Latin American Folktales: Stories from Hispanic and Indian Traditions - The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library New edition

Jacket Description/Flap: The wisdom and artistry of Latin America's storytellers preserve one of the world's richest folktale traditions--combining the lore of medieval Europe, the ancient Near East, and pre-Columbian America. Among the essential characters are the quiet man's wife who knew the Devil's secrets, the tree daughters who robbed their father's grave, and the wife in disguise who married her own husband--not to mention the Bear's son, the tricksters Fox and Monkey, the two compadres, and the classic rogue Pedro de Urdemalas. Gathered from twenty countries, including the United States, the stories are here brought together in a core collection of one hundred tales arranged in the form of a "velorio, or wake, the most frequent occasion for public storytelling. The tales are preceded by a selection of early Colonial legends foreshadowing the themes of Latino folklore and are followed by a carefully chosen group of modern Indian myths that replay the basic stories in a contrasting key. Riddles, chain riddles, and folk prayers, part and parcel of the "velorio along with folktales, are introduced at appropriate junctures. The collection is unprecedented in size and scope, and most of the tales have not been translated into English before. The result is the first panoramic anthology of Hispano-American folk narratives in any language--meant to be dipped into at random or read straight through from "Once and twice makes thrice upon a time" to "They were happy as the dickens and ate chickens." "From the Hardcover edition. Review Quotes: "A cornucopia of magic and myth. . . . Beware, for the pages of this volume--filled with tricksters, witches, and ghosts--are enchanted!" --Ilan Stavans, Professor of Spanish, Amherst College, and author of "On Borrowed Words" "From the Hardcover edition."Marc Notes: Original copyright 2002.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 373-383).; One hundred tales from 20 countries reflect European, Arabic, and African influences on native American folklore.;12-up. Review Quotes: "A cornucopia of magic and myth . . . Beware, for the pages of this volume--filled with tricksters, witches, and ghosts--are enchanted!"--Ilan StavansBiographical Note: John Bierhorst's books on Latin American lore include "The Mythology of South America" and "The Mythology of Mexico and Central America." He currently serves as an editor of "The Norton Anthology of World Literature."Publisher Marketing: The wisdom and artistry of Latin America's storytellers preserve one of the world's richest folktale traditions--combining the lore of medieval Europe, the ancient Near East, and pre-Columbian America. Among the essential characters are the quiet man's wife who knew the Devil's secrets, the three daughters who robbed their father's grave, and the wife in disguise who married her own husband--not to mention the Bear's son, the tricksters Fox and Monkey, the two compadres, and the classic rogue Pedro de Urdemalas. Gathered from twenty countries, including the United States, the stories are brought together here in a core collection of one hundred tales arranged in the form of a "velorio," or wake, the most frequent occasion for public storytelling. The tales are preceded by a selection of early Colonial legends foreshadowing the themes of Latino folklore and are followed by a carefully chosen group of modern Indian myths that replay the basic stories in a contrasting key. Riddles, chain riddles, and folk prayers, part and parcel of the "velorio" along with folktales, are introduced at appropriate junctures. The collection is unprecedented in size and scope, and most of the tales have not been translated into English before. The result is the first panoramic anthology of Hispano-American folk narratives in any language. Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library Review Citations:

Kliatt 01/01/2004 pg. 27 (EAN 9780375714399, Paperback) - *Starred Review

Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2007 pg. 186 (EAN 9780375714399, Paperback)

Poder Hispanic 11/01/2008 pg. 72 (EAN 9780375714399, Paperback)

Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2011 pg. 235 (EAN 9780375714399, Paperback)

Booklist 12/15/2001 pg. 688 (EAN 9780375420665, Hardcover)

Library Journal 12/01/2001 pg. 137 (EAN 9780375420665, Hardcover)

Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2003 pg. 19 (EAN 9780375420665, Hardcover)

School Library Journal 05/01/2002 (EAN 9780375420665, Hardcover)

Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2007 pg. 186 (EAN 9780375420665, Hardcover)

Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2011 pg. 235 (EAN 9780375420665, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Bierhorst, John John Bierhorst is a distinguished editor and translator of American Indian literature whose previous books include "Doctor Coyote: A Native American Aesop's Fables". He lives in West Shokan, New York.