Settlement would no longer exist. These survey questions revive and reveal shtetl life in all its wonder and complexity." -- Publisher's Web site.

new edition with a further illustrative plates by Gini Lusini

Rich, full, experimental and long lasting contributions to the ecology of fantasy. Forgotten Lore brings together fourteen fantasy writers who bring fourteen tales to life. Each one a unique glimpse into a new world they have meticulously crafted.If you're new to the genre, this is an ideal place to start, so you begin with the multitude of ideas that count here.

Softcover

This exciting collection of children's stories are humerous tales of the Caribbean folklore character 'Anancy'. From beginning to end, these stories are full of humour, suspense and fantasy. The opening story 'How Anancy Came About' sets the stage for exciting reading which continues throughout all 18 stories. Each story captures the fun and essence of growing up in Jamaica. 'Anancy Mek It' is a thoughtful and exciting book, to be enjoyed by children and grownups alike, who revel in the fantasy and mythical characters of the Caribbean's colourful heritage. This book is a wonderful addition to any library.

Brancusi's Romanian heritage is an important subject for those who study the sculptor. He was 28 years old in 1904 when he arrived in Paris, where he spent the rest of his life. He considered himself Romanian, he dressed like a Romanian peasant, and lived like one. (He was in fact a sophisticated intellectual.) When he arrived in Paris, the avant-garde was searching for original sources of inspiration. For many, African art filled that role. Brancusi found African art a trigger which released the reminiscences of his Romanian folk tradition. Brancusi used his heritage for formal and iconographical inspiration; however, his working method was inspired by the French avant-garde. Edith Balas shows that the pedestals and homemade furniture were for the artist as important an artistic product as his sculptures; he exchanged them occasionally. There are several new iconographical interpretations of sculptures previously not linked with the Romanian folklore.

Nga Iwi o Tainui is a classic work of New Zealand and Maori history, first published in 1995. A bilingual collection, in 67 chapters, of the histories, genealogies, songs and chants of the Tainui people, it represents the culmination of a life's work by the scholar and historian Dr Pei Te Hurinui Jones. His beautiful Maori text is matched on facing pages by Dr Bruce Biggs's English translations, a layout which facilitates a close study of the Maori language, valuable for scholars and students alike. Genealogical tables and map references place each separate incident in its social and geographical context. Extensive footnotes provide further information and there is a complete index to all place names and personal names in the text. Nga Iwi o Tainui received an Honour Award at the 1996 Montana New Zealand Book Awards.