Tales of the North American Indians (Native American) [Paperback]

Stith Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 24, 2011 | Series: Native American

Wide-ranging, representative sampling of myths and legends collected from a diversity of tribes contains nearly 100 stories of heroes, journeys to the other world, animal wives and husbands, tales borrowed from the Europeans, and even biblical subjects. Includes "The Woman Who Fell from the Sky" (Seneca), "The Star Husband" (Ojibwa), "The Bear-Woman" (Blackfoot), "Cinderella" (Zuñi), and more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (November 24, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486411311
• ISBN-13: 978-0486411316
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,883,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Important Resource for Native American Folklore Studies, July 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Tales of the North American Indians (Native American) (Paperback)

A brief introduction is followed by well-presented samples representing the different major folktales of the North American Indians, including tales borrowed from European- or African-Americans. Probably the most valuable part of the volume, though, at least for scholars, is in the 90 pages of comparative notes, sketching the distributions of particular motifs throughout the continent and beyond. Although dated now (first published in 1929) and perhaps inevitably incomplete even as of that date, this section provides fascinating insights into the extent and patterns of interaction between various Native American cultures.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent collection and scholarly treatment, May 23, 2006

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales of the North American Indians (Native American) (Paperback)

Though originally published in 1929, and reissued once before in 1966 by Indiana Press, I'm glad Dover has made this important collection available again: it's still one of the best, most comprehensive, and best annotated selection of Indian folktales ever published. Stith Thompson, world famous as the master-mind behind the 6-volume MOTIF-INDEX OF FOLK LITERATURE, a major research tool in the field, culled just about all the available literature dealing with North American Indian folklore in compiling this selection of the most representative tales of all the tribes. Although the tribes have long been grouped by regions (Northeast, Central Woodland, Southwest, North Pacific, etc.), Thompson arranges the tales by types and not by location or by tribe. He groups the tales into seven categories (plus one additional grouping of miscellaneous tales): mythological stories, mythic incidents, trickster tales, hero tales, journeys to the other world, animal spouses, and tales borrowed from Europeans. Thompson has found that some types of tales are more common to some regions (and tribes) - trickster tales, for example, with the Plains and Woodland tribes as well as animal stories in the Southeast and hero stories in the Northeast. All the tales are thoroughly annotated (308 detailed footnotes accompany 96 tales). The 90-page section of comparative notes might be the most impressive section for scholars, though the listing, massive as it is, probably represents only a fraction of what's been published since. There is also a lengthy bibliography and Thompson's own application of his useful Motif-Index. This book is a major publication in the field of North American Indian folklore, and anyone interested in the subject should read (and own) this work. Highly recommended.