(Part 2) Best folklore & mythology studies according to redditors

A few pointers:

• Get yourself a copy of Peter Boghossian's A Manual for Creating Atheists and read it yourself. It's a good manual for teaching people how to talk to people of faith about their faith in a non-confrontational way using the socratic method. I liked the audiobook version. Gently challenge him on things he learns at church. Try to get him to explain what he's learned in his own words. Ask him if that makes sense, and so on.
  
• Science: get your kid interested in science, whether it be dinosaurs, astronomy, chemistry, electricity - something. If there's something he's already into, encourage it.
  
• Supplement his church with other mythologies. Take him to a mosque or synagogue. Talk about how different people have different beliefs. Read him Norse and Greek mythology before bedtime. Get him a book like C. Scott Littleton's Anthology of Mythology. It's got lots of pictures.
  
• Cosmos. If you have not seen it with him, you need to see it with him. Prepare to pause each episode when he has a question. Do your best to answer them and if you encounter something you don't know, be honest but follow up afterwards with a visit to wikipedia. You can get it on DVD as well as stream it on Hulu and Netflix, I think. If he likes science shows like that, there are plenty others folks here could recommend.
  
  One common theme here is this: teach him that it's important to value having as many true beliefs as possible. Instruct him on the importance of wanting to have good reasons or evidence for the things we believe. Part of this is the scientific method, but also a general desire for intellectual honesty comes into play here as well.
  
  You might also get some good suggestions are /r/atheistparents.
  
  
  

I was reluctant to mention the source of this excerpt for a variety of reasons - it is a self-published book intended to get it off my desk before I shuffle on to Buffalo. Most of my books are peer reviewed, but not this one, which is an adaptation of my graduate-school-era translation of the classic work by a dear friend, Elisabeth Hofelich-Hartmann (1912-2004): Die Trollvorstellungen in den Sagen und Märchen der Skandinavischen Völker – The Troll Beliefs in the Legends and Folktales of the Scandinavian Folk, a doctoral dissertation, published in 1936 under the direction of Carl Wilhelm von Sydow (1878-1952) and his former student, Sven S. Liljeblad (1899-2000) - my mentor.

My homage to Dr. Hartmann is titled Trolls: From Scandinavia to Dam Dolls, Tolkien, and Harry Potter. It may be of use to you.

It depends on what you're drawn to. Are you more interested in interpretation of story for your own personal growth? Or interpretation of films? Or are you looking to create stories?

The best books I know on this subject at least on interpretive myth include:

• Women who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes (sure it's about women's stories which can dissuade some younger men learning about this subject but it's seriously one of the best books on how to interpret a myth out there)
  
• The Hero Within by Carol S. Pearson. This is more if you're trying to find your own personal mythology for instance.
  
• The Water of Life by Michael Meade is tremendous. He does amazing events around the United States and gives good performances as well as talks and storytelling online via his non-profit Mosaic Voices.
  
• To learn more about interpretation and ways to interact with your unconscious, I'd recommend many of Robert A. Johnson's books specifically Inner Work however Transformations of Masculine Consciousness, He, She, We and Living with the Heavenly Goddess are good too depending on what topic you're interested in.
  
• For storytelling, I'd recommend the book Healing Hearts Communities which consists of a collection of stories which are appropriate to use for a variety of modern requirements. So you have stories talking about addiction or violence etc.
  
  In my experience, after Campbell people usually begin to drift toward what their personal myths are. So you have some people who get really into film and get caught on Vogler or Bonnet's work, others who want to go help returning veterans and end up getting really into Odysseus in America. Or people begin focusing on different cultures and religions and move from there.

A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong. Very coffee table-esque. Also has citations. Also a fun topic that almost everyone will find interesting. Not super general or necessarily what some people think of when you say anthropology. Downside: no glossy photos, at least not in the copy I bought.

