German Folklore A Handbook

Subjects:

• Anthropology » Folklore
• Literature » World Literature
• Literature » Literature (General)
• Multicultural Studies » European Studies

Reviews:

• [T]his "handbook" provides not a scholarly, detailed study of German folklore but rather a sampling to guide the reader through its concept. That said, the book gives evidence of Dow's long experience and erudition, and one must acknowledge a lurking depth, for example, in the discussion of folklore and National Socialism. Central to the book is an extensive chapter that illustrates the Germanic hoard: legend and Germanic myth, prose Edda, and the Niebelung epic. Familiar names reside here: Faust, Eulenspiegel, Münchhausen (Munchhausen), the Brothers Grimm. Dow (Iowa State Univ.) also brings to the discussion familiar ballads and songs such as "Der Erlkönig." (Erlkonig) But one finds too the beloved German folk song "Muss i denn" truncated and limned with a reference to Elvis Presley and his English version. From there the author moves to "calendar customs" and a strong potion of fairy tales. The bibliography is commendable, and library Web sites are provided for those seeking to learn more....Recommended. Lower-/upper-division undergraduates; general readers.
  —Choice March 2007
• This recent addition to Greenwood Press's folklore handbooks is an excellent contribution to its series....The book provides an excellent introduction to German folklore and will serve as a handbook for further study.u
  —Journal of Folklore Research 2007
• Dow instructs readers on the study of German folklore, beginning with definitions and classifications and including an extensive chapter on examples as well as excerpts of texts. He describes scholarship, historical and new approaches, and the social and cultural context. The book includes a list of annotated web resources.
  —Reference & Research Book News November 2006
• [T]he author offers definitions and classifications followed by examples and texts with ample backup in bibliographic and scholarly citations including a discussion of scholarship and approaches to folklore plus a fine glossary, web sources and an index.
  —Society for German American Studies September 2006

Table of Contents:

• Preface
• Introduction
• Definitions and Classifications
• Examples and Texts
• Scholarship and Approaches
• Contexts
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Web Resources

PDF Catalogs:
Folklore and Folklife 2007.pdf	Sale Catalog 2008.pdf