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Neo-Paganism Classical Mythology Lord of the Rings
This section of sacred-texts archives the rich literature of Sagas and Legends. These are mostly (but not all) from Northern Europe, and primarily based on legendary events and people from the Middle Ages. Many of these narratives are based on archetypal stories that date even further back in time. General
The Myth of the Birth of the Hero
The Lang Fairy Books
The Works of Lord Dunsany Northern European
Teutonic Myth and Legend Arabian NightsThe 1001 Arabian Nightstr. by Sir Richard Burton [1850] An 'unexpurgated' version of the Arabian Nights, translated from the Arabic by the Orientalist Sir Richard Burton. The Arabian Nights' Entertainments tr. by Andrew Lang, Illustrations by H. J. Ford [1898] A version of the Arabian Nights suitable for Victorian children. Translated and abridged from the French version of Galland by the folklorist Andrew Lang. 1001 Arabian Nights A full etext of the 16 volume Sir Richard Burton translation. Highly recommended. [External Site] Baltic
The Hero of Esthonia by Frances Jenkins Olcott [1928] A diverse collection of Baltic folklore, retold for young readers, including lore of Finland. BasqueCelticCeltic FolkloreIn order to deal properly with this extensive subject, all of the Celtic texts and books now have their own page. Topics include: Wales Scotland Celtic Fairies General Celtic Slavic and Eastern EuropeanThe Tale of the Armament of Igorby Leonard A. Magnus [1915] parallel English/Russian The first masterpiece of Russian literature, from the time of transition between Slavic Paganism and Christianity. The Songs of the Russian People by W.R.S. Ralston [1872] A treasure trove of Russian and Slavic folklore, mythology and tradition. Covers pre-Christian Slavic Paganism. Roumanian Fairy Tales and Legends by E.B. Mawr [1881] A small collection of Romanian folk tales and historical legends. Sixty Folk-Tales from Exclusively Slavonic Sources by A. H. Wratisalw [1890] An excellent (and long out of print) collection of Slavic folktales, with hints of some very ancient lore. Folk Tales From the Russian by Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de Blumenthal [1903] Heroic Ballads of Servia by George Rapnall Noyes and Leonard Bacon [1913] Translations of Serbian oral poetry. Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome [1916] Russian folklore retold, including tales of Baba Yaga. Stories of Russian Folk-Life by Donald A. Mackenzie [1916] The Key of Gold: 23 Czech Folk Tales By Josef Baudis [1917]. The Man in the Panther's Skin by Shota Rustaveli, tr. by Marjory Scott Wardrop [1912] The Georgian National Epic. Armenian Legends and Poems by Zabelle C. Boyajian [1916] A sampler of Armenian literature, legends and history. EnglandEnglandAll of the texts and books about England also now have their own page. Topics include: Anglo-Saxon Arthurian FinlandThe Kalevala is the national saga of Finland. Pieced together (and embellished) by Elias Lönnrot from traditional storytellers in the late 19th Century, the tales which constitute the Kalevala show signs of great antiquity. The Kalevala (English)John Martin Crawford, tr. [1888] The Finnish national epic, the wars of wizards and heroes to control a mystical artifact. This etext was the first English version of the Kalevala available on the Internet; it was scanned at sacred-texts, and is the source of the Project Gutenberg text of this book. The Kalevala (Finnish) Collected by Elias Lönnrot. This etext of the Kalevala in Finnish is from the Runeberg project. Baltic Wizards by Frances Jenkins Olcott [1928] This includes a section on Finnish folklore. FranceThe Song of Rolandtranslated by Charles Scott Moncrief [1919] This saga depicts a pivotal episode in the conflict between the Islamic and Christian world in the late Middle ages. GermanyWagner's Ring of the Niblungby Richard Wagner, translated by Margaret Armour; Illustrations by Arthur Rackham [1910]. An excellent translation of the librettos of operas Siegfried and Die Götterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods), with beautiful illustrations by the one of the best fairy-tale illustrators of the 19th Century. The Nibelungenlied translated by Daniel B. Shumway [1909] The Nibelungenlied is derived from the Ancient Norse Eddas. The Nibelungenlied also supplied source material for Wagner's Ring opera cycle. Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine by Lewis Spence [1915] Lore of the Rhine valley, including the Nibelunglied saga. Grimm's Household Tales by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt [1812] Summer Legends by Rudolph Baumbach, Translated by Helen B. Dole [1888] Thanks Eliza, for donating this text! Visit her site at http://www.sacredspiral.com/ [External Site]. The Germany of Tacitus One of the only ancient descriptions of the Germanic tribes. Part of The Complete works of Tacitus. GreeceFairy Tales of Modern Greeceby Theodore P. Gianakoulis and Georgia H. MacPherson [1930] Modern Greek fairies and their often tragic interactions with mortals. IcelandIcelandic LoreAll of the texts and books about Icelandic lore now have their own page. Subjects include: The Sagas. ItalyOrlando Furiosoby Ludovico Ariosto, translated by William Stewart Rose [1823-31] Italy's most notable contribution to renaissance epic poetry. PersiaThe Shah Namahof Ferdowsi, translated by Helen Zimmern [1883] 460,993 bytes The national epic of Persia (Iran). PortugalThe Lusiadby Luis de Camoens, trans. by William Julius Mickle [1776, edition of 1877] The Portuguese national epic, the tale of Vasco da Gama's voyage to India. Roma (Gypsy)The Roma people and their lore now have their own page: ScandinaviaPopular Tales from the Norseby George Dasent [1904] A superb collection of Scandinavian folklore. The Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, translated by Oliver Elton [1905] The legendary history of the Danish people. Heimskringla or The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturlson, translated by Samuel Laing [1844] SpainLegends and Romances of SpainBy Lewis Spence [1920] The Lay of the Cid Translated by R. Selden Rose and Leonard Bacon [1919] 240,127 bytes The Spanish national epic. |