Greek and Roman Folklore - (Greenwood Folklore Handbooks) by Graham Anderson (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Greek and Roman world is often noted for the rationalism of a few outstanding thinkers. This book is about the traditional superstitions, beliefs, taboos, folk-remedies, ghost stories, and folk tales that haunted the rest. Along the way it considers such questions as, Do modern approaches help or hinder our attempts to see ancient superstition from the inside? Can we break down the barriers between folk tales and myths? Did it really matter whether a healing herb was picked by moonlight or not? Was there a Cinderella tale in the ancient world?

The volume begins by asking how we can attempt to define folklore in the first place, and how we can make sense of the vast amount of materials available. It examines the prejudices of writers who report folkloric information and explores the cultural contexts that shaped their materials. It includes numerous examples and texts, such as tales, legends, proverbs, jokes, riddles, and traditional customs. The volume overviews critical approaches to the study of ancient folklore, and it surveys the presence of Greek and Roman folklore in classical culture. Because of the tremendous interest in the ancient world, this volume will meet the needs of high school students and general readers.

Book Synopsis

The Greek and Roman world is often noted for the rationalism of a few outstanding thinkers. This book is about the traditional superstitions, beliefs, taboos, folk-remedies, ghost stories, and folk tales that haunted the rest. Along the way it considers such questions as, Do modern approaches help or hinder our attempts to see ancient superstition from the inside? Can we break down the barriers between folk tales and myths? Did it really matter whether a healing herb was picked by moonlight or not? Was there a Cinderella tale in the ancient world?

The volume begins by asking how we can attempt to define folklore in the first place, and how we can make sense of the vast amount of materials available. It examines the prejudices of writers who report folkloric information and explores the cultural contexts that shaped their materials. It includes numerous examples and texts, such as tales, legends, proverbs, jokes, riddles, and traditional customs. The volume overviews critical approaches to the study of ancient folklore, and it surveys the presence of Greek and Roman folklore in classical culture. Because of the tremendous interest in the ancient world, this volume will meet the needs of high school students and general readers.

Review Quotes

"Greek and Roman Folklore is a thorough introduction to the topic from the viewpoint of a classicist who specializes in it. In its ten chapters, the author guides the reader step by step from the complexities involved in defining and identifying classical folklore to an appreciation of the subject itself. A glossary of terms, bibliography, and index round out the book....This volume is a well-researched, highly readable handbook of Greco-Roman folklore that will appeal to classicists, folklorists, students, and others interested in the subject. The bibliography supplies ample guidance for those wishing to pursue the subject further. The notes, glossary, and index are helpful. In sum, this is a good book that many will want to have." --The Classical Outlook

"After summarizing some definitions of folklore and some limitations of approaches to it, Anderson explores some sources of folklore in antiquity, its transmission, various genres, and figures and themes. Throughout he investigates ancient attitudes to folklore material, how conflicting methodologies hinder modern understanding, and what common features link popular material of the present and the past." --Reference & Research Book News

About the Author

Graham Anderson is Professor of Classics at the University of Kent. His many books include Ancient Fiction (1984), Sage, Saint, and Sophist (1994), and Fairytale in the Graeco-Roman World (2000).