Showing titles in Customs & Traditions

A fabulously entertaining audiobook from the ultimate authority on those almost believable tales that always happen to a "friend of a friend". Alligators in the sewers? A pet in the microwave? A tragic misunderstanding of the function of cruise control? No, it didn't really happen to your friend's sister's neighbor: It's an urban legend. And no matter how savvy you think you are, you are sure to find in this collection of more than 200 tales at least one story you would have sworn was true.

Not so very long ago, Yuletide was as much a chilling season of ghosts and witches as it was a festival of goodwill. In The Old Magic of Christmas, you'll rub elbows with veiled spirits, learn the true perils of elves, and discover a bestiary of enchanted creatures. Rife with the more frightful characters from folklore and the season's most petulant ghosts, this book takes you on a spooky sleigh ride from the silvered firs of a winter forest to the mirrored halls of the Snow Queen.

Vietnam is one of the most fascinating destinations in Southeast Asia. Having emerged from two decades of war, it is has undergone a period of rapid and far-reaching change, and its people have their eyes fixed firmly on the horizon. Culture Smart! Vietnam is for those who want to learn about the traditional values, sensibility, and modern way of life of the Vietnamese. It explains deep-seated attitudes and describes some of the social, economic, and cultural changes now underway.

The most popular mythological creature in the human imagination, dragons have provoked fear and fascination for their lethal venom and crushing coils, and as avatars of the Antichrist, servants of Satan, couriers of the damned to hell, portents of disaster, and harbingers of the last days. Here are accounts spanning millennia and continents of these monsters that mark the boundary between the known and the unknown.

In The Reluctant Family Man, Nilima Chitgopekar uses the life and personality of Shiva - his self-awareness, his marriage, his balance, his detachment, his contentment - to derive lessons that listeners can practically apply to their own lives.

Gathering a wide range of traditional African myths, this compelling new collection offers tales of heroes battling mighty serpents and monstrous birds, brutal family conflict and vengeance and desperate migrations across vast and alien lands. From impassioned descriptions of animal-creators to dramatic stories of communities forced to flee monstrous crocodiles, all the narratives found here concern origins - whether of the universe, peoples or families.

As you begin to listen to this book, you will become familiar with all the gods and goddesses of Chinese culture. The historical context will become clear, as well as the institutions, the law, the rules about sexuality, marriage, and children, and so much more. Understanding these aspects of their society before fully becoming engaged in the folklore that was the popular belief at the time is essential to your comprehension of the cultural anecdotes in those tales.

Pick up the acclaimed Atlas of Cursed Places, and visit the world's most nerve-wracking locations. With pithy historical profiles, this is a clever gift for the intrepid traveler or armchair adventurer who wants to explore destinations both remarkable and daunting. Visit: a coal town where the ground is constantly on fire; a Zambian national park where more than eight million bats darken the skies; the infamous suicide location of Aokigahara Forest near Mount Fuji; the lesser-known Nevada triangle, in which dozens of aircraft have inexplicably disappeared.

Did the early Christians believe their myths? Like most ancient—and modern—people, early Christians made efforts to present their myths in the most believable ways.

Rum has been the drink of rebels since the Old World. Now, there's a new generation of rebels—the business women curating the taste of today's best rum companies. Rum Rebels is a story of female empowerment in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Each chapter of Rum Rebels profiles women in leadership, their rum, and the perfect cocktail pairing. Alongside women leaders and pioneers, this worldwide master class explores everything from palates to aging, providing first-hand stories from today's leading rum distilleries.

El culto a la Santa Muerte es uno de los fenómenos religiosos más importantes y complejos de México actualmente, y así lo avalan millones de devotos en todo el país, e incluso en Estados Unidos, Canadá y Centroamérica. Desde 1797 se tiene documentada la primera noticia de un rito indígena a un esqueleto al que desde entonces ya llamaban "Santa Muerte". Pero fue hasta hace dos décadas, a partir de la crisis económica más profunda y dolorosa del país, cuando se comenzó a erigir como una figura guardiana, salvadora.

Within this audiobook lies the heart of Irish identity—a rich heritage of storytelling that has been passed down through the generations, from the mysterious Druids and the formidable Tuatha Dé Danann to legendary heroes whose deeds are still sung. Meet the awe-inspiring gods and goddesses who wielded power over life and death and shaped the destiny of Ireland itself.

The people of this land of white summer nights and pristine lakes are famous for their sisu, a form of enterprising stoicism. They are survivors: if you were stranded on a desert island, your ideal companion would be a Finn. Culture Smart! Finland describes the historical, geographical, and cultural influences that have shaped the Finnish psyche, and guides you through the working and social lives of the Finns today, offering you a deeper, more rewarding experience of this beautiful land.

Fairies, Banshees, Changelings, Brownies, Kelpies, enchanted livestock, and more are investigated by a renowned folklorist and minister in 19th-century Scotland. Superstitions regarding subjects like funerals, suicides, and murders are explored, as are tales of augury, premonitions, divination, dreams, prophecies, spells, and the Devil—all collected entirely from testimonials made directly to the author by residents of places like the isles of Mull and Skye, Islay, Kintyre, the Hebrides and the Highlands.

This bundle consists of five books on various types of mythological creatures. Some are probably real and some we don’t know. Includes: Thunderbirds: Legends and Reality, Sea Serpents and Ocean Monsters, All About Dragons, Are Cryptozoological Animals Real or Imaginary?, and Fire in History and Mythology.

Begin learning about the History of India and Indian Mythology today!

In Idols, a companion volume to the best-selling Dharma, your favourite fictional characters are back, along with some new ones, to explore the essence and true meaning of idolatry. In this insightful and thought-provoking book, Amish and Bhavna tackle burning questions about idol worship through simple, varied and astute interpretations of myths and religious texts.

The grandson of an eminent ayatollah and the son of an Iranian diplomat, journalist Hooman Majd is uniquely qualified to explain contemporary Iran's complex and misunderstood culture to Western listeners. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ provides an intimate look at a paradoxical country that is both deeply religious and highly cosmopolitan, authoritarian yet informed by a history of democratic and reformist traditions.

The legend of King Arthur and his castle Camelot has gripped people’s imagination for centuries. In this classic study, drawing upon myriad sources both literary and historical, the world’s leading Arthurian scholar Geoffrey Ashe digs deep into the important 12th century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth to trace the origins of the myth. Through brilliant historical detective work, he shows that much of Monmouth's history, which sets out to describe fifth-century Britain, was based on fact.

This audiobook is the first to describe the history, folklore, assessment methods, and remedies of Southern and Appalachian folk medicine - the only system of folk medicine, other than Native American, that developed in the US. One of the system's last active practitioners, Phyllis D. Light has studied and worked with herbs, foods, and other healing techniques for more than 30 years. In everyday language, she explains how Southern and Appalachian folk medicine was passed down orally through the generations by herbalists and healers.