The Penguin book of mermaids

Title:

Author:

Bacchilega, Cristina, 1955- editor.

ISBN:

9780143133728

Publication Information:

New York : Penguin Books, 2019.

Physical Description:

xxix, 330 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm

Contents:

Water deities and sirens from olden times -- Mermaids and other merbeings in Europe -- Literary tales -- Merfolk and water spirits across cultures.

Abstract:

A treasury of tales about merfolk and water spirits from different cultures, ranging from Scottish selkies to Hindu water-serpents to Chilean sea fairies. All tales are accompanied by commentary that explores their undercurrents, showing us how public perceptions of this popular mythical hybrid--at once a human and a fish--illuminate issues of gender, spirituality, ecology, and sexuality. -- adapted from back cover.

Language:

English

Subject Term:

Mermaids.

Fairy tales -- History and criticism.

Symbolism in fairy tales.

Women -- Folklore.

Sex role -- Folklore.

Human ecology.

Spirituality in literature.

Added Author:

Bacchilega, Cristina, 1955-

Brown, Marie Alohalani,

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Call Number	Status
Searching... Downtown Branch at Slover	Trade Paperback	0118617497615	398.21 PEN	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch	Trade Paperback	0118617497623	398.21 PEN	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

*Includes "The Little Mermaid," now a major motion picture from Disney starring Halle Bailey and directed by Rob Marshall*

Dive into centuries of mermaid lore with these captivating tales from around the world.

A Penguin Classic

Among the oldest and most popular mythical beings, mermaids and other merfolk have captured the imagination since long before Ariel sold her voice to a sea witch in the beloved Disney film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." As far back as the eighth century B.C., sailors in Homer's Odyssey stuffed wax in their ears to resist the Sirens, who lured men to their watery deaths with song. More than two thousand years later, the gullible New York public lined up to witness a mummified "mermaid" specimen that the enterprising showman P. T. Barnum swore was real.

The Penguin Book of Mermaids is a treasury of such tales about merfolk and water spirits from different cultures, ranging from Scottish selkies to Hindu water-serpents to Chilean sea fairies. A third of the selections are published here in English for the first time, and all are accompanied by commentary that explores their undercurrents, showing us how public perceptions of this popular mythical hybrid--at once a human and a fish--illuminate issues of gender, spirituality, ecology, and sexuality.

For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

Tales of mermaids have captivated people's imaginations for thousands of years, from Odysseus being tempted by the sirens' song to children being mesmerized by the strong-willed Ariel in more modern times. But the legends and lore go much deeper than these well-known examples of merfolk in popular culture. Images and stories of fish-human hybrids have appeared in cultures throughout the centuries and around the globe, including legends from the Pacific Islands, Scotland, and the Middle East. In different cultures, these mysterious and alluring creatures are known by a variety of names, including mermaids, selkies, and water spirits. But despite the time and space between cultures and stories, common themes surrounding merfolk emerge, including gender, sexuality, spirituality, and environmental awareness. Bacchilega and Brown summarize these motifs and provide historical and cultural contexts for the legends themselves (many in translation), tracing their influence over time and in various regions. Readers fascinated by myth and diverse cultures will find much to enjoy and ponder in this gathering of mermaid tales and assessment of how these beings reflect the complexities of human nature.--Patricia Smith Copyright 2010 Booklist

Excerpts

Contents Water Deities and Sirens from Olden Times * Oannes * Kāliya, the Snake * Odysseus and the Sirens * The Tuna (Eel) of Lake Vaihiria Mermaids and Other Merbeings in Europe Merfolk in the Waters of Greenland and Iceland * The Marvels of the Waters about Greenland * The Merman Two Mermaids and a Selkie from the Scottish Highlands * The Mermaid of Kessock * The Grey Selchie of Sule Skerrie * The Mermaid's Grave A Seal Woman or Maiden of the Sea from Ireland * Tom Moore and the Seal Woman Dangerous Mermaids in Two Child Ballads * Clark Colven, Child 42A * The Mermaid, Child 289B A Bavarian Freshwater Merman * In the Jaws of the Merman. A Freshwater Mermaid in Grimms' Fairy Tales * The Nixie in the Pond Estonian Water Spirits * Three Texts (untitled) Two Greek Mermaids * New Tunes * The Mermaid Merfolk from the South of Italy * A Mermaid's Story * Cola Pesce * The Sailor and the Mermaid of the Sea Literary Tales * Legend of Melusina * Fortunio and the Siren * The Day after the Wedding, from Undine * The Little Mermaid * The Fisherman and His Soul * The Golden Mermaid * A Mermaid's Tears * Abyssus Abyssum Invocat Merfolk and Water Spirits Across the Globe African Water Beings * Yemọja Merfolk in The Thousand and One Nights * Julnar the Mermaid and Her Son Badar Basim of Persia A Persian Sea Fairy * The Sea Fairy Three Khasi Narratives About Water Spirits * About K--, the River Goddess Who Exists in Jaintia Hills * How Water Tied a Covenant with Man and the Divine Nature of Water * About a Puri Enchantment A Mer-Wife in the Indian Ocean * Shoān, a Nicobar Tale A Hairy Chinese Mermaid * Mermaids Mermaids from Japan * The Mermaid * Yao Bikuni Water Spirits of the Philippines * The Mermaid Queen * The Litao and Serena * The American and the Sirena of Amburayan * A Mermaid in Mabini * Mermaid A Mer-Wife in Northern Australia * Karukayn (Mermaids) A Chamorro Girl Becomes a Mermaid * Sirena The Feejee Mermaid Hoax * The Mermaid Mermaids and Mo'o of Hawai'i * The Mermaid of Honokawailani Pond * Kalamainuʻu, the Moʻo who Seduced Punaʻaikoaʻe Water Beings of South America * The Fisherman's Water-jug and Potato * Oiára, The Water-Maidens * The Pincoya * The Mermaids African Water Spirits in the Caribbean * Ti Jeanne * Maman Dlo's Gift Water Beings of Indigenous North America * The Horned Serpent Runs Away with a Girl who is Rescued by the Thunderer * Of the Woman Who Loved a Serpent That Lived in a Lake * How Two Girls Were Changed into Water-Serpents * Ne Hwas, the Mermaid * Legend of the Fish Women (Mermaids) * The Woman Who Married a Merman Excerpted from The Penguin Book of Mermaids by Cristina Bacchilega All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.