Until you’ve consumed all of the best Folklore books, can you even claim to be a true fan?
- The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore (2015)
- Favorite Folktales from Around the World (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (1988)
- Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore (2016)
- Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees (Dover Pictorial Archive) (2003)
- British Goblins: Welsh Folklore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (2017)
- Appalachian Folklore Omens, Signs and Superstitions (2011)
- Chinese Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Chinese Folklore Including Fairy Tales, Myths, and Legends from Ancient China (2018)
- Medieval Folklore: A Guide to Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs (2002)
- Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia (2019)
- Slavic Witchcraft: Old World Conjuring Spells and Folklore (2019)
- Folklore of the Scottish Highlands (2000)
- Myths Legends of Japan (Classic Reprint) (2015)
The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore (2015)
Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to shape-shifting foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers.
Favorite Folktales from Around the World (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (1988)
From Africa, Burma, and Czechoslovakia to Turkey, Vietnam, and Wales here are more than 150 of the world’s best-loved folktales from more than forty countries and cultures. These tales of wonder and transformation, of heroes and heroines, of love lost and won, of ogres and trolls, stories both jocular and cautionary and legends of pure enchantment will delight readers and storytellers of all ages.With black-and-white drawings throughoutPart of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library
Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore (2016)
"Here there be dragons"–this notation was often made on ancient maps to indicate the edges of the known world and what lay beyond. Heroes who ventured there were only as great as the beasts they encountered. This encyclopedia contains more than 2,200 monsters of myth and folklore, who both made life difficult for humans and fought by their side.
Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees (Dover Pictorial Archive) (2003)
This profusely illustrated archive of more than 200 flowers, plants, and trees was compiled by Ernst and Johanna Lehner — two of the world’s foremost collectors of pictorial symbols (who also happen to be devoted flower enthusiasts). Their comprehensive collection, with illustrations selected from rare sources, extends from the image of a pomegranate, the Chinese symbol of fertility, to a basket of flowers in a nineteenth-century Valentine silhouette.
British Goblins: Welsh Folklore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (2017)
One of the most beautiful and complete collections of stories, legends, myths, folktales, and traditions to ever emerge from Wales. Compiled by an American—the United States consul for Wales in the late nineteenth century—this volume was the work of several years’ labor.Scouring the hills and valleys of Wales after falling in love with the land, the author wrote down the oral traditions, stories, myths, and legends related to him by the people he met on his travels.
Appalachian Folklore Omens, Signs and Superstitions (2011)
‘Appalachian Folklore: Omens, Signs and Superstitions’ explores the historical and cultural evolution of the pioneers who first ventured into the Appalachian Mountains. It includes hundreds of whimiscal superstitions as well as folk cures, charms, and chants practiced by the early settlers of Appalachia.
Chinese Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Chinese Folklore Including Fairy Tales, Myths, and Legends from Ancient China (2018)
Most Americans know about Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology. But folk stories from ancient China give different viewpoints and a deeper understanding of society’s roots. It can be challenging for Americans to find a comprehensive collection of Chinese myths considering that there are several versions and translations available.
Medieval Folklore: A Guide to Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs (2002)
Over a decade in the making, Medieval Folklore offers a wide-ranging guide to the lore of the Middle Ages–from the mundane to the supernatural.
Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia (2019)
In Backwoods Witchcraft, Jake Richards offers up a folksy stew of family stories, lore, omens, rituals, and conjure crafts that he learned from his great-grandmother, his grandmother, and his grandfather, a Baptist minister who Jake remembers could “rid someone of a fever with an egg or stop up the blood in a wound.” The witchcraft practiced in Appalachia is very much a folk magic of place, a tradition that honors the seen and unseen beings that inhabit the land as well as the soil, roots, and p…
Slavic Witchcraft: Old World Conjuring Spells and Folklore (2019)
A practical guide to the ancient magical tradition of Russian sorcery and Eastern Slavic magical rites • Offers step-by-step instructions for more than 300 spells, incantations, charms, amulets, and practical rituals for love, career success, protection, healing, divination, communicating with spirits and ancestors, and other challenges and situations • Reveals specific places of magical
Folklore of the Scottish Highlands (2000)
The folklore of the Scottish Highlands is unique and very much alive. Anne Ross is a Gaelic-speaking scholar and archaeologist who has lived and worked in crofting communities, which has enabled her to collect information firsthand and assess the veracity of material already published.
Myths Legends of Japan (Classic Reprint) (2015)
Excerpt from Myths Legends of JapanIn writing Myths and Legends of Japan I have been much indebted to numerous authorities on Japanese subjects, and most especially to Lafcadio Hearn, who first revealed to me the Land of the Gods. It is impossible to enumerate all the writers who have assisted me in preparing this volume.
Best Folklore Books You Must Read
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some folklore books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Humor and Rumor in the Post-Soviet Authoritarian State
Author(s): Anastasiya Astapova
ID: 2979726, Publisher: Lexington Books, Year: 2021, Size: 5 Mb, Format: pdf
The Mystical Year: Folklore, Magic and Nature
Author(s): Alison Davies
ID: 2773355, Publisher: Quadrille Publishing, Year: 2020, Size: 10 Mb, Format: epub
Superstitions: A Handbook of Folklore, Myths, and Legends from Around the World
Author(s): D.R. McElroy
ID: 2937423, Publisher: Wellfleet Press, Year: 2020, Size: 8 Mb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not errorless. Some books are truly best-sellers according to Los Angeles Times, others are drafted by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.