German Folklore - (Greenwood Folklore Handbooks) Annotated by James R Dow (Hardcover)

About the Book

Germany is a land of fascinating customs and traditions. Through the work of the Grimms, many of its folk and fairy tales have become widely read around the world. German folklore has also inspired numerous literary, artistic, and musical works. Written especially for high school students and general readers, this volume is an accessible introduction to German folklore.

The volume begins by defining and classifying different types of German folklore. It provides numerous examples of German folkways and presents a wide ranging selection of texts. The book reviews critical and scholarly approaches and discusses the pervasive influence of German folklore on literature and popular culture.
The work closes with a bibliography of print and electronic resources suitable for student research, a glossary, and a detailed index. Numerous illustrations bring folklore to life for general readers.

Book Synopsis

Germany is a land of fascinating customs and traditions. Through the work of the Grimms, many of its folk and fairy tales have become widely read around the world. German folklore has also inspired numerous literary, artistic, and musical works. Written especially for high school students and general readers, this volume is an accessible introduction to German folklore.

The volume begins by defining and classifying different types of German folklore. It provides numerous examples of German folkways and presents a wide ranging selection of texts. The book reviews critical and scholarly approaches and discusses the pervasive influence of German folklore on literature and popular culture.

Review Quotes

"[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, Munchhausen (Munchhausen), the Brothers Grimm. Dow (Iowa State Univ.) also brings to the discussion familiar ballads and songs such as Der Erlkonig. (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

"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

"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

"[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

". . . an accessible introductory text for the study of German folklore, appropriate for advanced high-school or introductory college courses. . . a useful addition to the library of any teacher of folklore (as I read it, I could see lesson plans unfolding before me). Students will find the book valuable for its clear definitions and its references to scholarly works in folklore." --Western Folklore

About the Author

James R. Dow is Professor Emeritus of German at Iowa State University. He has published several books, and his articles have appeared in such journals as Journal of American Folklore, Journal of the Folklore Institute, and International Folklore Review.