Sure, unfortunately since it is considered an academic text it is not cheap but the E-Book version is reasonable

https://www.amazon.com/Folklore-Horror-Stories-Slender-Man/dp/1137498528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485552152&sr=8-1&keywords=Folklore%2C+Horror+Stories%2C+and+the+Slender+Man%3A+The+Development+of+an+Internet+Mythology

Most of it is Slavic folklore and mythology.
Amazon has one English book especially about Slavic mythic creatures (don't own, don't know if it's good), you should find a lot of the monsters of The Witcher Series in it, though sometimes with a slightly different name.
Some other things, like the motive of the Wild Hunt are things that are elements in most European countries folklore. Wiki is a good start for things like that, because you find good sources on most articles.

You may want to read some literature by Maria Kvilhaug or Ronald Hutton. Both authors have been instrumental in helping me construct a coherent notion of what ancient practices may have looked like and how they would have evolved considering the introduction and spread of Christianity. Specific books to consider would be Triumph of the Moon and Seed of Yggdrasil both are fantastic books from legitimate historians. As far as trying to piece together a pure and historically accurate representation goes though, I wouldn't beat yourself up over the details without considering the proper context. Times have changed and so has our understanding of morality. I feel fairly certain that society today, would generally frown upon the sacrificing of virgins to appease the God's :-)

I study children's lit (yeah I'm that much of a kids book loser) so I won't actually enter, I have far too many book as it is and I'm moving soon. But I would love to share this http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1840221747 its a hardback edition of the complete Grimm's Fairy Tales. I think fairy tales are so important and magical, they are literally the foundation for children's literature! Its wonderful reading these magical stories and thinking about the huge number of stories they have inspired. Undertheradar89 gifted me Chris Colfer's The Wishing Spell a few months ago which is a modern fairy tale story, and takes a different look at the fairy tale and the characters. The originals are so dark and gorey, and full of the grotesque that children really do love. And me. I love it

Happy contesting everybody and happy national US Children's Book Week!

Here is one: https://www.mqup.ca/blog/secwepemc-people-land-laws/

Here is another one: https://www.amazon.ca/Unsettling-Canada-National-Wake-Up-Call-ebook/dp/B012XYFJHO

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More: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1632460688/?coliid=I9PKGROBS5P88&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Additional: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1626566747/?coliid=I1BAWUWU32N6NC&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Another: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1442614714/?coliid=I3P3FGFUIK7RFG&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

One more: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0888646402/?coliid=I2843W2GF6U9NS&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

More: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0814798535/?coliid=I30HZQ9D3V5O2W&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1138585866/?coliid=I2UL77UTJ47BF0&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Another: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1496201558/?coliid=I3BTQMC9LYCLHJ&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

One: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0822330210/?coliid=I1SEHQBGT2K6CT&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Another: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0803282869/?coliid=IHTY3OT3VU8CZ&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Last one: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0773547436/?coliid=ITIW0V5V1H7TR&colid=3VO89QG4XNLG3&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

You can buy a used one on Amazon here.

I'm not sure if we're speaking the same language. Where did I say that Red Herring was ever used as a racial slur? And furthermore, what places your relatives' racist tendencies ahead of classic Jamaican folklore?

http://www.amazon.com/Jamaica-Anansi-Stories-Forgotten-Books/dp/1605060194

You know what? I am absolutely convinced that you've already attempted to look up her origins, and have found multiple mentions of her being an Irish god. I'm willing to bet you have absolutely no need for me to provide you with sources, and are just clinging on to hope that I won't provide sources, just so you can somehow "win" the argument. But fuck it, this is a fantastic mythology full of beautiful writing, so I'll compile some links for my own personal use to share with others while also showing you here...

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Her name is an Irish name, so that's a good place to start.

The Morrigan is a triple-deity, all three deities also being Irish. Babh (the Irish word for "crow"), Irish goddess Anu, and then Macha, another Irish word. One of the better books on the subject of the three would be this.

Her "race", for want of a better word, is that of the Tuatha dé Denann (more Irish words), and after a good 5 mins of searching I've found a few dozen references to them as being Irish, and not one suggesting otherwise.

