Serbian Folk-Lore: Popular Tales selected and translated by Cedomiljka Mijatovic
$175.00
Serbian Folk-Lore: Popular Tales selected and translated by Cedomiljka Mijatovic, edited with an introduction by the Rev. W. Denton, published in 1874. An early English collection of Serbian folk narratives preserving the rich oral traditions, heroic legends, and supernatural beliefs of the Balkans. Drawn from the living folklore of nineteenth-century Serbia, the volume presents a remarkable assortment of fairy tales, wonder stories, and legendary accounts populated by enchanted princes and princesses, dragons, shape-shifting serpents, magical animals, saints, and mysterious beings inhabiting the borderlands between the natural and supernatural worlds. Included are such tales as The Bear’s Son, The Wonderful Kiosk, The Snake’s Gift, The Language of Animals, The Bird Girl, The Dream of the King’s Son, Animals as Friends and as Enemies, and The Legend of St. George, among many others. Of particular interest are the recurring themes of enchanted transformations, prophetic dreams, magical gifts, hidden knowledge, and the enduring survival of pre-Christian Slavic folklore beneath later Christian tradition. An important early contribution to the study of comparative folklore and European mythic literature. Hardcover with gilt lettering with shelfwear to corners and ends.
