A comprehensive two-volume reference set providing an overview of the
study of folklore, this text comprises over 200 articles contributed
by European and North American scholars. The various forms of folk
culture covered include the ballad, riddle, legend and myth, whilst
character types include the hero, fool and trickster. This lucid,
specialized reference work draws on the extraordinary scholarship
of 77 authorities to provide more than 200 definitive essays on North
American and European folklore. The splendidly illustrated references
and in-depth, signed articles offer information on the forms of folk
culture (e.g., ballad, riddle, legend, tales, myth), define the
standard conceits of the discipline (e.g., hero, fool, trickster),
and present extensive discussion of the methodology of the professional
folklorist (e.g., comparative mythology, field work, semiotics).
The comprehensive reference covers new approaches to folk study
(e.g., gender studies, gay literature, minorities), as well as
traditional topics like music, dance, storytelling, and folk art.
The geographic scope embraces Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom,
Scandinavia, and the United States. The work provides not only
a fundamental understanding of folklore but also insights into the
more general story of culture and society. Editor Green (anthropology,
Texas A&M Univ.) has compiled a thoroughly referenced and excellently
arranged guide to essential resources and ready reference citations
for folklorists, social scientists, historians, journalists, and
interested readers. Superseding Maria Leach's Standard Dictionary of
Folklore, Mythology, and Legend (HarperCollins, 1984), this is now
the standard source.

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