To add to this, the only reason she is notable above any other god is her association with the Hercules of Irish mythology, Cú Chulainn (The Irish for "Hound of Chullainn). The most well known image of The Morrigan is that of her in crow form over his dead body, after previously warning him of his impending death. Not so much relevant to examining her origins, but just adding even more connections with Ireland to build on the sources you're pretending to need.

You want some more books to read? Try this, this, this, or these.

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Now obviously these sources vary in their usefulness, I personally despise using Wikipedia as a source, but I'm not here to do your homework, that's what's convenient for me right now. What I've provided are multiple instances of The Morrigan being referred to as Irish, to the Irish etymology of her name, and the Irishness of other gods associated with her.

I could link to about 100 more books, a dozen more wikipedia entires, or thousands of online references of varying usefulness, all of which refer to her as an Irish goddess, but as I've already established, I am not offering contrarian opinions that differ from the accepted knowledge of scholars and regular Irish folk who were brought up on this stuff. That would be you, the one demanding sources for accepted knowledge while not providing anything to suggest otherwise.

I have no doubt that you will read these sources and become an expert on Irish mythology in the days to come. You are sincerely welcome.

I haven't read it (but a folklorist-classmate of mine did and highly recommended it), but this book might interest you.

I completely agree. It would rewrite our entire history of the human race. I grew up being taught that everything really kicked off for humanity with the discovery of agriculture in the fertile crescent.

After reading Grahams books and then countless hours of independent research, what I find most fascinating is the massive correlation between flood mythology.

I found this book about flood myths in a used bookstore a while back, and it is fascinating how prevalent flood mythology is all over the world.

If Graham was correct about the sudden and unexpected world wide flood, it would certainly account for all these myths. I also love to read how these myths speak of how they tried to survive the flood.

Many cultures speak of going to much higher ground to wait it out, while others ran to cave systems or "into the earth".

Another factor to the flood mythology lining up with Graham Hancocks research is the matter of the massive smoke plume created by a meteor breaking up across a massive ice sheet. These myths describe the blocking out of the sun, which in itself would be more than enough to really fuck up any well off civilization.

I've got a lot of ideas to discuss and bounce off people, which is why I'm so happy that other people are willing to discuss it here. I find that when I try to discuss this with someone not already exposed to these theories is very difficult as it really forces someone to completely reconsider everything they've been taught about the history of humanity.

I have a book called simply 'Germany' by Lewis Spence, which may be what you're looking for. I haven't read it, and I don't know much about Germany, so I don't know if it's what you want :)

>Nibelung, that kind of thing

There is a chapter on Nibelungenlied.

This is the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Germany-Myths-Legends-Lewis-Spence/dp/1851700137

It will be public domain, so you can probably find a free digital version.

http://www.amazon.com/Pollen-Path-Collection-Navajo-Myths/dp/1885772092/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311985122&sr=1-1


that is a very good book and has a wide variety of stories.

You'll have to forgive my loose understanding of the mythology of that region of the world - but would Icelandic Folklore fit into those themes as well?

There's a pretty good book (among many others I'm sure, there was another I tried to find that had more than just elves that I read awhile back but I can't seem to find it) that has a lot of short stories and introductions to the various types of folklore and legends of Icelandic mythology, which I think is in some way related to other mythologies of the Scandinavian region? Which should include celtic/irish/norse mythology as well?

I might be wrong (I'm a greek/roman myth guy, myself) but perhaps that book will give you good ideas anyways. "Hidden Folk" are a very popular Icelandic myth, in particular, hence the name of the book.

This reminds me a bit of the Pantheon cover of The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales in the 70s and 80s, but it doesn't match exactly. The hardback version had the line drawings of the fairy tale characters in color (you can see it in this Amazon listing here: https://www.amazon.com/Grimms-Wilhelm-Illustrated-Joseph-Scharl/dp/B000I125JA
The paperback version had the line drawings just black and white on eother a white or light blue cover.