German Folklore: A Handbook (Greenwood Folklore Handbooks) [Hardcover]

James R. Dow (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313333750 | ISBN-13: 978-0313333750 | Publication Date: June 30, 2006 | Edition: annotated edition

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[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."

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Society for German American Studies

"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."

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Reference & Research Book News

"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"

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Journal of Folklore Research

"[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."

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Choice

". . . 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."

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Western Folklore

Book Description

Gives high school students, general readers, and undergraduates a systematic introduction to German folklore.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood; annotated edition edition (June 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313333750
• ISBN-13: 978-0313333750
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,168,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gaining a Handle on German Folklore, February 26, 2007

By 

grasshopper4 (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: German Folklore: A Handbook (Greenwood Folklore Handbooks) (Hardcover)

Readers interested in a good summary of key issues in German folklore will find this volume an interesting and useful resource. It begins with a good introduction to the various concepts used in the study of folklore. The bulk of the book is an overview of genres and forms of folk culture that are rooted in German history. There are good summaries of various myths, legends, folktales, customs, holiday practices, material culture, and other kinds of folklore. I also enjoyed the numerous versions and variants of a lots of tales, and there were some excellent descriptions of various traditional foods and food traditions from Germany. The book also includes a good bibliography of reference sources and a review of how German folklore is related to the history of folklore research in Germany and German-speaking regions of Europe. Readers will also find some discussion of the presence of German folklore within the United States. I was surprised, for example, to discover that a number of common folk beliefs and sayings in America are derived from German sources. The book concludes with a summary of recent trends in folklore scholarship. These two chapters are not likely to appeal to the non-specialist, but they could be useful for readers intrigued by connections between politics, nationalism, and the various ways in which culture is conceptualized and presented to the public.