Showing results for "The Book of Time" in Customs & Traditions

Monsters, spirits, fantastic beings, and supernatural creatures haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yōkai, they appear in many forms, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water sprites, to shape-shifting kitsune foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Popular today in anime, manga, film, and video games, many yōkai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories. The Book of Yōkai invites listeners to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them.

Martín Prechtel revives a hitherto unknown Guatemalan Tzutujil Mayan tale of the beginnings of the world with a poetic retelling of the story. Prechtel authoritatively retells the powerful tale of the Tall Girl who weaves the world in a loom, her parents the Sun and the Moon who repudiate her suitors, and the mysterious man who disguises himself as a hummingbird to lure her away.

Enter the fascinating world of nature spirits, as seen by a celebrated clairvoyant. Meet entrancingly beautiful water undines, delicate fairies, ancient and hardworking brownies, and comical gnomes. Geoffrey Hodson describes the vast variety of etheric forms in cooperation with nature, as they invigorate and enliven plants, trees, wind, and bodies of water. Often lighthearted and joyful, nature spirits also show a love for unrestrained frolic, dance, and play.